Hi Neil,Why don't you make your own, you are so good with wood working, you could make some beauties I am sure, then, there is hypertufa ( speeled right ? )I have made a few and they can be very much fun.
cAROL

Okee, looking :)

Thanks Carol!

aHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,
" Spelled", now that is funny.
cAROL

Just noticed it too! :D

Smart Pots inside a frame (that could be built of wood, stone, brick, etc?)

Karen

Sometimes the dollar store has large plastic planters for about $10-$12 each. They aren't decorative but could go inside a wooden frame that's more eye-appealing. Maybe you could check Freecycle for used ones that would serve the same purpose.

Thanks for the ideas! :)

Some of the big box stores have 5 gallon plastic buckets for very little money. K-mart had buckets in their garden center, I'm not sure of gallon size but they were big. They were covered with the K-mart logo, but perhaps you could wrap them in a bamboo mat or moss or shomething to cover up the sides. They were also just under $4 each.

I have some planters I got at goodwill.

I use watering cans, old tea pots and old coffee cans also. I like the old non-planters they look neat :)

Also, my good will sometimes has flower pots...

Making them is a good idea. Might be cheaper.

Neil, someone here posted a very nice picture of planters her hubby had made, I forget who it was, or I would give you the link,maybe some else remembers, any way, they were very pretty, she had petunias groing in the, but you could plant your vines,you do such beautiful wood working, You should just make your own, line them with something, or,like it has been suggested,,put a cheap pot inside it.
What ever you do, I know it will look great, you just have a gift for making beauty.
cAROL

I think Carol might be talking about my planter boxes. DH made them from cedar fence boards which we sealed then lined with heavy plastic. If you zoom in on the 1st photo you can see a closeup. Anyway we didn't have a pattern, just my husband's imagination plus my size specifications when building these.

He also made a smaller square one for my mother-in-law. A large plastic pot fits inside it nicely

~StLGirl

Here is a link that might be useful: Backyard 2010

Yep, yours is the one I remembered, realy pretty,your picture also inspired me to try my hand at petunias this year, I ordered 6 different kinds,buy, they are pricy, I hope I can figure out how to collect their seed.Any way, tell your hubby, he did a nice job.
Sooo, whatya think Neil? Doable?
cAROL

That's what I had in mind, only sitting a Smart Pot in each. If you're intending to grow huge vines in these, you're going to need a pretty big pot I imagine, not a cheap little plastic bucket. Smart pots are pretty cheap, relatively speaking, and come in sizes up to HUGE.

I've never tried them, but some people swear by them.

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Smart Pots

That picture reminds me of the planter project I started two years ago. The internal structure is complete. However, I wasn't able to continue it. I'm using it right now as a table. :) hehehe.

Those planters are the exact planters I wanted to build.

I'm going to visit good will later. I went to a dollar store today but they didn't have any.

By the way, thanks for sharing all your ideas!!! I really appreciate it! :)

I've found wooden boxes at garage sales and the like pretty cheap. I have a few small toy boxes I've used for several years. I just took the lids off and lined the inside with some landscape fabric and they work out quite well.
Wooden boxes would be pretty easy to make too I would think, especially if you are handy with wood working.

Would you like a stone look planter. I do not have a good pic but I made these with styrofoam coolers from the dollar store a couple tubes of outdoor caulking and gravel.

You butter one side with caulking roll it on the gravel do the other side. Don't forget to spread some caulking and gravel around the top and down 1" inside so you can no longer see the styrofoam.

{{gwi:369765}}

In a pinch you could buy some giant party/beverage tubs, those are what you put the ice and beverages in when you have a party on your patio. BJs sells a duet for about ten bucks, maybe it was twelve--I can't remember this year. I have no doubt you could find them in many stores. They usually hold about 19 or 20 gallons, come in not-too-ugly colors, and have handles. With a hot knife you could add some drainage to the base and a very large container for not too much money.

Marquest - Great idea. Thank you

Your welcome. A lot of people asked me where I brought them. LOL When I tell them what they are they do not believe me.

I made two to sit at the entrance of the garden at my old house to look like stone pillars. I put the top on and cut a hole in the side and sat them straight up so they were tall.