Three stainless steel planters with green plants against a stone wall in modern architectural setting. knox by nmn designs

Architectural planters, made to live outside.

Modern Patio Planters for Decks, Backyards & Outdoor Living

NMN Designs® patio planters are modern, architectural planters for patios, decks and backyards, in three materials made to live outside: fiberglass, 304 stainless steel and brushed aluminum. Sizes run from 9.5" pots to 38" span planters and 31" stainless steel cylinders. Fiberglass is frost-proof and UV-stable, most large fiberglass models are steel-reinforced, 304 stainless steel resists rust and pitting, and aluminum can't rust at all. Every planter is much lighter than a stone, concrete or wood planter of the same size, and each one is sold manufacturer direct.

Why Designers Choose NMN Designs Patio Planters

A patio is an outdoor room, and its planters do the work of furniture: they frame seating, soften hard edges and give a deck its structure. Clean lines and no ornament suit modern homes, in matte black, white and gray fiberglass, faux concrete, brushed stainless steel and satin silver aluminum.

Three modern large outdoor planters with tall evergreens, restaurant privacy planter, barrier. Hamilton by nmn designs

Row of Hamilton fiberglass planters for privacy / dividing patio space

Choosing a Material for Your Patio

Material	Collection and sizes	Why it works on a patio	Drainage
Fiberglass	Seeley cubes (14"–30"), Julian (30" L x 24" H), Hamilton (30" H), Aster with interior plant shelf (38" L x 29" H), Dharti (30" x 30" x 12" H), Ainslie pots (9.5"–23.5")	Lightweight to place, frost-proof and UV-stable; most large models steel-reinforced	Drainage holes with watertight plugs
Faux concrete (fiberglass)	Thomas long block (30" L x 16" W x 16" H), in white, gray or black concrete	The look of poured concrete at a fraction of the weight, with the same frost-proof fiberglass body	Drainage holes with watertight plugs
304 stainless steel	Knox cylinders (12", 18", 24" and 31" XL)	Heavy-duty 18-gauge 18/8 steel resists rust and pitting, in brushed steel or white	Watertight, no drainage holes; can be drilled
Brushed aluminum	Madeira cubes (16" and 20"), long block (30" L x 12" W x 12" H), troughs and railing planters (30"–36" long), barrier planter (37" L x 30" H)	Rust-proof, with a satin silver finish and the look of architectural steel without the weight	Troughs drain; cubes and long blocks have solid bottoms and can be drilled

Stainless Steel Patio Planters: The Knox Collection

Knox planters are 304 (18/8) stainless steel with 18-gauge walls, seamless and finished top and bottom.

Watertight: no drainage holes, so they're ideal under a covered patio, pergola or overhang, with no water stains below. They can be drilled for open-air planting.
Sized for trees: the 24" Knox and the 31" Knox XL each hold a small tree.
Optional wheeled plate: available for the 18" and 24", so a planted Knox rolls into the sun, out of the wind or under cover for winter.

See the full Knox stainless steel collection.

Brushed Aluminum Patio Planters: The Madeira Collection

Madeira planters are rust-proof brushed aluminum with a satin silver finish, seamless and finished top and bottom.

Drainage by style: troughs and railing planters drain. Cubes and long blocks have solid bottoms that can be drilled.
Rails and dining areas: railing planters hang on a deck rail with the included hooks, and the barrier planter on an iron stand (37" long, 30" tall) is a restaurant favorite for edging outdoor dining.

See the full Madeira aluminum collection.

Planters Without Drainage: Made for Covered Patios

Under overhangs and covered patios: no runoff and no mess under the planter.
Easy seasonal swaps: set flowers inside in their nursery pots on a layer of gravel, then lift them out and swap in fresh color each season.
In open spots with heavy rain: drill holes in the base so water can't pool or freeze.
Indoor-only models: hardwood-base versions are for indoors; choose the floor or iron stand versions for the patio.

Patio Design Solutions: Large and Tall Patio Planters at Work

Plan the patio by the job each planter does. On decks, lightweight fiberglass and aluminum keep the load down, and Madeira railing planters add greenery without using floor space.

Solution	Planters	Plants
Borders and edges	Long rectangles and troughs: Julian, Winona, Thomas faux concrete, Madeira troughs	Boxwood, lavender, ornamental grasses or trailing flowers along a patio edge or steps
Privacy	Tall patio planters: Hamilton (30" H), Aster (29" H, with an interior shelf 9" below the rim for dropping in nursery pots), Madeira barrier on its stand	Tall ornamental grasses, clumping bamboo or columnar evergreens that grow up, not out
Living hedge	A row of matching cubes: Seeley 24" or 30"	Boxwood, arborvitae, holly or yew, clipped to one height for an evergreen wall
Corners	Large patio planters: Seeley cubes (20", 24" or 30"), Madeira aluminum cubes (16" or 20"), Knox 24" or 31" XL	A small tree, such as a Japanese maple, olive or dwarf spruce, in the 24"–31" sizes; a clipped shrub or ornamental grass in the 16"–20" cubes; trailing greenery at the base
The trio	Three patio planter pots in staggered sizes and one color: Ainslie, Knox 12"/18"/24" or Seeley	Three different plants: a tall grass in the largest, a mounding plant in the middle, a trailing plant in the smallest