Design decision
Why this idea works
Board-formed concrete carries the grain of the timber it was cast against, giving a planter real texture and warmth next to a smooth terrace. Raising the herbs to the planter’s edge puts them within easy reach for cooking and releases their scent where you sit, so the feature is useful and sensory at once.
- The tradeoff
- The layout sets a clear direction, but it also commits the project to fixed relationships. Detail the planter waterproofing and drainage before the finish.
- How to measure it
- Conceptual range: the terrace plus a separately measured planter by its length, height, and soil volume.
On your property
Plan it for your site
Let the board-form texture live on the planter faces and keep the terrace a calm, smooth field so the contrast reads clearly. Waterproof and drain the planter so soil moisture does not stain the terrace or wick into the concrete.
- Waterproof and drain the planter so soil moisture does not stain the terrace or the wall.
- Keep the planter at a height comfortable for tending and picking herbs.
- Confirm whether the planter needs its own footing rather than resting on the terrace slab.
Before forms are set
Build implications
- Confirm before estimating Planter waterproofing and a drainage outlet.
- Confirm before estimating A planter height comfortable for tending herbs.
- Confirm before estimating Support suited to the planter, not just terrace thickness.
- Measure the site and establish elevations Record boundaries, thresholds, grade changes, utilities, and the dimensions of vehicles, furniture, equipment, or structures that affect the layout.
- Test how the space will be used Check walking routes, turning paths, door swings, working clearances, maintenance access, and the route back to the house or street.
- Resolve drainage, services, and structural support Decide where water goes and coordinate drains, conduit, irrigation, fuel, electrical work, footings, and independent supports before forms are set.
- Define and estimate each concrete element Confirm the slab or footing section, base, joints, edges, and finish, then estimate simple measurable fields separately from steps, walls, drains, and supported features.
Prevent these problems
- Calling a retaining element decorativeA wall or planter that holds soil or water needs support, reinforcement, drainage, and often professional review.
- Hiding runoff with plantingA rain garden, swale, or planted edge must receive water intentionally and have a safe overflow route.
- Choosing the finish before defining the jobSeat walls, planters, edging, terraces, and retaining walls may look related but carry very different loads and details.
Next step
Turn the idea into your estimate
Enter measurements from the property. The conceptual image does not provide a takeoff.
Estimate a similar concrete featureQuestions this idea raises
What is board-formed concrete?
It is concrete cast against wooden boards so the finished face carries the wood grain, used as a texture on vertical elements like planters and walls. It is a finish choice, not a structural change.
Will a planter stain the terrace?
Only if its drainage is poor; a waterproofed, well-drained planter keeps soil moisture from wicking or staining. Detail the drainage as its own element.
- Best when
- Planters & seat walls
- Reconsider when
- Reconsider the idea if retained soil or water, footing and reinforcement needs, drainage, and long-term access cannot be resolved on the property.
- Verify first
- Detail the planter waterproofing and drainage before the finish.
- Professional input
- Landscape or concrete contractor; engineer for retaining or structurally loaded work
Sources and further reading
- American Concrete InstituteTechnical context for seat walls, planters, and small structural concrete elements.
- EPA: Types of Green InfrastructureContext for rain gardens, planted swales, and water-aware transitions beside concrete.
- NRMCA CIP 6: Joints in Concrete Slabs on GradeA starting point for jointing terraces, landings, and larger flat features.
