GB2494194A - Planting container for use on the side of a planter` - Google Patents

Abstract

A planting container for use on the side of a planter, for example a half-barrel, is formed in a shape of an arc which fits neatly around the upper edge of the half-barrel garden feature, or any other arched, lipped structure. The container is attached to the edge of the half-barrel by the use of two or more hooks 11. The container may be configured to retain water and therefore would not have any drainage holes. The container may be made of any suitable material such as plastic, pot, terracotta, ceramic, metal or wood.

Description

Page 1 of 7

HALF-BARREL SIDE-PLANTER

Background

There are many forms of plant pots currently available and these come in a multitude of shapes, colours and sizes, in which, any size or type of plant can be cultivated.

However, none of these are shaped to fit neatly around a half-barrel used as a water pond feature and none have the ability to hang on to the side of a half-barrel by using hooks.

Many people have a half-barrel water pond feature in their garden, which usually includes a lily, some goldfish, some oxygenating plants and some marginal plants, all of which are situated inside' the half-barrel.

This causes a number of problems for a half-barrel water pond owner. The main problem is that if you want a large display of marginal plants, there will be little room for any fish.

Half-barrels used for water pond features are usually old, oak whisky barrels, cut down to around sixteen inches high. The most common size of half-barrel used for a water feature ranges from twenty four inches to twenty nine inches in diameter.

This relatively small size restricts the amount of plants and fish which can be kept inside the half-barrel, creating the dilemma; more fish -less plants, or more plants -less fish.

Marginal plants only need to be set in about six inches of water and as the water level inside the half-barrel is usually around sixteen inches deep, the pots that the marginal plants are planted in, have to be placed on rocks or bricks in order to raise them high enough to allow them to grow properly.

These bricks use up a large amount of water volume.

The water surface in a half-barrel is where oxygen diffuses into the water.

The larger the water surface area, the more easily oxygen diffuses and the healthier the fish will be.

Leaves on marginal plants placed within the half-barrel use up a large amount of water surface area, which reduces oxygenation, adversely affecting any fish in the half-barrel.

Page 2 of 7 If a half-barrel is filled with marginal plants, to create an attractive display, there will be little oxygenation process and fish will have a limited area in which to swim.

Statement of Invention

To overcome these problems, the present invention proposes a half-barrel side-planter' which is a plant pot in the shape of an arc which fits neatly around the edge of a half-barrel and which is attached to the edge of the half-barrel by two or more hooks.

Advantages The main advantage of using a half-barrel side-planter is that if most of the marginal plants are planted outside of the half-barrel, a larger volume of water will become available inside, allowing more fish to be kept, in a healthy condition.

If all' of the marginal plants are moved out of the half-barrel and into a number of half-barrel side-planters, this will allow the maximum number of fish to be kept in the half-barrel, whilst still allowing an excellent, full display of marginal plants.

More than one half-barrel side-planter can be used.

Half-barrel side-planters maybe positioned anywhere around the edge of the half-barrel. This allows a marginal plant display to be positioned at the back, the front, the sides, or all the way round the half-barrel if wished.

Individual half-barrel side-planters can be positioned at various points around the half-barrel allowing other types of planters or other garden features to be positioned in between, allowing for an excellent water feature display.

Moving marginal plants into a half-barrel side-planter allows more oxygenating' plants to be planted inside the half-barrel, which creates a healthier environment for fish.

Using a half-barrel side-planter for marginal plants allows for the option of another lily to be added inside the barrel whilst still leaving sufficient room for any fish.

Page 3 of 7 Even though marginal plants planted in a half-barrel side-planter are not inside the barrel, they will look like they are, because the half-barrel side-planter will effectively become part of the half-barrel.

Half-barrel side-planters can be made out of any suitable material including plastic, wood, ceramic, terracotta and pot.

A half-barrel side-planter can be made out of wood and metal strips to exactly match the style of the half-barrel. Even plastic moulded versions can be moulded to match the very style of the half-barrel.

It is possible for one half-barrel side-planter to fit around both of the most common sizes of half-barrel used for water ponds; the 24 inch and the 29 inch half-barrel sizes.

