GB2074835A

GB2074835A - Flower pots

Info

Publication number: GB2074835A
Application number: GB8014753A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-05-02
Filing date: 1980-05-02
Publication date: 1981-11-11

Abstract

To avoid the need for separate flower pots and cloches, there is provided a receptacle 1 at least partially of optically transparent material for receiving a growing medium. The receptacle 1 has an aperture 4 in its base, and securing means 6 for enabling the receptacle to be secured to a ground surface in an inverted position for use as a cloche. Aperture 7 may be provided in the side wall of the receptacle which is preferably of synthetic plastics material. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Flower pots The present invention relates to flower pots.

In this specification, the term "flower pot" is used to mean any receptacle having side wall means and a base for containing a growing medium for sustaining plant growth, there being a drainage aperture in the base.

As is well known, it is conventional when growing certain plants to allow germination of seeds in flower pots kept indoors or in a greenhouse, and following germination to plant the resulting seedlings outside in the earth covered by a cloche.

A conventional cloche is a relatively large structure usually made of glass and having an openable lid to allow access to plants within. It is therefore a relatively expensive device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a flower pot which can also serve as an inexpensive cloche.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a flower pot comprising: a receptacle at least partially of optically transparent material for receiving a growing medium, the receptacle having an aperture in its base; and securing means for enabling the receptacle to be secured to a ground surface in an inverted position for use as a cloche.

Preferably, said securing means is disposed at the upper edge of the receptacle.

Preferably, said securing means comprises at least one projection extending from said upper edge away from said base.

Preferably said projection is integral with said receptacle.

Preferably said projection is one of three similar projections.

The receptacle is preferably of synthetic plastics material.

Expediently, there is provided at least one aperture in a side wall of the receptacle.

Preferably the receptacle tapers from the upper edge towards its base.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of cultivation in which method at least one flower pot according to said one aspect is employed and in which a seedling is initially grown in said flower pot and subsequently replanted with the pot or a further like pot inverted over the seedling in the manner of a cloche.

The seedling may be watered through the aperture in the base of the pot.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of flower pot according to the invention, and Figure 2 shows a further embodiment of flower pot according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a flower pot consisting of a tapered receptacle 1 having a frusto-conical side wall 2 and a circular base 3 provided with a central drainage aperture 4. At its upper edge 5, the receptacle is provided with three upwardly extending projections 6 which are preferably formed integrally with the receptacle and are preferably symmetrically disposed around the upper edge of the receptacle. The receptacle is made of transparent plastics material, e.g.

perspex, and where the projections 6 are formed integrally with the receptacle 1 , these will also of course be made of the same transparent material.

The entire article could be made by injection moulding.

The receptacle may be provided with a plurality of air holes 7 in the side wall 2 as known per se.

A seedling may be grown in a growing medium contained in the flower pot 1 in the conventional manner. When the seedling is ready to be planted outside, it may be removed from the pot in the usual manner and transplanted and then the pot may be inverted over the seedling to act as a cloche with the projections 6 being pressed into the surrounding earth to secure the pot in position.

It is thus important that the material of the pot is transparent to that component of light necessary for plant growth. Preferably, the material will be clear plastics material.

Expediently, the ratio of the height H of the side wall 2 to the height h of the projections 6 is 3:1.

Figure 2 shows a further embodiment generally similar to that shown in figure 1, but with a difference that the projections 6 are rounded instead of being pointed as shown in figure 1.

Whilst pointed projections may be necessary for penetrating hard earth, it may be desirable to provide the rounded projections shown in figure 2 where the pots are to be used in surroundings where young children or animals may inadvertently fall onto the pots and thereby suffer injury if the projections 6 were pointed.

It is not of course essential to provide three projections or to arrange them symmetrically around the upper edge 5 of the pot. A single large projection may be sufficient or it may be expedient to provide four-projections or more. Indeed, if the upper edge of the pot were sufficiently rigid and/or thin projections might be unnecessary and the upper edge 5 itself might be pushed into the earth thereby to secure the pot. It would also be possible to provide tabs or spikes which could be attached at the upper edge 5 of the receptacle when the pot was to be used as a cloche and removed from the receptacle when it was to function as a flower pot. Such spikes or tabs could be made of synthetic plastics material or of metal or any other suitable material. They could be attached to the receptacle by clipping over the upper edge 5.

Although the securing means are preferably projections which penetrate the soil, it is within the scope of the invention for the securing means to consist of a weight loading the pot at least when it is inverted and serving as a cloche.

Where projections 6 are provided, they may be as illustrated disposed symmetrically around the upper edge 5 with a gap between each adjacent pair, in which gap edge 5 runs parallel to base 3. It is alternatively possible to avoid leaving such a gap so that the sloping edges of each projection meet those of the adjacent projections and edge 5 has no part parallei to base 3.

Although the pot is preferably made entirely of transparent material, in some circumstances it may be advantageous to make it partially of transparent material, e.g. only the base or only the base and the lower part of the side wall may be transparent.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A flower pot comprising: a receptacle at least partially of optically transparent material for receiving a growing medium, the receptacle having an aperture in its base; and securing means for enabling the receptacle to be secured to a ground surface in an inverted position for use as a cloche.

2. A pot according to claim 1 wherein said securing means is at the upper edge of the receptacle.

3. A pot according to claimlwherein said securing means comprises at least one projection extending from said upper edge away from said base.

4. A pot according to claim 3 wherein said projection is integral with said receptacle.

5. A pot according to claim 3 or 4 wherein said projection is one of three similar projections.

6. A pot according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the receptacle is of synthetic plastics material.

7. A pot according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein there is provided at least one aperture in a side wall of the receptacle.

8. A pot according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the receptacle tapers from the upper edge towards the base.

9. A flower pot substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

10. A method of cultivating plants in which method at least one flower pot according to any one of the preceding claims is employed in which method a seedling is initially grown in a said flower pot and subsequently planted out with the pot or a further like pot inverted over the seedling in the manner of a cloche.

11. A method of cultivating plants according to claim 10 and substantially as hereinbefore described.