GB2417662A

GB2417662A - Plant holder

Info

Publication number: GB2417662A
Application number: GB0517894A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Averil Goddard Eggleton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-09-02
Filing date: 2005-09-02
Publication date: 2006-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 2025-09-02
Also published as: GB0517894D0; GB0419468D0; GB2417662B

Abstract

A watering system is incorporated into a hanging basket constituted by an outer container 1, an inner container 2 to hold growing medium, and a support collar 3. The outer container 1 is to act as a water reservoir and has an outer rim 4 forming three lips 5 for the purpose of filling the device from any point surrounding the device. The rim also has three fixing points 6 for connection of the device to chains for hanging purposes. The collar 3 has an angled wall 12 formed with a series of nine portals 13 which are aligned with portals 10 in the inner container 2. These sets of portals 10 and 13 receive peat pots 14 set at an angle. The base of the inner container 2 is formed with suitably sized holes to allow for the absorption of water upwards into the growing medium in the inner container and into the main root growing area of the plants within the hanging basket.

Description

241 7662 "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO PLANT HOLDERS" Outdoor plants planted

in conventional hanging baskets need daily watering and regular feeding. If the user is going away from the home or office for a number of days, or is simply forgetful, the watering and feeding regime can be disrupted and the plants may die.

Watering of plants daily can be very time-consuming and disruptive and, in certain instances, having regard to the position of the hanging baskets, watering can be hazardous to the user and the overflowing of water from the basket can also cause annoyance to passing pedestrians. The actual planting of hanging baskets can also be a difficult exercise, especially when planting plants in the side of a conventional basket, when damage can often occur to the plants themselves by planting and pulling through various mediums.

It is a main object of this invention to provide means whereby a steady watering and feeding of a hanging basket or other plant holder can be achieved over a number of days or even weeks without intervention of the user.

According to the invention, there is provided a plant holder comprising an outer container formed to act as a water reservoir, and an inner container to receive plant growing medium and sitting within the outer container so that the base of the inner container will allow water to enter from the reservoir, the inner container having portals in its side walls for the receipt of fibrous plant pots.

Such a plant container not only allows for storage of water in the reservoir for supplying plants set into the plant pots and plant growing medium, but also allows for ease of constructing a filled plant container, as many of the plants can readily be inserted at the sides in the plant pots.

In the preferred construction a collar member is locater, .nrn'nd the inner container and is angled out from the top where the collar member contacts the inner container and towards the outer container, the collar also incorporating portals which are aligned with the portals in the inner container.

Advantageously each portal on the collar can carry an outwardly projecting flange at the bottom of the portal to help to stabilise the plant pots set into the aligned portals.

Ideally the portals in the device will be so located as to ensure that the mouths of the plant pots point upwardly.

A block of absorbent spongy material could be situated in the base of the inner container so as to allow water to be drawn up through to the growing medium within the inner container. Preferably such a block would be shaped to support and contact the bases of the plant pots. The block could also incorporate fertilizer pods, containing pellets of fertilizer which, when absorbed into the water, will eventually find its way into the roots of plants in the device and so assist plants in their growing pattern.

IS The outer container can incorporate ribs within the base to support a flange formed on the inner container so as to hold the inner container in a desired position within the water reservoir.

The outer container can incorporate filling lips which enable water to be poured into the water reservoir.

The outer container can also incorporate fixing points to which hanging members for a hanging basket can be attached.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are plan and perspective views of a plant holder of this invention; Figure 3 is a vertical section on line A-A of the device of Figure 1; and Figures 4 to 6 are perspective views of, respectively, an outer container, an inner container and a support collar of the device of Figure 1.

A watering system is incorporated into a hanging basket constituted by an outer container 1, an inner container 2 and a support collar 3. The outer container 1 (Figures 1 to 4) is to act as a water reservoir and has an outer rim 4 forming three lips 5 for the purpose of filling the device from any point S surrounding the device. The rim also has three fixing points 6 for connection of the device to chains for hanging purposes. The material could be thickened at these points to provide sturdy mountings. The base of the outer container 1 could be provided with an anchorage point for a chain to connect to a further hanging basket below.

IO The inner container 2 (Figures 1 to 3 and 5) is stepped to provide a circumferential flange 7 which sits on webs 8 projecting inwardly of the outer container 1 so as to hold the base of the inner container 2 just above the base of the outer container 1. An upper circumferential wall 9 of the inner container 2 has a series of nine portals 10 formed therein. The collar 3 (Figures 1 to 3 IS and 6) sits around the inner container 2 and locates it centrally of the outer container 1. The collar 3 has an angled wall 12 formed with a series of nine portals 13 which are aligned with the portals 10. Interengaging grooves or the like (not shown) between the collar and the inner container will ensure alignment between the respective pairs of portals 10 and 13. These sets of portals 10 and 13 receive peat pots 14 tsee Figures1 to 3) set at an angle.

The size of the portals in the inner container is slightly smaller than the portals in the outer container, to take account of the conical shape of the peat pots which fit into them. Flanges 15 (Figures 1 and 6) project outwardly of the portals 13 to provide additional support for the peat pots 14. The inner ends of the peat pots rest upon a block 16 of spongy absorptive material set into the base of the inner container 2 (although this could be omitted as the portals suffice to hold the peat pots in the desired positions).

