GB2514544A

GB2514544A - Wall Planter

Info

Publication number: GB2514544A
Application number: GB201308878A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lloyd Freedman
Original assignee: Oakthrift Corp Ltd
Current assignee: Oakthrift Corp Ltd
Priority date: 2013-05-16
Filing date: 2013-05-16
Publication date: 2014-12-03
Also published as: GB201308878D0

Abstract

A wall planter 1 comprises a main chamber for housing a potting medium, the chamber being defined in part by a front surface 3 adapted to face out from the wall when the planter is attached thereto. The planter has at least one opening in the front surface of the planter from which a plant may extend when the planter is in use, and also has a lid 8 that is closable so as to shield the chamber from precipitation and openable so as to allow a user access to the chamber. The lid maybe hinged 11, 12 to a rear panel 4 of the planter. The planter may comprise a barrier layer covering at least one opening in the front surface, a plant extending through a hole therein when the planter is in use. The barrier layer may be a natural fibre such as coconut fibre.

Description

Wall Planter The present invention relates to a wall planter.

Wall planters are used in order to provide a space to grow and display plants on a wall. Many variations of wall planter have been developed, often incorporating shelves or brackets for pots.

However, many existing planter system are relatively complicated to install and are often not particularly aesthetically pleasing.

Furthermore many wall planters may be unsafe as plants and the soil contained therein may be liable to fall out, potentially injuring persons standing below.

Furthermore many wall planters are problematic to maintain, as when unattended they readily dry out leading to the plants contained therein to die.

Indeed, in general it is very difficult to control moisture levels in such planters as moisture levels vary greatly depending upon what precipitation if any occurs.

The present invention seeks to address these issues.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a wall planter comprising: a main chamber for housing a potting medium, the chamber being defined in part by a front surface adapted to face out from the wall when the planter is attached thereto; characterized in that the planter comprises: at least one opening in the front surface of the planter from which a plant may extend when the planter is in use; a lid that is closable so as to shield the chamber from precipitation and openable so as to allow a user access to the chamber.

By having at least one opening extending from the front surface of a planter and an openable and closable lid a user is able to easily manage the moisture content of the planter as the lid hinders both increase and decrease in moisture through precipitation and evaporation and further allows for a user to access the internal chamber of the planter by opening the lid.

In some embodiments the planter is substantially cuboid in shape.

In some embodiments the front surface is substantially planar.

In some embodiments the front surface comprises a substantially central opening.

In some embodiments an opening is substantially circular.

Preferably the planter comprises a rear panel adapted to abut the wall when the planter is in use.

Preferably the lid is hinged to a wall that at least in part defines the chamber.

Preferably the lid is hinged to the rear panel.

Preferably the planter comprises at least one attachment means adapted to allow the planter to be attached to a wall.

In some embodiments the attachment means comprises at least one hook.

In some embodiments the chamber may comprise a barrier layer covering at least one opening in the front surface of the planter, the barrier layer being adapted to have a plant extend through a hole therein when the planter is in use.

The provision of a barrier layer to cover the at least one opening means that when the planter is in use and plant is extended through the barrier layer and out of the opening the barrier layer prevents potting medium from falling out of the planter, and also may prevent significant precipitation from entering the planter and evaporation therefrom.

In some embodiments the barrier layer is a natural fibre. In some embodiments the barrier layer is formed of coconut fibre.

In some embodiments the potting medium is a moss. In some embodiments the potting medium is sphagnum moss.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of growing and displaying a plant on a wall comprising the steps of: providing a planter in accordance with any variation of the first aspect of the present invention; at least part-filling the chamber with a potting medium; extending a plant through an opening in the front surface such that its roots are in the potting medium and its foliage extends from the front surface of the planter.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood a specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the following drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a view of the front of a wall planter constructed in accordance with the present invention, the planter having its lid closed; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the planter of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the planter of Figure 1 and 2, the planter having its lid open; Figure 4 is a plan view of the planter of Figure ito 3, the planter having its lid open; Figure 5 is a plan view of the planter of Figures ito 4, the planter having its lid open and having been prepared to house and display a plant; Figure 6 is a front view of the planter of Figures 1 to 5, the planter housing and displaying a plant.

Referring to the drawings, there is provided a planter 1 that is substantially cuboid in shape. Planter 1 comprises a chamber that is defined by the front panel 3, rear panel 4, side panels 5 and 6, base 7 and lid 8.

It will be apparent that although in the present embodiment planter 1 has its chamber defined by panels, it may be that in other embodiments differently shaped surfaces are used to define the chamber. For example the planter might be cylindrical. It is preferred that the rear surface of the planter be substantially planar in order for it to fit readily to a wall.

When in use rear panel 4 is adapted to abut the wall to which planter 1 is attached.

Planter 1 comprises at top of rear panel 4 two hooks 9, 10 that allow planter 1 to be attached to a wall in a similar manner to hanging a painting.

It will be apparent that although in the present embodiment planter 1 is provided with hooks to readily allow attachment of planter 1 to a wall, any suitable attachment means might be employed such as brackets or holes for screws.

Lid 8 is hingedly attached to rear panel 4 by means of hinges 11, 12. As can be seen from the drawings, lid 8 may be hinged between a closed position shown in Figure 2 and an open position shown in Figure 3.

