Corten Steel, also known as CORTEN, has a long lifespan and doesn’t require painting. However, it is more expensive than mild or aluminum planters.
Steadily repeating elements establish a rhythm in landscape designs, and this design uses a row of rusty galvanized planters to do just that. Swaying ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass provides a mesmerizing backdrop.
Add a Border
Adding borders to your landscape creates clean transitions between design elements, such as walkways and planting areas. Borders also provide a frame for the entire space.
Round corten steel planters are an excellent choice to add to your flower garden because of the natural patina that develops on them over time. It contrasts beautifully with the softness of flowers like roses, tulips and orchids.
Corten can also create a fairy garden with herbs, ceramic mushrooms, beautiful rocks, and unique flowers that look like they live in their little world. It’s a great way to add a pop of color and bring whimsy to your backyard. A calming escape from the rest of your busy life.
Add a Path
Corten steel, or weathering steel, is a stunning material for any garden design. Its sleek lines and natural rust color create dramatic visual interest, complementing modern and rustic landscape designs.
This unique metal can withstand the elements better than other materials, including wood, and won’t warp or crack over time. It’s even stronger and more durable than concrete and masonry.
While building Corten raised beds may require the help of a metal fabricator, many planters come pre-fabricated and ready to be plopped in the ground. Rust is inevitable, but you can detail your landscape to avoid unwanted staining of hardscape surfaces by laying down tarps or matting and designing drainage to carry runoff away from the paving.
Add a Seating Area
Incorporate Corten planters into a seating area to create a modern design element. They look great in a uniform pattern with wood benches or alternating rows alongside a garden bed or retaining wall.
Steadily repeating elements establish a rhythm in landscape designs, creating a visual beat for the eye to follow. In this Moraga, California garden carved corten sheets into walls and dividers and flanked them by floating Ipe benches shaped like an L.
Although Corten can stain pavers and concrete, it can easily avoided by bringing the planter away from surfaces it could rust on and detailing garden drainage to carry rust runoff away from paving materials. Placing the planter on pebbles or mulch can further minimize the impact. Herb gardens are good for Corten because they have minimal maintenance needs.
Add a Water Feature
Corten steel’s oxidized color ages naturally over time, creating a protective coating that is beautiful and rustic. Some gardeners seal their planters with a polyurethane coat after the patina develops to ensure stability.
Edible gardens are growing in popularity and can be grown in Corten Steel planters. From basil for a caprese salad to cilantro for tacos, these gardens add a functional and aesthetic element to the landscape design.
Steadily repeating design elements establish rhythm in landscape designs, creating a breadcrumb trail for the eye to follow. Here, a row of trough planters accentuates the line of a tall fence and introduces color in a corner.
Add an Art Piece
Corten steel planters are a beautiful way to display plants and flowers, but they can also be sculptural art. They’re often designed with a unique asymmetrical look that adds visual interest to any landscape design.
The color palette is an essential element in creating a well-designed garden. A designer must consider line, form, and mass as the structural elements of the design, while color is used to evoke emotions and communicate meaning.
The color of rust can have a similar tone to the grasses and grapevines in your yard, making it a natural complement. It can be used in modern, rustic, minimalist, and classic landscape designs to achieve a variety of aesthetics. Rust liquid runoff may stain concrete or pavers, but it’s easy to prevent by removing it from the surface and designing drainage to carry the liquid through gravel or mulch.