The peat pots 14 which are inserted into the device will contain growing plants. The inclination of the flanges 15 and the angled spacing of the sets of portals 10 and 13 will ensure that the user positions the plants downwards in the device in order to maintain contact of the bottom of the peat pots with the block 16 (or growing medium in the base of the inner container 2). The spongy material of the block is moulded (see Figure 3) to ensure that, at the S point of contact with the base of each angled peat pot, the maximum absorption can take place. Soil or other growing medium can then fill the remaining volume of the inner container 2 to receive further plants projecting from the top of the hanging basket.

The base 17 of the inner container 2 is formed with suitably sized holes 18 (Figure 5) and/or slots to allow for the absorption of water upwards into the block 16 and/or growing medium in the inner container and into the main root growing area of the plants within the hanging basket. The block 16 allows a slow percolation of water from the reservoir in the outer container into the inner container. Nutritional pods in the form of pellets or sticks of fertilizer could be pressed into the absorbing spongy material of the block 16. The pods could contain phosphate or other fertilizer compound and can last the duration of the growing season.

The watering system within the hanging basket can be used not only for maintaining a steady supply of water over many days to plants potted in the device but also for providing a regular supply of nutrient. The easy planting of nursery plants in the peat pots and then positioning them in the aligned portals 10 and 13 of the device is quick and convenient and is designed to ensure that users can assemble the device without damage to delicate plats and without harm to themselves. Larger plants positioned in the centre of the inner container can be planted deeply in the soil of the inner container to a depth, if required, to make contact with the spongy material block 16 (when present) in the base inner container 2. The roots of all plants in the device will at all times be in soil which itself will be in close contact with the absorbing spongy material block 16 (or further growing medium), thus ensuring a constant supply of water, whilst there is still water in the outer container 1.

The device will remove the need for daily watering and also the risk of over-watering of the hanging basket will be avoided. With care the user can S ensure that there is no overflow when filling the hanging basket as the filling level can be seen in the filling lips 5. When the device is filled with water, the plants will be situated above the water line of the reservoir, so that the plants do not become waterlogged. Absorption through the spongy material of the block 16 (or growing medium) will ensure that, over a period of days or even weeks, the plants contained in the inner container will receive a steady flow of water and nutrient. Refilling may be needed only at weekly or two weekly intervals depending on weather and rain conditions at the time. The device has been so designed that it cannot be over-watered. It is only possible to fill the device to the level of the rim 4 surrounding the outer container 1. Above Is this height, the water will simply drain away over the top of the rim. It will be noted that the rim 4 creates a channel connecting the filling lips 5. This rim can collect rainwater from any point around the hanging basket and direct it into the reservoir of the outer container 1. Also it will be noted that there are cut-outs 19 in the collar 3 which help in ensuring that water is directed properly during a filling operation. Interengaging grooves or the like (not shown) between the collar 3 and the inner container 1 will ensure alignment of the cut-outs 19 with the filling lips 5. s

Claims

1. A plant holder comprising an outer container formed to act as a water reservoir, and an inner container to receive plant growing medium and sitting within the outer container so formed that the base of the inner container will allow water to enter from the reservoir, the inner container having portals in its side walls for the receipt of fibrous plant pots.

2. A plant holder according to claim 1, wherein a collar member is located around the inner container and is angled out from the top where the collar member contacts the inner container and towards the outer container, the collar also incorporating portals which are aligned with the portals in the inner container.

3. A plant holder according to claim 2, wherein interengaging grooves or the like between the collar and the inner container ensure alignment between the respective pairs of portals.

4. A plant holder according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein each portal on the collar carries an outwardly projecting flange at the bottom of the portal to help to stabilise the plant pots set into the aligned portals.

5. A plant holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the portals in the device are so located as to ensure that the mouths of the plant pots point upwardly.

6. A plant holder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a block of absorbent spongy material is situated in the base of the inner container so as to allow water to be drawn up through to the growing medium within the inner container.

7. A plant holder according to claim 6, wherein said block is shaped to support and contact the bases of the plant pots.

8. A plant holder according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the block also incorporates fertilizer pods, containing pellets of fertilizer which, when absorbed into the water, will eventually find its way into the roots of plants in the device and so assist plants in their growing pattern.

9. A plant holder according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the outer container incorporates ribs within the base to support a flange formed on the inner container so as to hold the inner container in a desired position within the water reservoir.

10. A plant holder according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the outer container incorporates filling lips which enable water to be poured into the water reservoir.

IO

11. A plant holder according to claim 10, wherein cut-outs in the collar member are aligned with said filling lips.

12. A plant holder according to claim 11, wherein interengaging grooves or the like between the collar member and the inner container ensure alignment of the cut-outs with the filling lips.

13. A plant holder according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the outer container incorporates fixing points to which hanging members for a hanging basket can be attached.

14. A plant holder substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. Any novel combination of features of a plant holder as described herein and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.