Most of our planters are made from glass re-inforced concrete (GRC or GFRC). As it is a relatively established process, we use a time proven 30-year-old recipe for our GRC using a multi-skin approach that includes an outer face coat containing local aggregates and sands sourced from across South Africa, oxides and cement and a strengthening plasticiser, carefully mixed and then laid up and finished by hand.
Beneath the beautiful exterior layer we pack an extremely strong, thicker back coat made with the same ingredients but with added alkaline glass fibres. The recipe makes the material up to 20 times stronger than regular concrete, which in conjunction with our liner system allows us to make our large planters with a relatively thin wall thickness. This makes then exceptionally strong and at the same time relatively light weight.
Once demoulded, they require delicate finishing skills to bring out the natural imperfections and detailing in the stone, bringing out a natural looking and long-lasting finish to our beautiful in-house developed earthy colours.
Finally they are sealed with an industrial strength sealer protecting them from UV and making them very easy to maintain and clean for years.
Our wooden planters and components are made from Iroko (African teak). We source Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified hard timber harvested from sustainable forests in Africa. The dense, hard-wearing wood is high in natural resins and oils. Iroko, is an African hardwood which is very durable and resistant to rot and insect attacks. It has been used for boat making for centuries.
In addition, all planters are transported in 50% recycled and fully recyclable high strength corrugated boxes, and all the liners are made of super durable, recyclable polyethene. Our natural materials do not emit harmful VOC’s. We are committed to continuously evaluating more sustainable practices and further embracing them as we grow.
