Do you have one of those shady corners on your balcony or in your garden that just feels… forgotten?
It’s that spot where nothing seems to thrive, and it ends up feeling a little lonely and overlooked.
But I want you to see that shady spot as an opportunity, a canvas for something truly special. Imagine transforming it with the simple, rustic charm of wooden crates and the lush, graceful beauty of ferns.
Let’s create a little green sanctuary together, a terrarium-style display that feels like a piece of an enchanted forest, made just for you.
1. The Living Woodland Staircase
Create a sense of grand, natural architecture by stacking wooden crates in a corner of your garden.
Start with the largest crates at the base for stability, arranging them in an L-shape that climbs upward.
To get this lush, seamless look, line each crate with landscape fabric before adding soil, and then tuck moss along the edges to soften the wood and hide the soil line.
Mix fern textures: pair the robust fronds of a Sword Fern (Nephrolepis) with the delicate airiness of a Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum) for a rich, layered effect.
2. The Modern Minimalist Ascent
Elevate a plain balcony wall into a sleek, green feature with vertically mounted planter boxes.
For this sophisticated look, choose simple wooden boxes and treat them with a dark, weather-resistant stain in a matte finish.
Mount them with heavy-duty brackets, ensuring they’re perfectly aligned for a clean, geometric feel.
Planting identical Boston ferns in each box creates a powerful, uniform statement that enhances modern geometric balcony planter displays.
A bed of smooth, black river stones below completes the serene, contemporary aesthetic.
3. The Cozy Porch Glow-Up
Turn a covered porch corner into a charming retreat with a tumble of whitewashed crates.
Achieve this lovely, lived-in feel by dry-brushing white chalk paint onto the crates, letting the natural wood show through.
Instead of planting directly, place potted ferns and ivy inside the crates for easy rearranging and watering.
Weave a string of warm Edison bulb string lights overhead to cast a magical, inviting glow in the evening.
4. The Rustic Roadside Border
Define a walkway or garden bed with a long, continuous line of vintage-style crates.
Source authentic old wine or apple crates for genuine character—the faded logos and worn wood tell a beautiful story.
Fill them with a mix of upright ferns and tuck in smooth river stones or small pieces of driftwood to create a miniature landscape in each box.
This creates a soft, natural edge that feels much more special than traditional garden bordering.
5. The Enchanted Garden Window
Create the illusion of a secret window looking into a tiny, magical world, right on your deck or patio.
Find an old multi-pane window sash at a flea market and securely prop it at the back of a deep wooden crate.
Plant a miniature woodland scene with small ferns, lush moss, and a few interesting twigs or stones.
For a touch of evening magic, subtly place a few solar-powered fairy lights behind the glass panes to create a soft, mysterious glow.
6. The Honeycomb Fern Wall
Make a stunning graphic statement against a dark fence with a modular honeycomb shelf unit.
This design creates beautiful, individual frames for each plant, turning your fern collection into living art.
You can build your own from cedar planks or find pre-made hexagonal shelves online.
Use this structure to showcase the unique silhouettes of different ferns, like the spiky Hart’s Tongue Fern or the feathery Asparagus Fern.
7. The Bohemian Hideaway
Carve out a wonderfully cozy and spirited lounge area using stacked crates as the foundation.
Arrange the crates to form side tables and multi-level plant stands, creating a sense of enclosure.
Layer the space with rich textures: a patterned rug, plush floor cushions, and a macrame wall hanging add instant warmth.
Scatter lanterns with flickering pillar candles throughout the display to create an intimate, amber-lit atmosphere perfect for relaxing evenings.
8. The Zen Garden Noir
Embrace a moody, sophisticated aesthetic with crates painted a deep, dramatic black.
This look is inspired by Japandi design, where simplicity and nature meet.
Use a matte or satin black outdoor paint for an understated, elegant finish that makes the vibrant greens of the ferns pop.
Add a small, waterproof LED spotlight hidden in an upper crate to cast a soft downlight, highlighting the delicate fronds and creating beautiful shadows.
Incorporate elements like dark stones and sand to complete the tranquil, Zen-like feel.
9. The Floating Fern Trio
Lift your garden to new heights by suspending fern-filled crates from a porch ceiling or pergola.
Use thick, natural jute rope for a rustic look, ensuring you tie secure knots like a bowline or figure-eight follow-through.
Before planting, line the crates with burlap; it holds the soil in while allowing for excellent drainage and adds to the rustic charm.
Hang them at staggered heights to create a dynamic, multi-layered chandelier of greenery.
10. The Splash of Turquoise
Breathe life and energy into a plain corner with a vibrant pop of color.
Choose a cheerful, unexpected shade like turquoise or coral and paint your crates using a good-quality exterior paint.
For a beautiful gradient effect, mix a little white paint into your main color for each subsequent crate, creating a soft ombre look as you stack them.
This simple trick turns basic wooden boxes into a joyful piece of garden art.
11. The Sunroom Conservatory
Combine industrial-chic shelving with rustic crates for a curated, greenhouse feel in a sunroom or screened-in porch.
A simple metal baker’s rack or étagère provides the perfect sturdy frame.
Fill it with an assortment of vintage fruit and vegetable crates, each holding a different shade-loving plant.
This creates a stunning display that feels like a botanist’s personal collection, blending industrial loft aesthetics with natural charm.
