I did not like this barrel at first.  The color looked off, and looked very fake.  Didn't look like a terra cotta pot at all.  You can also see seems where the plastic was molded together.  However, after setting it up and planting plants on top, the look of the barrel has grown on me and doesn't look as fake now.  We had 45 min of heavy rain fall and the barrel filled up to capacity.  Bottom line: It works!