Patent ID: 8234815

Claim:
A planter comprising: a center post having a length, a longitudinal axis and a top and which is arranged in a vertical orientation so that its longitudinal axis is oriented vertically; a series of growing compartments which are arranged in a sequential and superposed relationship along the length of and below the top of the center post, each of the growing compartments having a center opening through which the center post extends and which is tightly fitted thereabout so that the growing compartments are maintained in a centered relationship about the center post and so that the center opening of each growing compartment cooperates with the center post to prevent any lateral shifting of the compartment with respect to the center post; the growing compartments including a lowermost growing compartment and a remainder of growing compartments including an uppermost growing compartment wherein the lowermost growing compartment includes a substantially solid bottom for containing dirt or potting soil placed therein, and the remainder of the growing compartments having bottoms within which openings are defined to accommodate the passage of relatively large clumps of dirt or potting soil through the bottoms thereof so that each of the growing compartments can be filled with dirt or potting soil placed into the uppermost growing compartment; and tension members which are joined and maintained in tension between outer edges of the growing compartments and the top of the center post so that the weight of the growing compartments is suspended from the top of the center post by the tension members and so that the weight of the growing compartments is centered about the longitudinal axis of the center post.