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   We have been building hardscapes and custom planters almost as long as New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contracting has been a Manhattan, NY landscape company. At first we built planters the same way everyone else did. (Well, many garden designers in Manhattan dont actually "build" anything haha) but seriously.  
This Custom planter website related products page has been around only for a short time so please excuse our appearance. Basically, we wish to show you, the garden designer, landscape architect or property owner that NY Plantings is a resource for ordering and having custom built planters delivered within a timely manner by an established company that genuinely has a better built product. If this is what you need to know then contact us by phone text or email and your planter order will be an enjoyable experience.  Read more (link coming soon!)  
 We have gone well beyond what our competitors offer by investing in a dedicated, high tech woodworking shop specifically for planter box production while continuously improving our already superior designs to create the strongest, best made planters available anywhere.   

        
 New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Construction NYC began building custom planters as part of our very first project for a Manhattan Penthouse roof garden design and installation, then soon after a high end builder and landscape architect contracted NY Plantings Landscape Contractors to renovate a townhouse rear yard landscape with yet another large custom built IPE planter box running the length of the rear yard.
 
     Several years later it is established that New York Plantings is the "go to" company to build and deliver custom made planters in the NYC metro areas. 
       The demand for custom built planters is partly fueled by our own rooftop, terrace garden designs and townhouse or brownstone landscaping renovations. We are our own best customer! 
   Finding a high quality planter built by a master gardener and master craftsman with a strong technical and mechanical background isn't easy.


Carpenter built planters?
The typical carpenter may have installed hundreds of kitchen cabinets however knows nothing about what it takes for a planter to survive a rooftop garden planter's task of supporting the trees, shrubs and flowers on terraces, decks, penthouse landscapes and other planter box applications. Continuous temperature cycling over decades of harsh New York winters on a rooftop garden or city sidewalk. Support for plantings is another job that a planter is tasked with: in order to maintain proper drainage and prevent the wood from becoming waterlogged (eventually freezing, splitting and separating from the force of the freeze in winter) then plants are heaved from the pot or planter when soil freezes (this is called "frost heaving", a common condition well known to old school gardeners and homeowners who practice the art. 
 We build planters in IPE wood, pressure treated planters, cedar planters, mahogany planter boxes, any type of  custom built wooden planters or in standard sizes such as cube shaped planter boxes for trees, corner wedge planters, built in terrace garden planter boxes or rectangular planters.
  
Gardener-built planters?
The typical gardener may be a eager "handy man" however lacks the decades of experience earned as an outdoor carpenter and hardscape tradesman, without the proper tools and materials knowledge to know where that extra strength and attention is required to build a high quality durable heavy duty custom planter box. 
  We have come across several planters tacked together by NYC carpenters and gardeners alike and have found that nearly all have failed in some way only a few short seasons after their expensive completion. Decades of experience in replacing failed planter boxes has given NY Plantings the formula to build bulletproof planters that can withstand the constant containment of moist acid soil, insects, heat, cold, pressure from freezing and destructive root growth.
 
   
    Seeing how hundreds of rooftop and sidewalk planters fail and where the typical NYC carpenter or gardener's skills fall short and addressing the common issues normally faced in planter durability has given New York Plantings' custom made planters the ability to last for decades and the ability to support planting such as large trees, shrubs and flowers for a lifetime without rotting or falling apart.

   The use almost exclusively of IPE Brazilian hardwood in our planter boxes ensures success in designing a custom built planter to last a lifetime. 

    Stainless steel fasteners: no shortcuts with old school nails, NEVER use a "nailgun or bradgun" when building anything for outdoor use, especially custom built planter boxes.

 Streetscapes planter boxes, restaurant entry planters, café planter boxes: deserve a heavy, super strong sidewalk planter, reinforced to ward off sniffing urinating pooches, businessmen tying a shoe or some drunken teens trying to move or pull the planter apart. Cafe's need planters that will separate the crowded sidewalk from patrons while supporting shrubs or flowers and plantings with café planters that can handle being moved about and still look great several years later.

