Planters
HERMEQ steel planters bring trees, shrubs and seasonal planting to shop fronts, hospitality terraces, streets and gardens, and the range covers three styles. Round planters bring soft, curved shapes to open paving, and tall tapered planters add height beside doors and walkways. The flat pack square planter assembles on site in minutes. Every type is made in raw steel or Corten weathering steel, with Corten supplied weather ready or pre-weathered, and each comes in a choice of sizes. The range is produced through UK manufacturing, with in-house steel processing.
Round, tall tapered and square steel planters
Shape and height decide where each planter works: round and tall pieces stand on their own or frame an entrance, while square planters sit flush against walls and line up in rows.
Round planters
Our round steel planters, also known as cylinder planters, suit open paving, corners and any spot where people pass on every side, because a curved face has no corner to catch a bag or a passer-by.
Tall tapered planters
The tall tapered planters narrow from the rim to the foot, which gives a lighter outline than a straight-sided planter of the same height. They are the usual choice for flanking a doorway or reception entrance, where height counts for more than soil volume. With heights across the range running up to 1200mm, a pair brings planting up to eye level beside a door without building a raised bed.
Flat pack square planters
Flat pack square planters are cube planters that arrive as panels, so they travel and store in far less space than an assembled planter. That makes them the sensible choice for large orders, schemes delivered in phases and terraces reached through stairwells or narrow corridors.
Corten steel or raw steel planters
Both finishes are steel, and the choice turns on how the planter should look on the day it arrives and how it should age. Corten is a weathering steel: alloying elements let its surface rust into a dense, even patina that slows further corrosion, so the rust layer is the finish and needs no paint. Corten weather ready planters arrive as bare grey steel and change on site through orange to a deep brown as rain and air work on them. Corten pre-weathered planters have had that process started before dispatch, so they arrive orange-brown and look established from the first day. Raw steel weather ready planters are made from untreated mild steel, which also weathers to a rust-brown surface outdoors, and it is the most economical of the three finishes for gardens and larger quantities.
For a shop opening, a launch or a public scheme that must look finished on handover, choose pre-weathered Corten. For a garden or courtyard where a steady change in tone is part of the appeal, Corten weather ready lets the patina develop in place. Where a specification names weathering steel, Corten is the finish to order, and where it asks for a rusted steel look at a lower cost, raw steel does the job.
Planters for streets, entrances and terraces
Shop fronts and building entrances
A matching pair of commercial planters either side of a door marks the entrance of a shop, office or hotel from the far end of the street. Keep the full clear width of the doorway and the level approach free for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and set planters back far enough that an opening door or a queue does not meet them.
Hospitality terraces and courtyards
Bars, cafés and hotels use planters to mark the edge of an outdoor seating area, split tables into smaller groups and screen a terrace from the street or a car park. They are usually planned together with the outdoor seating, with gaps wide enough for staff carrying trays. On a roof terrace or balcony, confirm the load the structure can carry before filling large planters, since wet soil adds a great deal of weight.
Streets and public spaces
Local authorities and town centre teams use street planters to green pedestrianised streets, squares and civic spaces, usually as part of a wider street furniture scheme. They share the pavement with bollards and posts, litter bins and benches, so all of them are best set out on one plan.
Gardens, beds and soft ground
The flat pack square planter is bottomless, so it stands on grass, soft ground and existing flower beds as well as on timber decks and concrete. Where a planter must hold its own soil as a self-contained unit on any surface, the round planter has a base for that job.
Placing and grouping steel planters
Corten on paving and hard surfaces
While Corten and raw steel weather, rain carries rust-coloured run-off from the surface, and on light stone, concrete or resin paving it can leave marks. Stand the planter on a bed of gravel or pebbles, a strip of planting, or a sacrificial slab that can be replaced, and keep it away from pale steps and thresholds. Pre-weathered Corten still sheds some run-off early on, so place it with the same care.
Mixing shapes in one scheme
Round, tall tapered and square planters are made in the same finishes, so one patina can run through an entrance, a terrace or a length of street. Tall tapered pieces can flank a door with low cubes grouped at their base, and round planters can soften the ends of a run of square ones. Order the whole scheme in one finish and at the same time, so every piece starts weathering together and the tones match as they age.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are steel planters frost resistant?
Steel does not absorb water the way terracotta and some stone do, so a steel planter will not crack or flake when the soil inside it freezes. The planting is the part to plan for, because roots in a container are more exposed to cold than roots in the ground. Choose plants hardy enough for container growing and keep the soil free draining so it does not sit waterlogged through winter.
How should Corten planters be maintained?
Corten needs no paint, oil or sealant, because its patina is the protective finish and it is best left untreated. Avoid patio and masonry cleaners that contain acid or chlorine, and keep de-icing salt away from the planter, since both attack the patina.
Can planters be used to stop vehicles?
Planters define space, mark the edge of a terrace or pedestrian area and guide people along a route. They are not designed to stop a vehicle. Where a site needs protection against vehicles, specify bollards and posts built for that purpose, and set planters around them for the greenery.
What sizes of steel planter are available?
Sizes vary by type. The flat pack square planter comes as cubes from 300mm to 600mm, and the round and tall tapered planters each come in several footprints and heights.
Can a steel planter be moved once it is planted?
It can, but a planter filled with wet soil weighs far more than the empty steel, so it is much easier to move one before planting or after emptying it. If a filled planter has to move, lift it from underneath with a pallet truck or suitable lifting equipment, never by the rim, and plan a route over level ground.