Attractive landscaping sets the house apart from the rest and for a long time delights the eyes of its owners. There are many different options and techniques for arranging the site. Quite often there are flower beds and flowerpots made of concrete.
Advantages and disadvantages
Original concrete elements are designed to complement the overall exterior. They maintain soil temperature and retain moisture, while the materials for their manufacture are low cost. Such designs are used both in personal territories and in city parks and squares. They are versatile, they can delimit the land into separate zones and act as elements of landscaping. Flowerpots for a garden attract attention and decorate the territory; they are presented in an extensive assortment in specialized stores. Also, if desired, they can be done independently, this does not require special skills and tools. The main disadvantage is the considerable weight, which makes it difficult to move the products.
The properties
Flower girls from concrete add cosiness and originality not only to parks and embankments, but also to a house adjoining site. A wide variety of species opens up vast opportunities for the implementation of design ideas. They also secrete plants planted in them, and eliminate the need for their planting. The value of this function should not be underestimated, because thanks to this, the root system is not damaged in the flowers.
One of the reasons for the prevalence of products has become mobility. With prolonged rainfall and the onset of frost to preserve plants, they need to be moved to a more suitable place. This is especially true for delicate expensive species, since most of them do not tolerate excessive watering and freezing temperatures.
Concrete flowerbeds can be finished with various materials, for example, ceramics. Choosing the right option for decoration will decorate not only the elements themselves, but the whole landscape. Products are characterized by low cost, which is an additional reason for their purchase. Materials for self-creation will cost a small amount.
It is worth noting that it is highly resistant to temperature extremes; on average, about 200 freezing phases are tolerated without loss of quality. The appearance remains the same even with the constant influence of surrounding negative factors and ultraviolet radiation, which plastic products cannot boast of.
One of the advantages of self-manufacturing is the practicality of concrete: before it hardens, you can create a wide variety of shapes and forms from it. Besides a decorative task, flowerpots for a garden perfectly carry out protecting functions. They allow you to separate the necessary territory or delimit the site. For this, it is enough to purchase several structural elements. So you can not only supplement the space with bright floral accents, but also prevent vehicles from entering the territory in the absence of a fence.
Types
The modern assortment is represented by various options suitable for certain purposes:
- Decorative flowerpots made of concrete, in addition to park areas, are used in small areas where it is important to preserve as much free space as possible, in which case compact flower beds are selected.
- Street can have various sizes and forms of execution.
- Indoor are divided into standard and portable types. The form depends on the surrounding interior and has no restrictions.
What to consider
First of all, garden flowerpots must be in harmony with the environment. A combination of several different shapes is possible, strict geometric or neat rounded. On a vast territory, large structures that are rarely suitable for small areas look best.
Particular attention is paid to the color scheme. It should be noted that the shade of the product should be less bright and intense, compared with plants flowering in it. The best option is monophonic elements, combined with home decoration or fencing.
Execution options
The molds used for the production of concrete flowerpots have a significant impact on the external characteristics and quality. The composition for pouring is prepared in advance and placed in the blanks. In addition to solidification of the mass, time is also given to gaining the necessary strength. The walls of the mold are lubricated with an oil solution, which is usually based on ordinary vegetable oil. This reduces the adhesion of concrete, and it better departs from the surface of the mold, which is especially true for complex designs with additional protrusions and elements.
Polyvinyl chloride is most widely used as a material for the production of forms, since its characteristics open up wide possibilities for choosing the relief and pattern for the resulting structures. Gypsum, plastic and silicone are also used.
Flowerpots from concrete do it yourself
Sometimes it is not possible to find suitable options for decoration or they can not afford it, in this case, the solution to the situation will be the independent creation of flower beds. The technology is simple and will not cause difficulties even for those who have never worked with concrete. One of the advantages of hand-made elements is a lower total cost compared to store options.
Before starting work, you need to prepare the following:
- spray;
- oil;
- water;
- cement composition;
- capacities of sufficient volume.
Manufacturing process
To begin with, a suitable container is selected that allows you to form garden flowerpots of the required size. Obtaining the desired result depends on compliance with all stages of manufacturing.
First of all, the outer part of a small vessel and the inner surface of a large container are lubricated with oil. A plastic pipe cut into 4 parts with a length of at least 5 cm acts as drainage.
If colored concrete flowerpots are needed, then suitable colorants are added during the preparation of the solution. Particular attention is paid to the correct proportional ratio of sand, cement and water, which is indicated on the package.
The first step in creating a product is to fill a large capacity with a cement composition. The layer in thickness should not exceed 2-3 cm.
Next, plastic segments are fixed and left until the mortar sets. Now a small container is placed in the container, while it is important that the pipes are covered with cement. The solution is poured into the resulting free space.
The cement will harden completely after about a day, it may take longer depending on the ambient temperature conditions and the type of material. Now a small form is pulled out, and the walls are treated with water using a spray gun. Large containers must be left for 7-10 days, pre-wrapped with polyethylene and daily wetted with water.
After the specified time, concrete flower beds taken out of shape. Now you can use the product and plant the desired plant in it.
Material characteristics
Concrete is the optimal material for the formation of garden structures. It is not susceptible to the negative effects of the environment, rotting and is characterized by high ductility, providing the creation of a variety of complex forms. Despite such positive characteristics, there is also a drawback, which consists in quick heating under sunlight. As a result, soil overheating and plant damage are possible. Two methods are used to solve this problem: the creation of many holes at the bottom of the product or street flowerpots made of concrete are made in the form of large structures, due to which their overall heating will be reduced.