Wicking beds and self-watering plant pots can produce veggies, herbs, and flowers with less water, and are simple enough to build yourself. Here's how to create one from a food-grade plastic barrel.
Our 8-by-22-foot deck looked a little plain, so we decided to build a planter. The soil box is made from a thick plastic soap barrel taken from the dumpster of a company that washes buses and trucks.