Benefits of Curved Planters
By softening boundaries with their fluid shape, curved planters can create the illusion of more space for your next landscape design project. Use curved planter boxes to help the eye glide across a narrow area, making the space feel more expansive. When dealing with curved walls, curved planters can also use space more efficiently.
Curved planters with modern, streamlined shapes provide multiple solutions — like defining a casual walkway or decoratively surrounding posts or columns.
Material Types of Curved Planters
Metal Curved Planters
Aluminum
Metal planters are an elegant and cost-effective design solution.
At PureModern, we use a 5052 marine-grade aluminum alloy, which has the following attributes:
High resistance to corrosion when in constant contact with moisture
Lightweight
High-strength
Weldability
We use marine-grade aluminum because it is specially alloyed for strength and resistance to corrosion, even when in contact with seawater. For planters that need to withstand the elements, wet environments, or underwater areas, marine-grade aluminum is the choice.
One of our sustainable business practices includes using recycled aluminum, which saves 90-95 percent of the energy needed to extract aluminum from bauxite ore. Also, the powder-coating process produces nearly zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be harmful to humans and the environment. Powder-coating gives aluminum an extremely durable finish that extends the life of the curved planter.
Aluminum planters can be made into any geometric shape. They can be powder-coated and cured in a range of stock colors or custom colors. When a certain color is desired other than our stock colors, you will have an option of any color on the TIGER Drylac color profiles.
Maintenance and Care:
Planters can be power-washed and cleaned with soap and water.
Considerations:
Not as many color and shape options
Metal does conduct heat, but with our many years in business we’ve never had any complaints about damage to plants placed in our metal planters — even in warm climates like Florida. We haven’t tested for this, but it could be that the heat is dispersed throughout the soil.
COR-TEN Weathering Steel
COR-TEN is a naturally oxidized steel alloy. The product’s name reflects two of its essential properties and strongest benefits: corrosion resistance (COR) and tensile strength (TEN).
Landscape designers love COR-TEN weathering steel for outdoor projects because of its unique look and durability. Weathering steel can be made into any geometric shape.
COR-TEN steel is designed to resist corrosion with the help of a protective patina that forms on the surface. This stable rust-like appearance makes COR-TEN steel planters a resilient landscape design option for climates where products must endure moisture and other elements.
COR-TEN becomes fully corrosion-resistant and develops its patina after being exposed to the elements outdoors. During this oxidation process, the steel changes from a raw, gray, metal look to form its patina where the metal turns an orange-brown color.
Maintenance and Care:
This material requires little to no maintenance.
Considerations:
The planters will arrive in a raw state and will take time to patina.
Saltwater can erode weathering steel over time and prevent it from developing the protective coating.
Typically is a more expensive option
For exterior applications only
Cast Stone Curved Planters
Beautiful cast stone planters, benches, steps, and buildings have existed for hundreds of years. With many available shapes and sizes, cast stone planters will fit a variety of design styles.
They don’t conduct heat. And a big part of their appeal is that they will stand up over time.
Maintenance and Care:
Cast stone can be weathered to look older by painting on a layer of live yogurt. When layered on the stone, the live bio cultures activate a weathering process within just a few days.
Considerations:
Because it’s porous, stone is prone to stains and is easily damaged from the inside out — either by the plants or soil planted inside.
The nature of stone prevents it from fluctuating in size. When temperatures change, expansions and contractions will happen, which can cause a stone planter to have hairline cracks, but this is not always detrimental to the planter.
Cast stone can withstand hard frost but not freezing water, so check the planter often and ensure it remains dry.
Ceramic Curved Planters
Ceramic is composed of clay, minerals, and water.
A planter is not truly ceramic until it has been fired in a kiln. Once the vessel is sculpted and heated, it then can be painted, cured again, and made into many shapes and colors.
There are various types of ceramic planters, such as Earthenware, Stoneware, and Porcelain. Because these different ceramics are cured or heated at different temperatures, they end up with different attributes. Porcelain is typically the strongest and most heat-resistant ceramic.
Maintenance and Care:
Ceramic pots often absorb water. As the water evaporates, the salt that’s left behind can become caked onto the walls — not to mention mold and mildew. These stains can be stubborn.
A simple water and vinegar solution (4:1 ratio) is an effective way to clean a ceramic pot.
