Victory Vegetable Planters from APOC

By: Janet Kious, A Piece of Cleveland

A Piece of Cleveland (APOC) rescues and “upcycles” good wood. We save wood from the landfill by deconstructing old homes, and we repurpose the lumber into great products. The housing stock of Cleveland represents to us an old growth forest that has already been cut down and is ready for rebirth. Because we know where the wood came from, our carefully researched Re Birth Certificates share the rich history of places and people who lived in the buidlings. APOC is a think tank of design and fabrication, a collection of passionate craftsmen and a fellowship of people aimed at creatively reusing building materials.
While most of our products have been designed for interior spaces, APOC has moved outdoors with a patio collection for the summer of ‘09. We are seeding our vegetables indoors and preparing to grow our own food this year. Unfortunately, the rabbits, squirrels, mice and deer all enjoy the fruits of our labor before harvest. This year will be different. The APOC Victory Vegetable Planter will help us avoid these problems.

A Piece of Cleveland makes outdoor furniture, large planters and many other items from reclaimed wood from buildings and homes that are deconstructed.

Using an APOC Planter, grow your own vegetables even if you live in an apartment or condo; are wheelchair bound or have difficulty kneeling to weed. With ideal soil and enough sun, you will enjoy fresh vegetables at a low cost. Invest in an APOC Planter to eat well (and economically) year after year. The planters are rectangular structures made from reclaimed wood. Each planter measures 5’x 2’ or 3’x 2’ and can be used to grow vegetables, herbs or flowers. These are no ordinary planters but gardens that can supply most of your vegetables for the season. The height of each planter can be customized to accommodate any space or need. They are rabbit proof and can be made deer proof with the addition of a simple deer fence attached to upright poles. Wheels can be attached to the legs so the planter can be moved around with ease to provide the plants with the best sunny spot in the garden at any time of day.

The bottom of the plant box is a wire mesh to allow for drainage and the depth of 12 inches makes it ideal for vegetables like beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, collards, eggplants, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, radishes, spinach, dwarf tomatoes, strawberries, Swiss chard, turnips and herbs. A shelf can be added to hold worm bins or garden tools. An aluminum liner prevents the inside wood from rotting over time. Imagine having a vegetable and herb garden at your kitchen door where you can harvest and eat fresh vegetables as well as give left over scraps to the worms, who in turn provide castings for your planter. Even apartment dwellers can have fresh vegetables from a planter on their deck.

Please contact APOC for the pricing details of our various Victory Vegetable Garden Planters, and our other patio furniture. Purchasers can choose a rustic rough look or a planed down smooth look for their planter. APOC makes every attempt to use American-made and preferably Cleveland-made products to support local merchants and workers.

Look for the Victory Vegetable Planter and other great items at Earthfest 2009, at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Sunday April 19. Visit the APOC booth to learn more about our company, see some of our products and get a free treat.

For more information or to order A Piece Of Cleveland for your patio, home or office call APOC at 216-361-9930 or visit www.apieceofcleveland.com.