Versailles Planter

Possibly the most famous gardens in the world, the gardens at King Louis XIV’s Versailles palace are the birthplace of this famous rolling planter style. Reportedly created by landscape architect Andre Le Notre, the Versailles planter was originally designed to accommodate the many orange trees that were moved in and out of the orange groves on the grounds. The planter seen here differs in several ways from the classic Versailles model, but anyone who has a historical sense of gardening will recognize the archetypal form immediately.

The classic Versailles planter is constructed from oak slats and is bound together with cast iron straps. Cast iron ball or acorn finials atop the corner posts are also present on virtually every version of the planter. Most of the planters that existed (and still exist) on the Versailles grounds today are considerably larger than the one seen here, with sides as wide as 5 feet, as tall as 7 feet. These larger models typically have hinged corners so the sides can be removed easily to plant the tree or shrub, as well as to provide care and maintenance. The X-shaped infill on the design seen here is present in some of the Versailles models, but many others consist of unadorned vertical slats.

At 24 × 24", this historical planter can be home to small- to medium-sized ornamental or specimen trees. The trees can be planted directly into the planter or in containers that are set inside the planter. If you wish to move the plants to follow sunlight or for seasonal protection, install the casters as they are shown. Otherwise, the casters can be left out.

Not a gardener? Try building a slatted top for the planter to create a rolling storage bin that, conveniently, is roughly the same height as a patio table. Or even make a few to serve multiple purposes around your yard while maintaining a consistent design theme.