New York Plantings built heavy duty, purpose built planters made for outdoor use.
Custom Built Planters by NewYorkPlanrings are strengthened and fortified in key areas that are normally over stressed by heavy, wet soil, pressure from expanding root systems or from freezing soil. All this while promoting good drainage : Drainage is one of the key elements in plant health. Well drained planters will not have to overcome as much of the pressure from freezing soil that pushes planters apart. This is mainly because there is little or no standing water in the planter to freeze and expand. If an car’s engine block can split from ice (hence filled with “Anti Freeze” then a wooden or metal planter box will surely expand/contract to become weak, separate at joints, split and fail if it has to fight pressures of freezing water in a block of soil. So, we make sure that our planters are designed to drain excess water better than any other design we have seen and certainly better than the practice of having a few holes drilled in the bottom of a planter and hope for good drainage.
Attached is the basic premise for the planter however we have improved upon this since.
The extensive use of long pocket hole screws holds better than we could have hoped for and reduces the need for redundant framing and “nailers” which are weak blocks used for attachment but not actual part of the structure.
Long pocket hole screws used in Custom planter design for long life by New York Plantings
Long pocket hole screws Items like the trim and caps etc. can be fabricated in the shop:
*much more accurate and attractive when made on a good table saw/band saw or sliding compound miter saw than the look of on site circular saw “helpers”
Solid stain applied to the inside of planters can be substituted with “RED GUARD” or similar waterproofing membrane that will effectively extend the life of the wood indefinitely. The use of 5/4″ decking planks with pocket hole joinery (note NO framing which is always off unless the framing woof is perfectly straight and planed.
Depending upon style, each board is jointed and then planed, often each board is cut to exact size then routed on each edge.Either with factory style round over OR a bevel of 33 or 45 degrees.
Top caps can be used to lift planters in most instances the typical carpenters just tack on the top caps.
First the frame is assembled then attached to the planter. Again, made in the shop instead of on site. Cannot compare this work to on site work.
This allows perfect alignment, no gaps and true 90 degree joints.
These planters are built with solid 2X10 or 2X12″ planks. Each board is planed to perfect flatness and straightness then routed on each edge, cut down to exact sizes.
Note that our method shows no fasteners but traditional hiding of fasteners is weak since small framing is used. Framing wood is never perfectly straight: The pocket hole joinery uses screws up to 75% longer for added grip and clamping. keeping wood from warping over time.Edges Such as above will not sit straight and will have wide gaps/seams if the wood planks are not first planed and jointed.
Then, where edges meet the routing makes the joined edges look clean. This is a planter without the marine laminate liner.The 3/4″ marine laminate is designed to hold up in continuous wet environment, even saturated with water and not separate.Coated marine grade laminate is even more impervious to moisture.
Even though marine laminate is acceptable and even specified by architects and builders we have decided to use the 5/4″ thick wood OR 2″ thick solid wood bottoms (pressure treated or cedar #2 or#3 to save weight)The solid bottoms are held off the ground approx 1-2″ to allow for air to pass beneath.
NO HOLES are drilled in these solid wood bottoms. Drilling holes in bottoms will weaken the bottoms, shorten the life of any wood, solid or laminate by allowing water to enter the end-grain. Holes in planter bottoms will not offer good drainage either. By making spaces in the solid wood planks much as a deck is built the water easily drains, evenly (no wet or dry areas or puddling, fungus or moldy smells etc.)
Other smart and professional grade drainage options include “bulkhead fittings fwd in previous emails. All planter drainage can be routed directly to drain or even be recycled or re purposed to irrigate other planters.
Note bottoms of planters. There is no stronger planter made nor a better planter. Even with the marine grade laminate, the solid wood bottoms.
Note the air gap under the planter but the planter looks flush with the ground. Planters can be built with recess in bottom for LED lighting tubes.
There are likely 100 different points to mention when it comes to how these planters are made, from the finger joint or staggered boards,
*the bracing that is made so that gardeners can plant large root balls anywhere on the planter so that they do not have to cut root balls or compromise spacing (cross bracing that actually
* bracing ties in the bottom to the sides, not just a piece of wood across the planter. Note the “V” shape of planter bracing.
Modular custom planters by New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape contracting
(modular planters are the planters that we deliver in sections and assemble onsite, these can be disassembled and moved more easily, these custom built modular planters can be made from cedar, IPE planters, pressure treated wood or mahogany, even composite planters. Do not hesitate to install custom built planters by newyorkplantings for your terrace, sidewalk planters, restaurant or hotel entry planters. You will always get a great planter box, custom built to your specifications with delivery, soil and plantings such as trees, shrubs or flowers delivered and planted in NYC. Shipping worldwide for custom built planters)
New York Plantings Irrigation 