We offer a range of materials and finishes for our metal planters.
 
These include stainless steel, pre-coat steel, powder-coated steel, galvanised steel, and stucco or crimpol (aluzinc). Confused?  Read on, and all will become clear…

 
Stainless steel garden planters are the top of the range: in this case, you really do get what you pay for.  Stainless steel may be more expensive than the alternatives, but is rustproof, and also extremely robust.   A wide range of decorative finishes are available, including polished and brushed.  We strongly recommend buying stainless steel garden planters if your budget permits.
 
Pre-coat steel garden planters offer a durable and scratch-resistant finish – ideal if your plant containers are in a small or busy space – and it will resist corrosion for 25 years or more.  The colour is resistant to fading, and although there is a limited range of colours and finishes currently available, a glitter finish is possible to make your garden pots truly eye-catching.
 
Choosing powder-coated steel garden planters allows you the flexibility to select from a wide range of colours for your plant containers, so that you can match them to your existing colour scheme or just bring some vibrant colour into your garden.   These metal planters are very robust and rustproof, and you can choose matt, gloss, smooth or textured finish.  The coating is much thicker than a liquid coating would be, meaning that it goes on more smoothly and evenly.  The only problem is that the colour will fade over time.
 
Galvanised steel planters are a key trend for gardens this year.  This is a really good value base material, with a lovely shiny appearance, and it can also be powder-coated.  However, if you’re going to keep your galvanised planters outside, they will be affected by the weather, and the appearance will change over time.  You can restore it with a coat of baby oil applied with a soft cloth.  You also need to be careful how you touch it, as the zinc content can be affected by certain chemicals, including some in human skin!
 
We also offer large planters finished in stucco or crimpol (aluzinc).  Here’s the technical bit: aluzinc is a metal-coated mild steel sheet produced by the galvanising process.  The metal coating is 55% aluminium, 43.4% zinc and 1.6% silicon.  Aluzinc has significant advantages over plain zinc galvanised steel, as it has a longer life: we reckon that it can have a 20 year lifespan in the right environment.  It is a good value base material, and can also be powder coated.   However, it is likely to suffer in alkaline conditions, so if your garden soil is very chalky, you might want to choose another option.
 
Our pros and cons page sets out a summary of this information for easy reference.