Renewable in ground planting apparatus and methods of making and using same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is a primary objective of our present invention to provide an apparatus which facilitates the creation of in-ground plantings of living flowers, flora and plant life while at the same time simplifying the tasks of installation and maintenance.
In general this is achieved by providing a relatively deep receptacle body of rigid non-corrosive material which can be installed in the ground with a broad peripheral flange at ground level and one or more cavities formed within the flange and extending into the earth to a depth of about five inches or more.
Our objective is further achieved by providing a plurality of insert bodies having top peripheral flanges and which are shaped and dimensioned to fit into the cavities with the peripheral flanges thereof partially overlaying the peripheral flange of the receptacle body.
In accordance with our invention these inserts are charged with soil and plantings such that may be simply installed in the receptacle cavities and renewed or replaced from time to time with additional pre-charged inserts on a periodic or seasonal basis.
In accordance with our invention the receptacle body and inserts are provided with one or more features which especially adapt them to their intended use.
First, the receptacle body, when it is formed with two or more insert-receiving cavities, is rigidified so as to be tolerant of rough treatment and the loading which may be caused by being overrun with the wheels of lawn maintenance equipment.
In general this is achieved by a tying together the adjacent sidewalls of the multiple cavities in one of various ways.
In the most specific form hereinafter defined the tying of adjacent cavity sidewalls is achieved in a thermoforming operation by locally fusing sidewall areas to one another when the plastic material from which the receptacle bodies are formed are hot and semi-fluid in nature.
The elements of the apparatus can, however, be injection molded in which case alternative methods of sidewall joining can be employed