To ensure you can enjoy your Versailles Planter for many years to come, please follow the advice below. ORNAMENTI cannot accept responsibility if any of the following instructions and recommendations are ignored. Please note that this guide can also generally be used in relation to the Château Planter collection, although some details and attributes differ.
1. ORNAMENTI’s Versailles Planters are designed for the cultivation of small or medium sized ornamental trees and/or shrubs, with non-expansive root systems.
2. It is important to position your Versailles Planter on a firm and level base sufficient to cope with the weight of planter and tree/shrub combined.
3. Once correctly positioned, you can plant up your Versailles Planter as soon as you desire. We recommend filling the containers with a growing medium that drains water well, preferably deacidified peat mixed with expanded clay or perlite. Do not use garden soil or clay in the planters.
4. The ingenious construction of each Versailles Planter allows all four sides to be unfastened by removing the external pins and external brackets – no tools are required. This allows access to roots for horticultural maintenance and is a unique feature of Versailles Planters – hence their popularity amongst serious gardeners and professional landscapers who wish to maintain trees and shrubs in the best condition, preventing expensive specimens from becoming pot bound. Please note that on one side of the planter it is also possible to remove the internal bracket. This useful feature enables a large plant to be inserted or removed via the side rather than from above. Before filling the planter with growing medium, it is essential that all brackets and pins are reinserted to fully secure the planter.
5. Avoid planting trees or shrubs with a height exceeding 2m as very strong and/or gusty winds may cause the planter to overturn along with the plant. If you wish to introduce taller plants then we recommend anchoring the planter to a concrete foundation.
6. Moving or lifting a Versailles Planters must only be undertaken using a manual or mechanical forklift inserted under the steel base. This will prevent permanent deformation of the planter. To avoid scratches etc, it is important protect the edges or vulnerable surfaces of the planters with thick cardboard, carpet or similar before lifting. We recommend moving or lifting the planters when empty. Under no circumstances should the planters be moved by pushing from the side, whether empty and filled.
7. The Versailles Planters should be regularly washed with a soft brush or sponge using lukewarm water and a mild detergent in a ratio of 100:1. Do not use any other chemical, pressure washer or undertake any scraping or sanding.
8. Wood is a natural, hygroscopic material. As such, it retains many of its original characteristics, with increased humidity having the potential to cause swelling, deformation, and the growth of algae and fungi, whilst excessive drying may cause shrinkage, cracking, twisting of the fibres and warping of the wood. These are the natural characteristics of wood. Likewise, avoid pouring water onto wooden elements in full sunlight as the temperature differential may cause cracks in the wood or deformation of the profiles.
Issued 5/22 Revised 2/23