Rectangular Planters & Trough Planters | Large Outdoor Boxes

About this collection

A rectangular planter is the shape that does structural work. Where a round pot is an object you place, a rectangle is a line you draw: along a path, across a terrace edge, between a seating area and everything else. This collection holds the 37 rectangular and geometric planters we carry, from 36 inch boxes up to a 100 inch trough.

Rectangles, troughs and boxes: the same shape, three words

The vocabulary is inconsistent across the industry and it causes real confusion when comparing suppliers. In practice:

A rectangular planter is any straight-sided box longer than it is wide. A trough usually means a long, comparatively shallow rectangle, the proportions you would use along a wall or a balcony edge. A planter box is the same object again, though the phrase is also used for raised garden beds and window boxes, which are different products entirely and not what these are.

Because there is no standard, comparing on the words is useless. Compare on the numbers: length, width, height, and the interior opening. We publish all four for every size.

Choosing proportions

Length decides how much line the planter draws and how many you need for a run. Ours go to 100 inches, and fewer longer units beat more shorter ones because the joints between planters are the visual weak point.

Depth front-to-back decides stability and soil volume. The narrow models at 10 to 12 inches suit walkways and balconies where floor space is tight, but they hold less soil, dry faster and want more attention. The 17 to 24 inch models are the better long-term choice anywhere exposed.

Height decides what the planter does before the planting starts. Low troughs at 12 inches define an edge without blocking a view. At 24 inches and above the planter itself begins to screen, and the planting only has to finish the job.

What a rectangular planter does not do

It does not soften a space. Straight lines emphasise the geometry already there. In a rectilinear courtyard that reads as deliberate; against curves it can read as imposed. If you want the planter to relax a hard space rather than reinforce it, a round or tapered form does that better.

Corners are the weak point in a run. Two rectangles meeting at 90 degrees leave a gap that looks like an oversight. That is what the corner units exist to solve, and it is worth planning the turn before ordering the straights.

Long and narrow is a wind problem. A 72 inch planter at 12 inches deep with a hedge in it presents a large sail on a small base. Ballast the base, choose the deeper models where exposure is real, and group them so they support each other.

They are not raised beds. These are finished architectural vessels, not grow boxes. If the goal is a kitchen garden at working height, a purpose-built raised bed is the cheaper and more practical answer.

Cube and corner planters

Six of the 37 models here are square rather than elongated, and they solve two specific problems.

Cube planters are for punctuation rather than line: flanking a door, marking the end of a run, or standing alone where a rectangle would look like it was going somewhere. Because a cube reads as deliberate at any scale, they work as a single statement in a way a short rectangle does not.

Corner planters have a square footprint designed to turn a run through 90 degrees without a visual break. They share a base code, height and wall profile with their rectangular siblings, so the corner and the straights read as one continuous line rather than two products meeting. Eleven models across our full range are corner units on a shared base; the geometric ones sit in this collection.

Material, finish and delivery

Every planter here is fiberglass composite in one of twenty finishes across matte, satin, gloss and metallic. The colour runs through the shell rather than sitting on it as a coat. The material is frost-proof and UV-stable and does not crack in freeze-thaw the way porous materials do. Outdoors, kept well drained, expect ten to fifteen years or more, with a three year manufacturer warranty from Jay Scotts.

Drainage is drilled free of charge on request and not drilled by default, since interior and liner-based installations often need the planter sealed. Drilled planters are final sale.

These are made to order, so allow two to ten business days of production. Standard sizes ship free by ground within the contiguous United States; larger units ship by freight at a flat 495 dollars, free on orders over 2,000 dollars. Each product page states which mode applies to each size.

Related collections

If the aim is a continuous screen rather than a defined edge, the privacy and screening planters collection narrows this range to the tall, long rectangles that work in a run.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What is a rectangular planter used for?

Drawing a line rather than marking a point. Rectangles define terrace edges, separate seating from circulation, run along walls and balconies, and, at height, screen. A round planter is an object you place; a rectangle is a boundary you build. That is also why they are the usual choice for commercial and hospitality work, where planting is doing spatial work rather than decorating.

What is the difference between a trough planter and a rectangular planter?

Mostly the proportions and the word. A trough is a long, comparatively shallow rectangle, the shape you would use along a wall or a balcony edge. A rectangular planter is any straight-sided box longer than it is wide, including deeper and taller forms. There is no industry standard for either term, so compare the published length, width, height and interior opening rather than the name.

Is a planter box the same as a rectangular planter?

Usually yes, but the phrase is ambiguous. Planter box is also used for raised garden beds and window boxes, which are different products with different construction and purpose. Everything in this collection is a finished architectural vessel in fiberglass composite, not a grow box or a raised bed.

What plants work well in a rectangular planter?

The shape suits anything you want to read as a row or a mass rather than a specimen: clipped hedging, ornamental grasses, upright evergreens, or a repeated planting along the length. On a long trough you are typically working with three or four nursery pots rather than one root ball, which is why we publish grow pot capacity per size.

How deep should a rectangular planter be?

For seasonal planting, 8 to 10 inches of interior depth works. For shrubs, hedging and anything permanent, 12 inches is a floor and more is better, because the root ball needs depth plus room beneath it. Check the interior depth rather than the exterior height, since feet and rim detail can account for several inches of the overall figure.

Do trough planters need drainage holes?

Outdoors, yes. A trough has a large surface area collecting rain relative to its soil volume, so water accumulates quickly, and standing water at the base is the main cause of both root failure and winter damage. We drill drainage free of charge on request. Interior and liner-based installations are the case for leaving them sealed. Drilled planters are final sale.

What is a corner planter for?

Turning a run of planters through 90 degrees without leaving a gap. It has a square footprint and shares a base code, height and wall profile with its rectangular siblings, so the corner and the straights read as one continuous line. Two ordinary rectangles meeting at a corner leave a visible gap, which is the problem the corner unit exists to solve.

When should I use a cube planter instead of a rectangle?

When you want punctuation rather than line. Cubes work flanking a door, closing the end of a run, or standing alone where an elongated planter would look like it was heading somewhere. A cube reads as deliberate at any size; a short rectangle often reads as a rectangle that got cut off.

How many rectangular planters do I need for a run?

Divide the length you want to cover by the planter length, then add one. Our lengths run from 36 to 100 inches. Fewer and longer is better, because the joints between planters are the visual weak point, so choose the longest model your access route and budget allow. If the run turns a corner, plan the corner unit before ordering the straights.

Are rectangular planters stable in wind?

Depends on the proportions. A long planter at 10 to 12 inches deep with tall planting in it presents a large sail on a narrow base and can move. The 17 to 24 inch deep models are considerably more stable. Where exposure is real, ballast the base, prefer the deeper models, and group planters so they shelter each other.

Rectangular & Trough Planters