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August 2010: Double dip flower displays.
Double dip? Well you can have lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) with dips, twists and swirls but I am referring to recent news that we may be in for another recession. I didn’t really hear the news about the first recession ending! Our prices for fresh flower displays normally start at £ 39.00 + vat but you can have a vase with lucky bamboo that may last for months in an office ( depending on the conditions) and just change the colourful flowers weekly. After the initial cost of the bamboo, the weekly flowers will be around half price at £ 20.00 + vat. Your costs slashed by nearly 50%! That’s a real recession buster!
For indoor landscaping, there are spheres in alternative finishes: real gold leaf,
real silver leaf and Eggmosaiminated spheres, some of which will float on a pool.
Not so recent news (below):
April 2009: indoor and garden lighting with a difference. The pots light up!
What wonderful weather! It’s just like summer. As soon as the sun peeps out from behind the clouds, customers in restaurants and bars make straight for the outdoor seating. Can you blame them? The evenings stay light for much longer now and garden lighting is less of a health and safety issue and more of a cosmetic nature. The standard spotlights (correctly positioned) and uplighters make the light green new leaves on the trees look beautiful but if you are not careful, poor garden lighting can make the area look less attractive. As an alternative to the regular garden spotlights, you can consider plant
containers that actually light up. More suitable for modern decor, in addition to being an attractive feature the illuminated planters will be quite a talking point. Call or email for sizes and further details.
Illuminated flower pots
April 2009: new plant containers are available in high-
(Advanced Composite Fibre)
For quite some time now, plant containers for offices have been available in GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) commonly called glass fibre. Glass fibre actually refers to the strand mat that is combined with a resin to make GRP. This material has been around since the 1940s and was originally developed in the Uk to replace moulded plywood forms in aircraft. In the 1950s it was used to make surfboards in the US.
A further development has involved the use of woven carbon-
GRP and AC are materials that withstand the weather and submersion without deterioration. GRP has been around for some sixty years now and no properly constructed GRP mouldings have decomposed or disintegrated to date.
The new AC plant containers are moulded in to many intricate shapes using silicon rubber moulds. Finishes such as terracotta, timber, rusted metal and metallic are available.
The containers can be made to any BS or RAL colour using pigment in the resin and logos or pictures can be etched in to the surface of the container if required. The planters are fully watertight and can be used indoors or outdoors if drainage holes are made. Please take a look at our containers page to view just a small selection of the shapes, colours and sizes available. See more planters at:
April 2009: We are now supplying tree planters in various materials.
Some models have a combined seat.
900 x 750
1000 x 1000
900 x 850
You can see a comprehensive range of tree planters at www.largeplantcontainers.com and also at www.plantcontainershop.com.
In addition to the standard range, stainless steel, GRP or AC and timber tree planters
1500 x 960
for indoor or outdoor use can be made to your own design. Containers can be made to match the existing plant displays in your office and we can install, plant and maintain them if required.
June 2009: The pots don’t light up!
Beautiful as they are, the illuminated flower pot shaped plant containers shown below may be a little over budget for the average householder.
There are synthetic terracotta style pots that come in a range of nineteen colours and seven shapes. You could have an illuminated 600mm diameter planter in red for £ 180.00 + vat or you can have a terracotta style synthetic flower pot in red for £ 37.84 + vat.
You don’t have to have red of course, you can choose another from the colour chart link below.
It’s a huge difference in cost and perhaps quite a difference in style but while the credit crunch is still crispy it’s a good second best.
July 2009: artificial rocks!
Artificial rocks, fake rocks, bogus boulders, synthetic slate, pseudo stone, the list of terrible puns goes on! Why would anyone want a fake rock and not a real one? Well, the artificial rocks and boulders are extremely lightweight so if there is a weight or access restriction such as on a green roof then these will be ideal. They are also perfect for display purposes and for exhibitions. You can also show off to the girls on the beach by lifting one above your head with one hand! Not that I have done that, of course.
Take a look at some more artificial rocks: www.artificialrocks.co.uk
August 2009: budget range of plant containers added.
There are always plant containers available from DIY stores and garden centres that are low priced. Some of these will last for quite a few years but they will always look cheap. We have just included a range of budget plant containers that are low priced when compared to similar looking plant containers in the usual materials such as timber,
metal and GRP (glass fibre) but look very much like the real thing.
The containers shown here are made of 100% recyclable polymer, are totally waterproof and resistant to UV fading. They can be used indoors and outdoors.
Traditional office planter
Versailles planter
Patio bowl
Twisted hexagonal planter
Tall tapered square planter
August 2009: genuine Versailles style plant containers.
