Stewart Corinthian Round Planter, 40 cm - Black

Just the right size to take an obalisk for sweet peasLooks great in the garden

I water most of my hanging baskets with a drip irrigation system, but for those areas where I can't, I thought this might be an alternative. Am a bit sceptical about self-watering in general, as the water can't drain, but that concern mainly applies to those systems where you water from the top and the water drains through to the reservoir - it's hard to judge how much water to use and you easily end up with plants standing in water. With these, a tube is supplied by which you fill the reservoir, but there are 2 issues that might crop up with this: one the compost might still need watering from the top occasionally, especially if you let the reservoir dry out, and you have no way of knowing when it needs refilling, except by guess work, as no indicator is provided. Also, no way of knowing when the reservoir is full, unless you measure the amount of water going in. Instructions say it holds a "generous" 1.5 litres, so guess I'll just have to use a measuring jug.. This is the only thing I'd improve: to provide a water-level indicator with the refill tube, although for the price, you can't expect too much, so have still given 5 stars. Most of the other concerns apply to self-watering in general, not to this particular product, apart from the water level indicator, there is nothing wrong with this product at all, and it's well made and looks nice (don't like the colour much, but that's just me). I intend to use these with a very-well draining, highly aerated medium (essentially good quality bark with perlite and a bit of fines or normal compost to bind. Got it from Houzz gardening forum if you're interested: Al's 5-1-1 mix). Not sure I'd use these with normal compost, and if so, would include a high percentage of perlite or similar, as there's not much to ensure good air exchange to the roots except via surface of compost and very small holes in the insert. The basket is just over 31 cm diameter on the top measured from outside rim to outside rim. Inside diameter is 28.5 cm at the top, and 25 cm at the bottom (above the insert). Fill depth (height) is 10 cm, assuming you leave 1 cm free at the top and overall height is about 17 cm, so the water reservoir is about 6 cm high. The provided chain has 3 sections and is 40 cm long with the hook at the top. It has the T-connectors at the bottom, like those with the easy-fill baskets, which I find preferable to the hook-type connectors, as easier to get in, and less likely to break/bend out of shape. The chain feels very sturdy, as does the basket overall, and looks like it'll last a good few years. You get an insert, with some small holes in it, and a large hole for the water tube, the water tube itself, the chain and irrigation fabric, which lays over the insert, with a tongue hanging down into the water reservoir (there's a gap provided in the insert). There are 4 little support struts to hold the insert in place, and it sits nicely on them, and feels secure when in place. You get detailed filling instructions on the card. Overall, for the price, am impressed, as with most Stuart items, this feels good quality, for a very reasonable price. Personally, would've liked a water-level indicator, but suspect the cheap ones might break easily or stop working, as seem to usually be just be a little bit of plastic that floats within the water tube, so maybe that's the reason none was included.. I can live without it and there aren't many self-watering hanging baskets available anyway. Alternatives were either cheap and cheerful China imports, quite small, with a very small reservoir that is filled via normal watering by draining through the compost, so even harder to fill correctly than this (read impossible, as even if you measure the size of the reservoir, you don't know how much water the compost above will hold - I know, because bought em..), or very expensive, by Lechuza, using exact same principle, except with a water level indicator and slightly shinier plastic.. for more than 4 x the price. So this one won hands down, and has exceeded my expectations considering the very low price. I would recommend, bearing in mind my comments above compost aeration and lacking water-level indicator. Will try and update this review when I've used them (ordered a few) for a while, and can say more about how they work out.

Not a lot to say -----Its a cheap pot but suitable for my needs. Delivery on time, BWG.

Good planters and service. Wanted this size/shape planter for some of my larger Hosta plants. Bought a few as I couldn't find them in any of my local garden centres. Plants look great in them.

i did,'t like the fact it was broken, and if i complained, i would have to return it, and pay, a high postage, cost, which would make the item cost more, and not worth bothering about

I bought this to sit outside, as it said suitable for indoors and outdoors.The planter arrived and I was really impressed.It has a good thickness to it which suggests it will last, also, unlike some other planters, it doesn't buckle under the weight of the moist soil.I chose black. It is a deep black with a matte finish. I wasn't sure a plastic planter would do the job, I was transplanting a rosemary bush that had grown like a triffid in this lovely hot weather and it looks surprisingly nice.I used a hot skewer to make three drainage holes in the bottom as it is outside, as suggested ( well they suggested using a drill but that had been nabbed by my offspring so I just took a kitchen BBQ skewer and heated it on the stove and using oven gloves just pushed it through the thick base and voila, drainage holes).The bottom of the planter is shaped to four feet, this allows a little ground clearance and thereby good drainage ( rosemary is not a fan of a soggy bottom).I was so impressed I looked about to see if I had the need for more, sadly I didn't but would have bought more.Overall very impressed.

The product itself is excellent. What was not was the fact all 4 ordered could have been easily stacked into one box half the size of the ones used (2 in each box) which were huge. plus an amazon forest of paper packaging which actually filled my recycling bin. Amazon says it is eco friendly - this was definitely not.

Most of us now bother to recycle but I'm left wondering why. This product was fine but the packaging was very, very clearly a mile over the top. Utterly ridiculous.Never mind. The world's resources are without limit, aren't thy. Aren't they?Amazon: get your act together.