Half-barrel side-planters can be made to various sizes but commonly, would range from six inches to twelve inches long, four to five inches wide and eight to ten inches deep) which would allow for strong root growth.

It would be possible to make a full' half-barrel side-planter which would fit entirely around the circumference of a half-barrel and be attached by a number of hooks, evenly spaced along the length of the half-barrel side-planter. This would be made in five main sizes to be able to fit snugly around the five main sizes of half-barrel used for half-barrel water pond features.

Likewise, a semi' half-barrel side-planter can be made, which would also be a fixed size to cover the five main sizes of half-barrel used in half-barrel pond features. A semi half-barrel side-planter would fit around half of the circumference of a half-barrel and be held on with a number of hooks, evenly positioned along the length of the half-barrel side-planter. Just one of these would be needed to create a display around one half of a half-barrel, usually at the rear.

One half-barrel side-planter can be attached, or multiple half-barrel side-planters can be attached around a half-barrel, allowing different plant displays. This would allow for a marginal plant display at the rear of the barrel leaving the front area fully accessible.

It would also allow a marginal display at various positions around the half-barrel to fit in with additional planting features also positioned around the half-barrel water feature.

Page 4 of 7 Half-barrel side-planters are not just for use with half-barrel pond features.

They can be attached to any rounded edge with a lip and a circumference similar to that of a half-barrel.

Half-barrel side-planters can also be used without hooks, to sit neatly around any arched item such as at the bottom of a tree.

Half-barrel side-planters could also be fastened to a tree or similar arched surface at above ground level to create a raised flower display.

Introduction to Drawings

Examples of the invention will now be described by referring to the following drawings: * Figure 1 shows a typical half-barrel water pond containing just two marginal plants and a water lily.

* Figure 2 shows how marginal plants are commonly raised in order to sit at the correct height to grow properly. Figure 2 also shows how the brcks needed to raise the marginal plant use up much of the available volume of water, which would otherwise be used by fish.

Figure 2 also shows the lily doesn't need to be raised.

* Figure 3 shows a basic plastic moulded half-barrel side planter. It has some contours built into the mould to give it an attractive design.

Figure 3 also shows the two hooks (1) which enable the half-barrel side-planter to hang onto the side of the half-barrel. In this plastic version of the half-barrel side-planter, the hooks are moulded into the design.

* Figure 4 shows a wooden version of the half-barrel side-planter.

Figure 4 also shows the metal straps (2) which wrap around the top and bottom of the body of the half-barrel side-planter. A half-barrel side-planter made in wood matches the exact styling of a half-barrel which the half-barrel side-planter will wrap around. Figure 4 also shows the two hooks which enable it to hang on to the edge of a half-barrel. In this version, the hooks are situated at the very ends of the planter body. These hooks can also be positioned nearer towards the middle of the tub body as shown in figure 6 and figure 8.

Page 5 of 7 Figure 5 shows the various side contours of a half-barrel side-planter.

Different side contours can be made to satisfy people's differing preferences and a half-barrel side-planter with a deeper body will allow the largest marginal plants to be grown without stunting plant growth. Figure 5 (Design number 4] shows how the shape of that particular design allows the half-barrel side-planter to rest very snugly along the sloping contour of the side of the half-barrel giving strong support to the half-barrel side-planter and allowing for a straight vertical look to the outside edge of the half-barrel side- planter. Figure 5 (number 3] shows a design variation of the half-barrel side-planter which is wider at the bottom half. This style allows the healthy growth of certain types of marginal plants which need more root growing area.

* Figure 6 shows how a half-barrel side-planter is attached to a half-barrel. Figure 6 also shows how the hooks (1), which are used to hang the half-barrel side-planter on to the edge of the half-barrel, can be positioned further towards the middle of the half-barrel side-planter.

* Figure 7 shows how multiple half-barrel side-planters can be hooked onto the edge of a half-barrel in order to grow more marginal plants outside of the half-barrel, leaving plenty room inside the half-barrel for fish. Figure 7 also shows how multiple half-barrel side-planters can be positioned at various places around the edge of the half-barrel allowing other garden features to be positioned around the half-barrel to complete the display.