It will be apparent that in the present embodiment lid 8 is hingedly attached to rear panel 4, lid 8 might be attached in a different manner, or indeed might be fully removable and merely fit to planter 1 so as to cover its upper opening and shield chamber 1 from precipitation.

Front panel 3 is substantially planar and is thus adapted to be located in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the wall to which planter 1 is attached, that is to say that front panel 1 is substantially vertically when the planter is attached to a wall.

Front panel 3 comprises a substantially centrally located opening 13. In the present embodiment opening 13 is circular, but it will be apparent that any other shape might be employed. It will also be apparent that in other embodiments front wall 3 might comprise a plurality of openings.

We turn now to planter 1 in use and Figure 5 and 6.

In order to operate the planter of the present invention a user provides the planter with a barrier layer 14 that is sufficient to cover opening 13. In the present embodiment the barrier layer 14 is a mat formed coconut fibre.

The user further fills the chamber of planter 1 with a potting medium 15 that is suitable for growing plants in. This may be a soil or loam, but in the present embodiment sphagnum moss is employed, as often used in hanging baskets.

The user forms a hole in barrier layer 14 and extends a plant 16 therethrough, such that the roots of the plant are located in the sphagnum moss and the foliage of the plant extends from opening 13 in front panel 3.

Planter 1 may then be secured to a wall using hooks 9, 10.

As barrier layer 14 covers opening 13 in front panel 3, potting medium 15 is prevented from falling from the chamber of planter 1 and is retained therein.

Lid 8 prevents the majority of precipitation from entering planter 1 from above as it shields the upper opening to the chamber of planter 1. Furthermore, barrier 14 acts to hinder significant precipitation from entering planter 1 via opening 13.

When a user wishes to provide water to potting medium 15 the user may open lid 8, supply water to potting medium 15, and then close lid 8.

Lid 8 and barrier 14 also hinder moisture evaporating from potting medium 15.

It will be noted that in the present embodiment planter 1 does not comprise any drainage holes in base 7. Such drainage holes are required in other hanging planters as it is not possible to regulate the amount of precipitation that enters into such planters.

This is in contrast to the planter of the present embodiment where lid 8 may be used to regulate the amount of precipitation that enters the chamber of planter 1.

The absence of such drainage holes also means that if planter 1 is to be unattended for a considerable period of time a user may provide planter 1 with sufficient water to sustain the plants growing therein, effectively using chamber 1 as a reservoir. This is not possible with prior art wall planters that require drainage owing to the possibility of excessive precipitation.

Thus a user has a great degree of control over the moisture content of potting medium 15 located within planter 1.

It will be appreciated that this is particularly advantageous in comparison to prior art wall planters in which it is difficult to maintain the correct moisture content.

It may be that in other embodiments it is desirable to provide a planter of the present invention with drainage holes, but in the present embodiment it is preferred that there are no such holes.

It will be apparent that in some embodiments, particularly in those where an opening in the front of a planter is comparatively small, it may be possible to retain potting medium within the planter without use of a barrier material.

However, a barrier material is preferable, particularly where the opening is comparatively large.

Furthermore, it will be apparent that in those embodiments where a barrier material is desired, it may be provided as part of a planter as sold, or the user may have to supply a separate item of barrier material.

In some embodiments the planter may be provided with lights on or around its exterior, on the front panel or on the base as a down lighter. Such lights may be LEDs and may be solar powered, the planter incorporating at least one solar panel and battery.

Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Claims: 1. Awall planter comprising: a main chamber for housing a potting medium, the chamber being defined in part by a front surface adapted to face out from the wall when the planter is attached thereto; characterized in that the planter comprises: at least one opening in the front surface of the planter from which a plant may extend when the planter is in use; a lid that is closable so as to shield the chamber from precipitation and openable so as to allow a user access to the chamber.
2. The planter of claim 1 wherein the planter is substantially cuboid in shape.
3. The planter of claim 1 or 2 wherein the front surface is substantially planar.
4. The planter of any preceding claim wherein the front surface comprises a substantially central opening
5. The planter of any preceding claim wherein an opening is substantially circular.
6. The planter of any preceding claim wherein the planter comprises a rear panel adapted to abut the wall when the planter is in use.
7. The planter of any preceding claim wherein the lid is hinged to a wall that at least in part defines the chamber.
8. The planter of claim 7 when dependent upon claim 6 wherein the lid is hinged to the rear panel.
9. The planter of any preceding claim wherein the planter comprises at least one attachment means adapted to allow the planter to be attached to a wall.
10. The planter of claim 9 wherein the attachment means comprises at least one hook.
11. The planter of any preceding claim wherein the chamber comprises a barrier layer covering at least one opening in the front surface of the planter, the barrier layer being adapted to have a plant extend through a hole therein when the planter is in use.
12. The planter of claim 11 wherein the barrier layer is a natural fibre.
13. The planter of claim 11 or 12 wherein the barrier layer is formed of coconut fibre.
14. The planter of any preceding claim wherein the potting medium is a moss.
15. The planter of any preceding claim wherein the potting medium is sphagnum moss.
16. The planter of any of preceding claim mounted on a wall.
17. A method of displaying a plant on a wall comprising the steps of: providing a planter in accordance with any of claims ito 15; at least part-filling the chamber with a potting medium; extending a plant through an opening in the front surface such that its roots are in the potting medium and its foliage extends from the front surface of the planter.
18. A wall planter substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
19. A method of displaying a plant on a wall substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.