 We plant the flowers too! NY Plantings can build beautiful custom planters for your NYC restaurant of café that look great and function to separate your patrons from sidewalk crowds.  


     We can build rectangular planter boxes, square planters, cube style planters that are also offered in a tall planter for high style. We have several photos of planters and planter boxes available and also provide renderings of rooftop garden layouts or terrace gardens, townhouse rear yard landscape designs to show how the planters will look built specifically for your outdoor space. 

Would you like to work directly with and buy planters from a trusted, experienced builder of custom made IPE planters (Planter boxes are available in other types of wood and materials as well) that uses only the finest materials and provides the strongest, longest lasting planters in the NYC Metro areas?  Sure, your contractor may have built a few decks or nice kitchens, but do they know what it takes to make something last outdoors, in temperatures that range from below 0 degrees to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in contact with degrading moisture, hundreds of lbs of pressure from heavy, freezing soil and water that could crack cast iron. No wonder that pretty little staple and nail gun tacked plywood planter your carpenter made for you just a few years ago is failing. First to go are those picture frame miters along the top edge, then you can see the skimpy wire brads used to tack your planter together.
 
Finally! A NY landscape designer, builder of hardscapes focused on supplying custom designed wooden planters. Be aware that this business concept of providing our urban landscape and rooftop garden clients and is already "imitated" but as with our garden abilities is unmatched.
 The difference lies in the people. Our carpenters are the kind of guys who even have a woodshop at home then continue practice their art even on days off....because when you love your trade...it isn't "work" at all!
 in strength,  in NYC for decades and who knows the demanding environment of the New York City planter. From sidewalk planters to  restaurant or hotel entry way planters, looking up to the Brooklyn terrace gardens or Manhattan's penthouse roof garden planters you can bet that we can handle all of your custom built planter box requirements. 
   New York Plantings has a dedicated wood working shop and employs master carpenters who take pride in the planters we build. (coming soon: send us an email or click here to see how we build heavy duty custom planters that are going to last.)   
   We have invested our time and labor into building a dedicated, high tech wood machine shop (basically expensive toys for us) that enable NY Plantings to supply large IPE planter boxes or produce special size or custom shape planters in any type of material. Carpenters and woodworkers who love their trade. Developed through constant rethinking and improvement by a Master NYC Gardener, mechanical design enthusiast and fellow property owner. You will not find better planters. 
Improving upon the way custom built planters are made.
By taking a look at how our NY landscape client's planter boxes failed and the main reasons why many wood planters begin to fail we then took the time to strengthen our planters at key points. Even the 1.25" (2" thick special order) bottoms of our planters are made from extra thick solid wood that has been soaked in a hot preservative solution then pressure treated so that the oils and preservatives will be absorbed by the wood.   
 
 With pre made sizes or store bought planters a garden designer must compromise obvious factors in trying to fit a planter not designed for that particular space. In some cases such as terrace gardens or roof gardens, townhouse rear yard landscapes or sidewalk planters you may opt for a built in style planter or modular planter that fits tightly together and compliments your outdoor space. This helps to maintain a cleaner, neater outdoor space and more importantly, allowing your garden trees and shrubs larger planters with much more soil volume.
    From a garden design standpoint, built in planters or modular planters can offer the landscape designer ways to create garden design continuity. Store bought planters may never quite fit the space, and also difficult to clean in between and behind. A good garden designer will utilize custom built planters to not only create a seamless garden but also add plantings (thus greenery, color and interest) that is low maintenance and will endure the harsh environment of the terrace or rooftop garden and even gardening in planters in general.  

