Olimpo Planter Bench

Olimpo Planter Bench

Planters also known as flower pots, plant pots and plant containers will soon make their appearance as winter fades away and spring begins to emerge.   Flowers, grasses, vegetable and other cultivated plants will establish their roots within their respective plant pots to produce captivating colors and delicious foods.

Historically, flowerpots were made of terra cotta or clay.  Today terra cotta and clay pots  are still available cast stone, concrete, fiberglass; gfrc (glass fiber reinforced concrete) and lightweight thermoplastics are the standard for public spaces and streetscapes  .  In sustainability circles, flower boxes covered in reclaimed or sustainable woods are also popular.

In the period during which terra cotta and clay flower pots were popular,  round pots were probably the norm.  However flowerpots are available today in a wide variety of standard configurations – rectangle or rectangular, round and square as well as a variety of geometric designs.  Popular planter models are available in a wide variety of heights that range between standard, tall, low and giant sizes.

Although large, extra large or giant planter pots are available to accommodate the scale of large public space projects, they are usually fabricated as custom planters.  Planters of unusual shapes or planters designed for site specific effect are usually custom as well.

Historically,  terra cotta and clay flower pots were made and sold by cast which related to the number of pots that could be made in a given day. Although we don’t refer to the casting sizes much today, the size of the flower pot still determines how quickly they can be made and shipped.  Large planters may take two to three times longer to fabricate than a standard size flower pot.

Based on online searches, the search for new flower pots peak in April or May. That makes February and March the best months to place orders for the spring planting deadlines.  Flower pots ordered in April and May encounter delivery issues.  Beat the onslaught of the masses.