Considerations:
If you want your planter to have a very unique shape, ceramic may be your best choice.
When left outside in the elements, ceramic planters may crack if not properly taken care during temperature fluctuations.
If water pools and freezes, the expanding ice can break a ceramic planter.
Concrete Curved Planters
When planters are fabricated using quality concrete materials and properly cared for, they can withstand the outdoor elements year-round.
Concrete is a reliable insulator, so a concrete planter can protect plant roots during times of significant temperature fluctuations.
Another benefit of a concrete planter is that it can be painted to change its appearance over time if necessary. Masonry paint is best.
The decorative details that can appear on the sides of a concrete planter are only limited by your imagination. And concrete planters can be poured into just about any shape.
Maintenance and Care:
Concrete develops a vintage look as it ages, which can be appealing to some tastes. For those who do not like the aged look, add a concrete sealer to prevent weathering.
Considerations:
Concrete planters are extremely heavy. That weight can cause structural issues for rooftops, terraces, and decks.
Concrete planters are susceptible to cracking. They must have drainage holes.
It can be costly to remove a concrete planter at the end of its life cycle.
Fiberglass Curved Planters
Fiberglass is a composite material made of molten glass that’s been forced through small holes and then woven into fibers.
The material itself is used for everything from ceiling insulation to piping and personal protective equipment. At PureModern, we offer an array of fiberglass planters in several finishes, including faux metal, stone, and wood.
Benefits of Fiberglass planters:
Have significant staying power in your space
Don’t warp or become misshapen when exposed to the elements
Are resistant to UV rays
Handle wear-and-tear well in high-traffic areas where your planters are liable to get bumped into, knocked over, nicked, and scratched
Lightweight
Maintenance and Care:
These planters can be cleaned with a wet cloth or waxed in the way you’d wax a car.
Considerations:
More expensive than a plastic product
Lead time for a custom shape can be up to or more than three months
Choosing the Right Curved Planter
When choosing a curved planter, of course the material you use is important. But there are several more considerations to review.
Style and Theme
Naturally, your unique style will determine which curved planter fits best. Traditional landscape designs often pair well with smaller curved planters, while modern and contemporary designs accommodate larger and more dramatic curved planters.
Functionality of the Space
Considering traffic flow and functionality of the space will help you come to the right decision when choosing a curved planter.
Shape and Size of the Planter
The shapes you’ve specified for your project will significantly impact the size of your planter and vice versa. Because different shapes and sizes result in unique specifications, curved fiberglass planters can be the perfect solution. They can be designed in a wide range of sizes and shapes.
If your design plan requires a long, curved shape, consider modular planters, which are made to fit together and can be configured without gaps. This type of design can produce the illusion of a cohesive extra-long curved container. Durable and lightweight, modular planters join together in any number of ways to create an upscale, customized look for any project.
Whether you need one large, long planter to border a curved rooftop wall or a curved shape to fit along a unique stairway, these custom planters deliver extremely flexible commercial and residential design solutions.
Drainage
As you aim to deliver a gorgeous design that stands the test of time, drainage is a critical consideration. Over-saturated soil or standing water that accumulates in the bottom of a planter can essentially drown the plants inside. The best advice is to err on the side of caution and always ensure your planters have proper drainage.
Plants thrive best in a planter with drainage holes. If your planter doesn’t have a drainage hole, you can sometimes drill your own. When drilling isn’t an option, proper drainage is still very possible as long as you properly fill your planter.
The Right Vendor
You want to order your planter from a reliable vendor.
At PureModern, our number one priority is ensuring that your project happens on time and meets your client’s expectations.
We know you have many project requirements, specifications, and even limitations — like budget or space constraints. But with our expertise, you’ll find the right solution.
What you can expect when you work with PureModern:
We provide you with one point of contact with an expert
We can quote most projects within 24 hours (typically within 48 hours for larger projects)
Our fabrication lead times are as short as two weeks, depending on the needs of the project
We stand behind all our projects with our Done-Right Guarantee
We follow our Four-Step Proven Project Process
We offer technical expertise for unique custom configurations
We are consultative and responsive with a relational focus
We offer a large selection of high-end, commercial-grade products
Learn More
With so many options, finding the right planter and the right planter product manufacturer can feel overwhelming — especially for busy landscape designers.
Contact us for help bringing curves and more organic shapes into your next project.
