With container gardening becoming more and more commonplace for folks growing vegetables, I thought I would tell you about a new line of award-winning containers that you might consider for the upcoming gardening season. The new collection of planters called the Crescent Too Circular Positive Planter Collection from Crescent Garden is the winner of a National Garden Bureau’s (NGB) Green Thumb Award in the Garden Product category. In fact, it won two Green Thumb awards—one as a “Professional’s Choice” and one for the “People’s Choice.” I guess that makes the Circular Positive Planters a recommended product by and for everyone!

But first, what are these Green Thumb awards? Well, they recognize new plant varieties and gardening products that, according the NGB, “meet rigorous criteria including uniqueness, innovation, problem-solving and overall appeal to gardeners.” By winning both the Professional’s Choice and People’s Choice, the Crescent Too Circular Positive Planter Collection shows that is a product that suits the needs of professionals in their work as designers, while also being an attractive planter option for the DIY home gardener.

What Makes the Circular Positive Planters Unique

According to the Green Thumb Awards committee, these planters are revolutionary in that they are made from something called UBQ. This a plastic substitute made from organic and unrecyclable waste that is upcycled and reconstructed into a new bio-based thermoplastic. This diverts carbon and methane emissions to be climate-positive and is actually a step beyond ordinary recycled or carbon-neutral materials.

The UBQ material is combined with other recyclable materials to produce planters that are 100% recyclable, making the Circular Positive Planter “circular,” meaning it can be continually made into something else, round and round in the production system.

The “Crescent Too”?

Crescent Gardens has put the UBQ material into their line of “Crescent Too” planters. These are Crescent’s TruDrop Flex self-watering planter inserts, which as the name implies can be dropped into an existing planter. The concept is simple: Plant up the planter insert and drop it into the larger planter. This helps with several things: it reduces the amount of soil you use (you don’t have to put soil in the entire planter); the insert/planter setup acts as a self-watering system that helps conserve water; and it makes refreshing your plant combos very much easier.

These TruDrop Flex planting inserts drop into Crescent’s line of Emma containers, which come in a variety of styles and colors.

Both the TruDrop Flex Self-Watering Containers and Emma Planters are made with this UBQ material. Combined, these products promote that “circular” economy I mentioned earlier. By using the Circular Positive Planters, you’ll be promoting sustainable consumption while minimizing the waste you produce and resources you use in this world. And as veggie gardeners, what better way to say that you care for the planet than to join in the circular economy with the use of these planters?