* Figure 8 shows how the hooks (1] would be fitted to the wooden version, using two screws (3]. Figure 8 also shows how hooks used on a wooden version would be shaped if they were to be positioned nearer to the middle of the tub. This shape of hook could also be used at the very edges of the planter tub.

* Figure 9 shows how shaped hooks [1) would space the half-barrel side-planter tub away from the side of the half-barrel making it vertical and upright looking. These hooks (1) would be fastened to a wooden version by two or three screws.

* Figure 10 shows how the shaped' hooks (1] shown in figure 9 would fasten to a wooden version of the half-barrel side-planter tub using screws (3).

Page 6 of 7 Figure 11 shows a ceramic or pot version with a shaped contour. The hooks in this version are moulded into the design.

Detailed Description

A planting tub in the shape of an arc has two hooks attached to it, either at the very ends of the tub, as shown in figures 3 and 4 and 11, or a little further towards the middle of the tub, as shown in figures 6 and 8, yet still allowing an even support for the weight of soil and water contained within the arched planting tub.

The planting tub will not have any drainage holes at the bottom as it is preferential to maintain a degree of water present at all times for water marginal plants to flourish.

The planting tub can be made out of plastic, which can be moulded with simple straight edges) as shown in figure 10, or moulded to incorporate patterned or shaped contours allowing a more aesthetically pleasing design, as shown in figure 3 and 11.

Plastic moulded half-barrel side-planters can be made to look exactly like the wood and metal-strap version, as shown in figure 4, which would exactly match the style of the half-barrel.

Plastic moulded half-barrel side-planters can be made in a variety of different shapes, colours and textures, to cater for all tastes and can be made with a shiny or matt finish.

The hooks required to hang the half-barrel side-planter to the edge of the half-barrel can be moulded into the design of a plastic half-barrel side-planter allowing a one-piece product as shown in figure 3 and 11.

A design variation, where the planter tub is narrower at the bottom half, will allow the planters to be stacked inside each other, allowing for easy storage.

Half-barrel side-planters can also be made out of Ceramic or Pot which can be mouleded into a simple, straight walled design, or incorporate contours within the shape of the mould to allow for a more pleasing design.

Ceramic or Pot half-barrel side-planters can be made in any colour and can be fired' to give a shiny finish or finished in matt' effect and can be made with a smooth finish or a textured or patterned finish.

Page 7 of 7 The hooks required to hang a Ceramic or Pot half-barrel side-planter to the edge of the half-barrel can be moulded into the design of the ceramic or pot half-barrel side-planter allowing a one-piece product.

Half-barrel side-planters can also be made out of wood and metal, as shown in figure 4. Wood can be used to form the arch shaped tub and two metal straps can be attached to the tub body; one at the top and one at the bottom allowing the half-barrel side-planter to exactly match the styling of the half-barrel.

Wood half-barrel side-planters can be made out of any type of wood, from soft pine wood to very hard wearing oak or beech wood, which would be approximately half an inch (12mm] thick.

The hooks to be used on a wood half-barrel side-planter can be supplied with the wood half-barrel side-planter but in their own bag along with the fixing screws, to be fined by the purchaser, accompanied by a simple diagram instruction, or could be fitted as part of the manufacturing process.

The average thickness of wood used for half-barrels is one inch, so the hook overhang would need to extend over at least this length, plus approximately quarter of an inch (6mm) to allow for fluctuations in wood thickness.

A hook that projects from the tub body by approximately one and a half inches (36mm) and th an over hang length of one to two inches (25mm - 50mm) will be sufficient to cover all fluctuations in barrel wood thickness, see figure 11.

Claims (1)

1. <claim-text>Claims 1 A plant pot which is arc-shaped to fit closely and securely around the edge of a half-barrel or any other rounded structure of similar size and which hangs onto the edge of a half-barrel, or any other arced, lipped edge, by the use of two or more hooks.</claim-text> <claim-text>2 A plant pot as described in Claim 1, which has no drainage holes in the bottom allowing it to retain water in order to grow water-based plants.</claim-text> <claim-text>3 A plant pot as described in Claim 1 which has endless side-wall design possibilities and which can be made out of any suitable material including plastic, pot, terracotta, ceramic, metal and wood.</claim-text>