About Chicago Urn
1230 high on a 660 base — that ratio is the whole decision. A vessel this tall and this narrow reads as height in a garden courtyard, under a covered veranda, or in a reception space with the ceiling to carry it, which a wider, squatter container cannot do. In solid concrete or cast stone, the same size becomes a lift you plan around and a position you commit to permanently.
Marine-grade fibreglass composite is what makes it movable. It takes sun and rain outdoors without deteriorating, and stays light enough to transport, place and shift again if the planting changes. The weather-resistant two-pack finish is sprayed in the workshop, with custom colour options available — useful when the urn has to agree with an existing render colour or a tiled foyer floor rather than simply be near it.
Colour matching goes better with something in hand, so bring a render or tile sample to the Malaga showroom, or contact us about a product or project and we will work through the options with you. Other shapes in the same material sit in the Urns collection.
Which plants suit a vessel this tall and narrow?
Two directions work. Let something spill over the rim and break the line — Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, English ivy or trailing asparagus fern all do it well. Or carry the height further with a formal topiary sphere, an upright dracaena or a sculptural palm. What tends to disappoint is a low, bushy filler, which leaves the urn doing all the work on its own.
Setting it up outdoors — what does the drainage need?
Start by checking the base opening is completely clear. Lay a square of synthetic flyscreen mesh over the aperture so mix cannot wash through, add a 10 cm layer of coarse blue metal aggregate to let water move away freely, then backfill with a quality container potting mix chosen for the plant going in.
Will it stay put on an open terrace?
Ballast it low. At 1230 high, 20 kg to 30 kg of blue metal aggregate or washed river stones in the bottom third drops the centre of gravity far enough to hold the urn steady through the gusts that come across an exposed terrace. Put the weight in before the mix, not after.
Can it go on timber or carpet indoors?
Yes, provided nothing drains onto the floor. Leave the plant in its nursery pot and sit an impermeable saucer inside the neck or the base of the urn to catch run-off. That keeps water off timber, tile and carpet in a residential foyer or a commercial reception area, and makes swapping the plant out a two-minute job.
What keeps the sprayed colour looking right?
The surface is a sprayed two-pack coating, so treat it closer to vehicle paintwork than to masonry. Warm water, a mild neutral soap and a soft cloth lift dust and sprinkler splash; follow with a dry cloth so hard-water spotting does not set into the gloss. Keep scouring pads, bleach and solvent-based strippers away from it entirely — they dull the coating and can lift the colour.
