Half Barrel Wooden Planter

The Half Barrel is what the name says: a wide, shallow round planter in natural acacia timber, staved and banded like a barrel cut down through the middle. It comes in two sizes, 370mm and 550mm across, both broader than they are deep. Timber is the reason to choose it, because it ages and softens the way a moulded pot never does.

Why you'll love it

• Solid acacia, left natural. Unpainted and unstained, so the grain and the barrel staves do the decorating rather than a printed finish.
• The right shape for edibles. Wide and shallow suits herbs, vegetables and flowering annuals, which spread their roots sideways rather than driving down.
• Drainage already sorted. Holes are drilled in the base, so it can be planted directly without lining it or drilling it yourself.
• It does more than plant. The same barrel works as a storage tub, a gift hamper or a drinks cooler, then goes back to being a planter.

Sizes and what fits in them

Both sizes give generous width for the depth, which is the point of a barrel.

• 370mm. 37cm across and 26cm deep, holding roughly 18 to 22 litres of mix. A herb barrel by the back door, or one full flowering display.
• 550mm. 55cm across and 38cm deep, holding roughly 45 to 55 litres. Deep enough for mixed planting, or a single crop of vegetables.

Material, weathering and drainage

Material. Acacia timber in a natural finish. Ceramic and plastic hold their surface indefinitely; timber does not, and that is the honest trade off for the warmth it brings.

Outdoors. Left outside it weathers naturally over time. Sealing the timber before you plant extends how long it lasts, and keeping the base off constantly wet soil helps more than any coating.

Drainage. Drainage holes are included and no saucer is supplied, which is just as well: a timber planter standing in a saucer of water is on borrowed time. Indoors, use a liner and water carefully, or sit a nursery pot inside and lift it out to water at the sink.

What to expect when it arrives

The planter arrives empty and boxed, with no plant, mix or saucer included. Acacia is a natural material, so colour and grain vary between pieces and two 550mm barrels standing side by side will not match exactly. Planters are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95.

Related pots and planting

• Herbs and edible plants for a barrel
• Potting mix and fertiliser to fill it
• Growing vegetables in containers
• See the full pot and planter range