Planters in a line
Corten steel trough planters
A Corten trough planter draws a line: along the edge of a patio, beside a garden path, around a pool or as a screen of plants in front of a neighbouring window. We make Déméter in lengths from 900 to 2000 mm, and Thalie lifts the same long shape onto four legs.
Comparing our Corten trough planters
A selection of formats to show how length, width and steel thickness affect the price. The volume given is the outer volume (length × width × height in dm³): the actual volume of soil is a little lower.
| Model | L × W × H (mm) | Steel | Outer volume | Empty weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Déméter 2 mm | 1000 × 500 × 400 | 2 mm | 200 L | 30 kg | £870 |
| Déméter 2 mm | 1500 × 400 × 400 | 2 mm | 240 L | 37.5 kg | £940 |
| Déméter 2 mm | 2000 × 400 × 400 | 2 mm | 320 L | 47.5 kg | £1,020 |
| Déméter 2 mm | 2000 × 400 × 500 | 2 mm | 400 L | 55 kg | £1,150 |
| Déméter 2 mm | 1200 × 300 × 800 | 2 mm | 288 L | 47.4 kg | £1,020 |
| Déméter 1.5 mm | 1200 × 400 × 400 | 1.5 mm | 192 L | 31.3 kg | £910 |
| Déméter 1.5 mm | 2000 × 400 × 400 | 1.5 mm | 320 L | 47.5 kg | £1,060 |
| Déméter 1.5 mm | 900 × 300 × 800 | 1.5 mm | 216 L | 38.1 kg | £970 |
| Thalie on legs | 1200 × 500 × 600 | 2 mm | 360 L | 43.8 kg | £1,020 |
| Thalie on legs | 2000 × 500 × 600 | 2 mm | 600 L | 65.6 kg | £1,280 |
Choosing a trough's length, width and steel thickness
Start from the length of edge you want to plant, then divide it into troughs. A 6 m patio edge takes three 2000 mm Déméter troughs end to end, or four of 1200 mm with a 1.2 m gap left in the middle to walk through.
At equal length, a wider trough holds more soil. At 2000 mm long and 400 mm high, going from 400 to 500 mm wide raises the outer volume from 320 to 400 L: worth it for shrubs, unnecessary for low grasses. Height then decides how the line reads from a chair on the patio: 400 mm stays low and frames the ground, 800 mm starts to screen.
- Déméter 2 mm: 21 formats, from 900 to 2000 mm long, 300 to 600 mm wide and 400 to 1000 mm high.
- Déméter 1.5 mm: only 6 formats, either 400 mm wide (400 mm high) or 300 mm wide (800 mm high). Size for size it is priced above the 2 mm version (£910 compared with £890 in 1200 × 400 × 400 mm): what it offers is a finer profile.
- Narrow formats, 300 mm wide from front to back and 800 mm high (900, 1200 and 1500 mm long): the line gains height without eating into the patio, for instance against a wall or a balustrade. Our tall Corten steel planters take that idea further.
- Thalie: our only rectangular planter on legs, 500 mm wide and 600 mm high, to lift the line clear of the ground.
Troughs
The trough planters in our collection
Déméter in 2 mm steel (21 formats) and in 1.5 mm steel (6 formats), then Thalie on legs, which comes in three rectangular formats: 1200, 1500 and 2000 × 500 × 600 mm (from £1,020). On the grid, Thalie's card shows the starting price of its square formats.
Trough planters for patios, town gardens and roof terraces
For a screen of plants, choose upright evergreens (tall grasses, clump-forming bamboos, clipped shrubs) and plant them closely in troughs set in a row. The continuous line of Déméter hides the base of the plants and gives the hedge a clean footing, which helps in a town garden overlooked from the house next door. Along a path, allow for foliage spilling over onto it.
Around a pool, pick plants that drop few leaves and leave a gap between the trough and the coping for maintenance. Run a string line and set out the row while the troughs are still empty: a 2000 × 400 × 400 mm Déméter already weighs 47.5 kg, and once planted it stays where it is.
On a roof terrace or a balcony, treat the empty weights in our table as a starting point only: the soil and water in a trough of several hundred litres weigh far more than the steel itself, so check what the structure can take before settling on a size. A run of lower, narrower troughs is often the more sensible answer there.
Patina and rust run-off along a line of troughs
Every trough leaves our workshop with the Cortenys signature patina already applied. Along a long line, rain and watering run down the full length of the sides, and that is where traces of oxide can mark a pale paving slab, timber decking or pool coping.
A protective varnish is offered as an option on Déméter and Thalie (£920 instead of £870 for a 1000 × 500 × 400 mm Déméter). The varnish greatly reduces run-off, but even varnished, Corten steel can still stain the floor: protect the paving with spacers or shims, a strip of gravel under the line, or a row of dark slabs. On Thalie, the space the legs leave under the base stops water sitting against the patio. Our Corten steel care guide covers these precautions in detail.
Trough, bottomless or square: which Corten planter?
If the line is planted straight into the ground (a border, a hedge in the garden), the planter needs no base: Gaïa takes the rectangular shape of Déméter without a bottom and sits among our bottomless Corten steel planters. For a single specimen rather than a line, a square Corten steel planter suits better; for a small tree, look at our large Corten steel planters. The full range of Corten steel planters compares every shape side by side.
Cortenys
Frequently asked questions
What length of trough planter should I choose for a patio?
Measure the edge you want to plant, take off the gaps you need to walk through, then divide by one of the lengths available: 900, 1000, 1200, 1500 or 2000 mm depending on the model. Troughs of the same length give a regular line, and 2000 mm troughs keep the number of joints down.
Can several Corten troughs be lined up end to end?
Yes, that is how Déméter is most often used. Leave a slight gap between two troughs for water to drain away and for upkeep, and level the whole row before you add the soil. Keep the same height along the whole line.
Déméter trough in 1.5 mm or 2 mm steel: which should I pick?
The 2 mm version comes in 21 formats, from 900 to 2000 mm long and up to 1000 mm high; the 1.5 mm version comes in 6, with a finer profile. Choose the 1.5 mm for its look and the 2 mm for the spread of sizes. In 1200 × 400 × 400 mm, the 2 mm costs £890 and the 1.5 mm £910.
What are the narrow 300 mm wide trough formats for?
They are 800 mm high but only 300 mm wide from front to back, in 900, 1200 or 1500 mm lengths. They stand against a wall, a balustrade or a fence, where a 500 mm wide trough would take too much of a small patio or roof terrace. The 900 mm format costs £940 in 2 mm steel and £970 in 1.5 mm.
Is there a bottomless Corten trough planter?
Yes: Gaïa, the same shape as Déméter, has no base and is meant to be planted straight into the ground. You will find it among our bottomless Corten steel planters. On paving or decking, keep a trough with a base.
Does Thalie come as a rectangular trough on legs?
Yes, three of its 23 formats are rectangular: 1200 × 500 × 600 mm (£1,020), 1500 × 500 × 600 mm (£1,160) and 2000 × 500 × 600 mm (£1,280). The others are square.
Is it worth varnishing a Corten trough that stands on pale paving?
The protective varnish greatly reduces run-off, but even varnished, Corten steel can still stain the floor, so on pale stone set the trough on spacers or a strip of gravel as well. On a 2000 × 400 × 400 mm Déméter in 2 mm steel, the varnished finish costs £1,080 instead of £1,020.
A particular project in mind?
A dimension, a finish, a word of advice. The House is by your side, with the care it brings to every one of its pieces.