At the complete opposite end of the scale, you can buy genuine certified copies of the 1820 orange tree planters used at the Palace of Versailles. The 1820 planters were themselves an upgraded copy of the orange tree planters designed in conjunction with Le Notre for Louis XIV in the 1600s. Over a thousand of these actual planters can still be seen in the gardens at Versailles. Call or email for details of these top end of the market planters.
Certified copy of original Versailles orange tree planter
September 2009: it’s nearly Christmas!
As of September 12th, there were only 104 days until Christmas. Or should that be there was only 104 days? It seems such a long way away but I am looking forward to it already. I have just finished wrapping all the presents and have bought all the Christmas food. Admittedly that was for Christmas 2008 but I was running a little late...
I’m not sure which supermarket it is that has started selling Christmas cards already, but I am one of those that says it is ridiculous. I don’t mind seeing all the Christmas decorations and
products in the wholesale warehouses as we have to plan ahead.
Christmas starts in August for those in the trade. I have to plan ahead for my retail customers too. The illuminated plant containers shown here are made to order at the moment so if I don’t advertise them now, they may not get here for the big day. Santa would be fuming. See further details here:
Illuminated Christmas tree tub 440 dia x 500 tall.
Also available in white.
September 2009: plant containers for health...and plant containers for health professionals!
The new AirClean plant container is a combined air filter, humidifier and plant container. A fan draws air through moist zeolite based granules that add water to the air and remove dust particles. Zeolites are adsorbants that are used to create pure oxygen for medical use. The 400mm x 770mm mains powered unit is available in gloss white and metallic grey.
Medical professionals with a sense of humour and a taste for all things modern would surely love this self watering plant container (right and below). It uses a medical style adjustable drip to water the plant while the healthcare worker is busy working long hours!
See more at: www.plantcontainershop.com.
October 2009: designer plant containers.
The variety of plant containers for offices used to be rather limited. Glass fibre or GRP was the norm and although the colour range was quite large, the shapes were usually round, square or hexagonal. Some plastic containers made by Grosfillex came on to the market and these had built in self watering systems. The more upmarket alternative was the Lune brushed or polished aluminium plant container. The Lune containers were twice the price of the glass fibre containers but were very stylish and extremely well made. A variety of shapes were available but the top seller of the day was the round planter in polished or brushed brass finish. That now looks rather dated and now the top selling metal plant container is the...
brushed aluminium finish. These top selling metal planters are more economical copies of the Lune containers and have a slightly coarser finish. The Lune containers are still produced to the same standard but are no longer made in Britain.
Times and tastes have changed though and the number of plant container styles has escalated. Simple shapes such as round and square are supplemented by a whole variety of styles including a number of designer illuminated plant containers. The designer planters and illuminated planters can be seen in detail at:
January 2010: Golden balls.
I hereby promise that the title above left will be the last pun on the subject.
A fairly recent addition to the range of products for landscaping are the metal spheres (not shown here). These decorative features are suitable for the modern or designer style of garden only.
New products are available for the interior landscaping market: 230mm and 300mm dia. real gold leaf and real silver leaf spheres and Eggmosaic finishes.
There are also illuminated spheres for indoor and outdoor use and some even safely float on ponds and swimming pools. Call for further details.
For indoor landscaping, there are spheres in alternative finishes: real gold leaf,
real silver leaf and Eggmosaic finishes.
There are also indoor and outdoor illuminated spheres, some of which will float on a pool.
March 2010: beautiful pedestal stands.
Pedestal stands can be used for artwork and sculptures, potted plants and vases of flowers. Classic style columns and planters have been recreated in GRP (glassfibre) so they are lightweight, weatherproof and durable. Combinations of planters and pedestal stands can be finished in matching effects such as aged bronze, lead and terracotta. As these are made from GRP, any colour can be supplied. Of course if the classic style doesn’t suit the decor, contemporary geometric shapes are available and some are even illuminated! Take a look at the styles on offer at:
Many of the plant containers shown at www.plantcontainershop.com can be turned upside down and used as pedestal stands.
Jan 2012: Sadly, the chrome and steel finishes are no longer available. The planter in this image can be supplied in a less shiny aluminium and bronze effect (see below.)
All is not lost, however. Special shapes can be made in polished aluminium or steel. Tall round planters are available in polished metal finishes but not the curved style. Scroll down this page to see an example.
As of Jan 2012 the following finishes are available for the tall round curvy planters:
Aluminium
Bronze
Any RAL colour
Metallics
Go here for recent news.