Round is not one shape. The twenty-one models here behave differently enough that the form matters more than the diameter, because a bowl and a bullet of the same width across the rim hold entirely different plantings.
The one number people get wrong
A round opening is measured at the rim. On a tapered form — Saigon, Brannan, Valencia, Lisbon, Tegel — the planter narrows below that. A root ball that clears the rim still has to sit in a smaller space underneath, which is the most common sizing mistake with round planters.
On a straight-sided cylinder — Corry, Rio Grande — the rim figure holds most of the way down. On a jar or fishbowl form — Barà, Shanghai — the planter is widest in the middle and curves back in, so the opening is narrower than the body. Every interior figure is published per size on the specifications page.
The five round planter families
Bowls — Short Hayden, Casablanca, Alzira, Wannsee. Wide and low, for seasonal planting and open sightlines. See bowl planters.
Cylinders — Corry, Rio Grande. Straight sides, maximum interior for the diameter, and the most predictable to plant.
Tapered rounds — Saigon, Brannan, Valencia, Lisbon, Tegel, Alicante, San Jose. The classic flowerpot line. Lighter to look at, less interior at the base.
Tall and sculptural — Saint Tropez to 60 inches, Barà Jar, Spiral, Globe. These are objects first and containers second, which is a compliment and a warning: check the opening before you commit to a planting.
Fluted and textured — Alicante, San Jose, Santa Barbara. Surface detail that gives a plain planting something to sit against.
What round costs you
Less interior per square foot of floor. A circle inside a square footprint wastes the corners. If usable soil per unit of floor is the priority, a square planter gives you more.
It does not sit flush to a wall. There is always a gap behind a round planter. Against a wall or in a corner that gap is dead space, which is exactly the problem corner planters were made for.
A tall round on a small base needs thinking about. Saint Tropez at 60 inches has a footprint far smaller than its height. Keep the weight low in the base and be careful with exposed positions.
Weight, drainage and finish
Empty weights run from 5.7 lb to 73.9 lb across the twenty-one, so almost everything here can be positioned by hand before filling. Round planters are not drilled unless you ask; Jay Scotts add drainage free of charge at order time and a drilled planter is final sale. See the drainage guide.
All twenty-one are finished to order in any of the 20 standard colors or a custom match. A curved surface is more forgiving of a gloss than a flat one, which is why the metallics and glosses tend to read best on round forms.