12. The Miniature Moss Garden
Transform a long, narrow crate into a captivating mosaic of mosses and miniature plants.
Create a grid inside the crate using thin pieces of cedar or balsa wood, which you can find at a craft store.
Fill each tiny square with a different type of moss (like cushion moss or sheet moss) or a tiny fern or fittonia.
Weave delicate, battery-powered fairy lights throughout the grid for a magical, twinkling effect at dusk.
13. The Deconstructed Woodland Floor
Blur the lines between your garden and your containers by nestling crates directly into a woodland setting.
Arrange the crates irregularly on the ground beneath trees, as if they’ve naturally settled there over time.
Encourage surrounding ground cover like ivy or moss to grow up and over the edges of the crates.
This creates an incredibly natural, integrated look that makes your plantings feel like a true part of the landscape.
14. The Sleek Terrace Tier
For a clean, architectural look on a modern patio, create your own tiered planters that mimic the simplicity of crates.
Build simple, long boxes from weather-resistant wood like cedar and paint them a chic, uniform dark grey.
Stack them to create stepped tiers that double as informal seating walls and lush planters.
Install small, low-voltage solar deck lighting into the sides for a professional, built-in glow that highlights the layers after dark.
15. The Perfect Balcony Vignette
Even the tiniest bistro table can become a garden moment with a single, perfectly chosen crate.
Select a small crate with a charming, distressed white finish to keep the look light and airy.
Pot a compact fern, like a Button Fern, directly into the crate, ensuring there are drainage holes at the bottom.
It’s a simple, elegant centerpiece that brings a touch of chic balcony display style to your morning coffee spot.
16. The Industrial Garden Spotlight
Create a striking focal point by pairing the raw, rustic texture of wood crates with a bold, industrial-style light fixture.
Stack crates of varying depths to create visual interest and provide shelves for different-sized plants.
Feature a large, architectural plant like a Kangaroo Paw Fern (Microsorum diversifolium) to anchor the arrangement.
Hanging a dark metal pendant light above transforms the plant display into a deliberate, stylish feature, especially in a covered area.
17. The Living Tapestry Wall
Dedicate an entire wall to create the ultimate statement piece: a floor-to-ceiling tapestry of ferns.
This is a commitment, but the payoff is breathtaking.
Start by securely fastening a sturdy wooden pallet or frame to the wall, then attach crates of different sizes in a mosaic-like pattern.
Plant a wide variety of ferns to create a rich texture, filling every nook and cranny for a wall that truly feels alive.
18. The Scandinavian Retreat
Embrace the calm, clean principles of Scandinavian design on your porch or patio.
Use simple, unfinished or lightly sealed pine crates, allowing the natural grain of the wood to be the star.
Pair them with a simple white bench and soft, neutral textiles like linen or cotton.
This minimalist approach creates a serene and airy atmosphere, proving that sometimes the most beautiful spaces are the simplest.
19. The Moody Jungle Corner
Create a deep, dramatic mood by pairing dark-stained crates with a backdrop of equally dark foliage.
The secret here is contrast in texture, not color.
A dark brown or espresso-colored stain on the crates will blend beautifully into a shady, lush corner of your garden.
This allows the brilliant, electric green of the fern fronds to stand out with incredible vibrancy, creating a rich, immersive feel.
20. The Coastal Fern Oasis
Give your fern display an unexpected twist with a charming, coastal-inspired theme.
Paint your crates in weathered shades of sea blue and aqua, then lightly sand the edges for a sun-bleached, salt-sprayed look.
Instead of moss, use a top layer of clean sand in the crates, which also helps retain moisture.
Scatter a few seashells and pieces of driftwood around for the perfect finishing touch to your coastal balcony theme.
21. The Firefly Garden Glow
Bring pure magic to your garden after dark with crates that seem to glow from within.
This effect is incredibly simple to achieve: just get several strands of battery-operated, waterproof LED fairy lights (often called firefly lights).
Carefully weave the thin copper wire through the fern fronds and around the inside edges of the crates.
The scattered points of light create an enchanting, magical ambiance that will make you want to spend every evening outdoors.
22. The Narrow Passage Solution
Transform a tight, overlooked side yard from a simple walkway into a lush green corridor.
Use the vertical space by stacking crates or mounting them on the wall at varying heights.
In the narrowest spots, use shallower crates on the ground and taller, more upright ferns.
This draws the eye upwards and along the path, making the space feel like a deliberate and beautiful garden journey.
23. The Formal Garden Contrast
Add a touch of playful texture to a formal garden setting by underplanting a structured topiary with soft ferns.
The key to this elegant look is the delightful contrast between the clipped, geometric shape of a boxwood sphere and the wild, feathery fronds of the ferns below.
Use simple, well-made planters with a rich, dark stain to complement the classic aesthetic.
This pairing feels both timeless and fresh, elevating a simple container planting into something truly special.
24. The Botanist’s Collection
Turn your love of plants into a charming, educational display by giving each fern its own labeled home.
Arrange several rustic crates across your lawn or patio, giving each one space to shine.
Use small, reusable chalkboard stakes to label your different varieties—’Ostrich Fern,’ ‘Cinnamon Fern,’ ‘Maidenhair Fern.’
It’s a wonderful way to appreciate the unique beauty of each species and adds a sweet, personal touch to your garden.
