Bench-planter makes a petunia barricade

Sunset, July, 1984

A blooming boundary surrounds Barbara and Jerrold gonce's front deck in Larkspur, California. Though just 14-1/2 inches high, the combination bench-planter is deep enough to make a safe deck rail.

The bench is made of parallel 2 by 6's set on brackets bolted to 4-by-4 posts. Tongue-and-groove redwood 2 by 6's frame the 6- to 10-foot-long planter boxes. Running across the center of each, a capped threaded rod keeps the sides from bulging. The boxes rest on the deck beams; this allows ample room for plants to grow while maintaining the low profile.

The Gonces designed the bench-planter with San Francisco architect Daniel Osborne as part of their house, built out on a San Francisco Bay Slough.