Five Strong, Stylish, and HEAVY Orangery Boxes

A clear definition of terms seems the proper way to begin this particular piece. Only with this  essential knowledge, will the words that follow will surely have the intended meaning. 

So...What is an orangery box? Is it a box filled with oranges? An orange-colored box? A cryptic, well-guarded phrase, the meaning of which is known by a select few in the citrus industry?

None of the above. 

But, to arrive at the correct definition of an orangery box, let us first define an orangery ; 

It’s a place with a very carefully controlled climate, suitable for growing citrus trees year round - even in famously cold regions, like Northern Europe.

Similar to a greenhouse in many ways, an orangery is usually much larger, and the roof of an orangery is often only partially glazed. The temperature inside an orangery is also far more carefully maintained  than the average greenhouse ; heated as needed in cold months and cooled in hot months, to ensure that the citrus trees inside thrive inside, year round. 

 

From the 17th-19th centuries, orangeries were a sign of wealth and prestige, and to remove any doubt as to their owners’ wealth and prestige, orangeries were famous for their ornate and grandiose architectural style. They often included decorative wrought ironwork, magnificent stone and masonry facades, grottoes inside, and other areas for entertaining. Modern day orangeries are frequently designed in this same, ornate architectural style.

Now, you’ve probably already connected the dots and correctly surmised that orangery boxes are planters large enough to hold the citrus trees inside an orangery. 

Well done.

And, not surprisingly, these large, hardworking planter boxes have to be strong. Very, very strong, indeed. Robust and rugged enough to hold one cubic yard or more of frequently-watered soil, along with the citrus tree itself. On orangery box and its contents combined could very easily exceed 2000 pounds in total weight.

 

On top of this, the design of some orangery box planters demanded that they be sturdy enough to be moved  - outside during the warmer months, and back inside the orangery during winter.

And yet, we’ve only just begun. Strength is just one requirement of an orangery box design - and, some might even say it’s not even the most important one.

Think about it. Would a simple, plain-looking wooden planter box - however strong and sturdy it happened to be - suffice in such a large, elegantly-styled structure as an orangery? 

No way. 

It would surely stand out like a single-wide mobile home in Beverly Hills - badly diminishing the orangery owner’s prestige. Chancing upon a humdrum orangery box in a finely-styled orangery? That would be something like finding a cigarette butt in your bowl of crab bisque. 

No, thank you!!

Here, style is every bit as important as function. Perhaps even more. So orangery boxes frequently included intricate wood joinery, steel bands fitted around the exterior, decorative wood finials, and other aesthetically impressive features. Orangery boxes are also often lined with galvanized steel sheets to extend the lifespan of these stylish investments.  

 

So when we were asked to build five orangery boxes to be planted with decorative trees in a customer’s landscape, we paused, and thought, “Well...it is a really cool design. And the design does call for red cedar.” Further pondering our ability to deliver such a stylish product, we glanced down at our overalls and back to the sketch. Then, we stood up a little straighter, and proclaimed, “Yes! We can pause from our daily diet of red cedar garden beds, chicken coops, and cedar-framed greenhouses, and have just the tiniest taste of caviar. Yes! We’ll trade in our steel-toed boots for soft, supple, Italian leather loafers. We’ll set the overalls aside  - just for a little while -  and don tweed blazers and gleaming cuff links. Yes! We DO have what it takes to deliver both the strength AND style that’s demanded here.”

And so it was, that we set about building the orangery box frames with red cedar ; our first choice lumber for outdoor projects like this because of its well-deserved reputation for durability. This orangery box design featured cedar boards installed vertically on the frame, then wrapped with 1/8”-thick steel bands, secured with 1/2”-diameter galvanized carriage bolts. We lined all five orangery boxes with galvanized steel sheets, sealing the seams and any screws heads with premium-grade exterior silicone.

Now, because these particular orangery boxes were designed to grow only ornamental trees and annuals - not citrus or other edible varieties - we applied Woodlife CreoCoat to the inside and underside of each cedar planter. This powerful wood preservative is designed for untreated wood that’s used in below-ground applications like fence posts, mailbox posts, etc. It helps prevent rot and damage from termites and other wood boring insects, and this step -  combined with the sheet metal linings - will extend the life span of these five orangery boxes indefinitely. 

 

With the galvanized sheet metal linings and steel bands secured, and decorative finials in place, we next applied three coats of the requested exterior stain color, and scheduled the delivery date ;  just in time for a large holiday gathering at the family’s Myers Park home.

Now, we were certain that the five cedar planters were super strong. Uber strong. Beyond hardy and rugged. And VERY, very heavy ( trust us on this ).

But were they stylish enough??

We’d like to think so.

And with beaming smiles, and effusive thanks, it would seem that the new orangery box owners heartily agreed with us.