This pot planter looked just as good as it does in the pictures! It is definitely heavy duty and has a substantial weight, and feels like it will absolutely be able to stay outside year round and withstand the New England elements. I put a young rose of sharon in this pot planter and could see while filling it with soil that my plant will have plenty of room to grow. I plan to buy another one once I have more of my garden established. The slate grayish color is beautiful and understated. The only drawback that I found to be a bit of a nuisance was that when I received the planter while unboxing it the instructions say you need to wash it before use- WHY on earth do I need to wash an outdoor planter pot?!