DIY Cedar Garden Gate
The DIY Cedar Garden Gate is a very inexpensive way to add a nice entry to your garden. With minimal cost and only a small amount of time, this DIY gate is perfect for any fence around your garden.
A good gate is multi-functional. This one provides an easy access to a fenced-off garden while adding an aesthetic look to the yard. Last year, we had deer and rabbits ravage most of our green beans and many other vegetables that we grew. This year, we put up a four-foot tall chicken wire fence around the garden to protect it and this gate is the centerpiece of the fence and garden. We looked at a few options online, but my wife came back from the store with a bunch of wood and a garden gate kit.
Our gate leads right into our Tomato Tunnel. This makes for a dramatic entry into the garden by walking through a three-dimensional living tunnel.
Tools Needed:
Materials:
- Garden Gate Kit
- 8 1X6 cedar fence boards
- 2 8-foot green treated 4X4
- 4 bags of cement
- 2 8-foot cedar 2X4
- 1 small box decking screws
- 1 small box 3.5-inch screws
Making the Door
First, measure the width of six of the cedar boards. This is going to be the width of the door on the garden gate. Then, cut two pieces of 2X4 that length and lay them parallel to the ground about 3 to four feet apart. These will be the primary pieces of wood the planks will attach to. Lay the cedar planks on top of the 2X4’s and screw them in with your decking screws. Notice how I kept the top level by using another board to adjust the height of each plank.
Measure and cut a board that will run across the door and attaches to each of the first two 2X4’s. It should make a “Z” shape on the back. I recommend using more decking screws to help firm this board up as well as some longer framing screws to screw the different 2X4’s together too.
Use the skill saw to cut off the bottom edge to make the door the height you want it to be. Then, with a post hole digger or a shovel, dig two holes three feet deep and about a foot wide. These will be for the two 4X4’s. Mix the cement and pour evenly into each hole. Make sure the two posts are plumb and just a fraction of an inch wider than the door you just made. It will eventually look like this after you hang the door.
After the cement is set, take one of the two remaining cedar boards and attach it to the 4X4 that will have the hinges screwed into it. Make sure the inside edge of the 4X4 and the cedar plank is flush. It will hang over on the outside. This is ok.
Now, hang the door via the instructions on the gate kit. Basically, you will attach the hinge to the two horizontal 2#4’s and then in the corresponding part of the 4X4 so that the hinges are on the face of the cedar planks.
When the door is hung, swing the door shut and set the final cedar plank on the other 4X4 so that the door is seamless. Once attached, screw in the lock.
Finally, I took a scrap piece of 4X4 and set it as a threshold to keep out the rabbits and other critters we don’t want to enter the garden. Now, sit back, grab a beer and enjoy your brand new DIY Cedar Garden Gate.