With NY Plantings talented and experienced landscape creation team you will have custom built planters with less or even no unsightly gaps between the planter boxes. This is mainly for aesthetics and a custom fit to your space however by eliminating gaps a neater, cleaner garden is maintained with no crevices for leaves, soil or insects to hide.
(How planter design can give you a better garden and healthier trees, shrubs and flowers) Built in planters afford the most soil volume which in turn creates more space for roots to grow and establish...allowing a more stable and accommodating that more closely resembles the natural growing environment.  
   One way to address this is a design one of our men, Will Stanley came up with:
Custom planters can even be made to fit snugly together with a fingerjoint design invented by Master Craftsman Will Stanley with some help of NY Plantings' Todd Nappi.
   Please have a look at this great custom modular planter design idea: "The Finger joint planter box"

    The Challenge: How to make a "built in planter" but still have the convenience and quality control afforded by working in the wood shop. Our fingerjoint planters are custom made planters with a seamless look. Eliminating that vertical gap that is inevitable unless the planters are either built in place or a seamless fascia is attached on the site of your terrace garden or rooftop.  We have a few other options as well but will keep these great custom planter design ideas for your hardscape project so that you may enjoy a unique, functional design for your penthouse terrace garden, townhouse landscape or anywhere planters are required.
   New York Plantings Hardscape Installers will deliver and install this type of planter which is suittable for trees, large shrubs, privacy hedges and screening or any type of garden design and planting. See how this planter fits the space beautifully and looks great. This style can be adapted to many shapes and uses.
  This planter in the photo below is:
*Constructed from lightweight but heavy duty cedar plank, painted with solid wood stain inside and outside the planter.
*All our planters are fastened with heavy duty screws, NO cheap shortcuts such as brad or nailguns!
*Thick wood planks that are about 300% thicker than store bought NYC planters from NYC nurseries or garden supply. 100% tight "pocket hole joinery" made to last decades in outdoor use.  

  
     
 

  
  We specialize in wood planters. There is NO better material than wood to build planters from. Plants, shrubs and trees are proven to thrive and most healthy when properly planted in solid thick wooden planters.  

  Built in planters:
 
     
 
  Built in planters for terrace garden planter boxes, rooftop garden planters and townhouse rear yards, patios and courtyards are perfect way to provide the best garden like feel for a small but wonderful NYC outdoor space. Contact NY Plantings for their trademark garden design and planter installations. Only one company in NY builds the high quality custom made built in IPE planters that on a continual basis. Landscape Architects and other garden companies even call upon New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Construction company NYC to install planters, hardscapes, decks and custom built fences. Several custom built in planter designs available.         
  New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contracting can do more than build custom made planters. We can help you deside the size of your custom made planters, the shape of your custom planter boxes and the landscape plan or layout with a complete garden or landscape design plan for rooftop gardens, townhouse landscape design ideas and traditional suburban landscape designing. Architectural quality renderings or simple top down sketches. Master garden knowledge with "hands on" hardcore garden practice that is typically unmatched even by the NYC landscape architects of note. NY Plantings does offer services to the trade and builds custom planters, fences and decks, pergolas and other hardscape for landscape or garden designers, landscape architects and builders. New York Plantings can build planters in their large, well equipped workshop or on site for built in installations of planters such as for terrace garden planter boxes, penthouse gardens where carry through of large planters or built in planters built off site are not practical. sometimes it I too difficult to carry a large planter box to a Manhattan rooftop garden installation so we will pre fabricate the planter box and then assemble the custom made planter on the rooftop garden or terrace.     
        
     
            
 **IPE is a Brazilian hardwood that has several desirable features for outdoor construction such as custom planters, decks, custom built fences and other hardscapes. We do offer custom made planters in many different materials to meet garden design and pricing requirements. We build planters from mahogany, pine planters, pressure treated wood planter boxes, cedar planters and even marine plywood planters for low cost temporary rooftop gardens and urban gardens raised planters for raised gardens, greenroof planters and living walls.

We have invested in the tools and equipment and learned how to use our shop efficiently to produce both large and small quantities of planters. Custom planters Carpentry at it's best!