A six-device-in-one landscape barrier, comprises: a barrier, a end-wing molded to the barrier for saving materials during manufacturing, being half of the length of comparable prior art and saving money for consumers by requiring less overlap at the ends of the landscape barriers and preventing animals from digging beneath the landscape barrier, when inserted into the soil vertically and bending to create a variety of corner angles, corner-angling holes cut out from the barrier for lockingly supporting a garden-plant cage and promoting bending of the end-wing to form a variety of corner angles, tongue-locking openings cut out from the end-wing, barrier-locking tongues molded to the end-wing for saving materials during manufacturing, being half of the length of comparable prior art and saving money for consumers by requiring less overlap at the two barrier ends of the landscape barriers and securely supporting solar-stake-mounted lights or a trellis for vines or climbing plants or an umbrella pole or a sprinkler head or drip line and securely connecting multiple landscape barriers together by inserting through the tongue-locking opening and wrapping over the top or under the bottom of the barrier and securely locking multiple landscape barriers together by inserting through the tongue-locking openings, wrapping in the opposite direction through the corner-angling holes, and again through the tongue-locking opening and anchoring the landscape barrier into soil and protecting garden plants from animals and saving materials during manufacturing, being half of the length of comparable prior art and saving money for consumers by requiring less overlap at the ends of the landscape barriers, a fold-over ridge folded from the top of the material-saving barrier for connecting the ridge of one landscape barrier to the ridge of an another landscape barrier to create a shield to protect garden plants from animals and to create a shield to protect saplings from animals and to create a shield to protect trees from animals and to create a barrier to protect garden vegetation from animals and to create a tonneau cover of a truck bed and providing a guide for the end-wing to slide into, at least one serpentine stake punched out of the barrier for frictionally anchoring the stake into soil by providing a serpentine stake shape and securing the landscape barrier into soil on an inclined or level surface and piercing into soil angledly or vertically, root-gripping tunnels punched out of the barrier for saving materials during manufacturing by stamping out the stake from the barrier and saving time and energy costs when the stake is stored within the root-gripping tunnel during

A plant protection/deer exclusion enclosure includes a segment of fencing formed into an overlapping spiral configuration to define a variable diameter enclosed cylindrical volume that protects a plant from browsing or rubbing by deer. The overlapping spiral configuration is characterized by the first column of rectangular openings of the fencing being positioned radially outside, and in superimposed alignment with, the last column of rectangular openings. A plurality of fasteners contact both the first and second side wires of the rectangular openings in both the first column and the second column to provide structural integrity, especially in the attachment portion, of the enclosed cylindrical volume.

A novel collapsible plant support includes a collapsible coil adapted to rest on a flat surface. In a particular embodiment, the collapsible plant support includes a plurality of vertical support structures coupled to the collapsible coil so as to provide additional support. In another particular embodiment, a collapsible plant support includes plant receptacle receiving element that supports both a collapsible coil and also a plant receptacle. In a more particular embodiment, the plant receptacle receiving element includes fluid ducts for connecting multiple plant receptacle receiving elements into a fluid network.

A tree/shrub protector includes a circular underground drip reservoir that may hold about seven gallons of water and extended about eighteen inches underground. It focuses water and nutrients onto a root ball to encourage downward root growth. Above ground modules include a hard shell reservoir that provides pest protection as well. Another above ground module is a wire type protective fence and/or trellis that has reservoirs as well. A second embodiment has a grill or fence having spikes driven into the ground for support. One or more water reservoirs are integrated into the fence. Variable flow drip tubes feed underground drip pipes from the reservoirs. Vertical poles have uses including tree support, holding a winter shroud, and supporting a fence and/or trellis. The fence is modular to fit inside a thin box. An optional anti-rodent spiked ring is included. All embodiments can reduce returns to a tree vendor.

A plant protection apparatus includes a plurality of side panels. Each of the plurality of side panels includes a mesh portion and a width of each side panel is greater at a lower portion of the side panel than a width of each side panel at an upper portion of the side panel. A side portion of each side panel is operably connected to a side portion of another of the plurality of side panels thereby defining a boundaried area. A lid includes a mesh portion and a perimeter portion of the lid is operably connected to the upper portion of each side panel to yield a self-supporting plant enclosure.

A system and method for growing and protecting tree seedlings is provided. The system includes potting tubes that may function as a pot for growing seedlings and additionally as a tree guard for protecting transplanted tree seedlings from pests. The potting tubes are open at both ends and may be secured to a bottom end cap for use as a pot. After a growth period, the end cap can be removed and the tree can be transplanted with the tube surrounding the tree for use as a tree guard. The system includes a tray with end caps attached to the tray for transporting and transplanting large numbers of tree seedlings.

A handling device includes an opening/buffering/positioning station that is equipped with an elongate core element for sleeve material to be pulled over an upstream end while automatically opening up the sleeve shape, and a holding construction that is configured to keep the core element in place while the sleeve material is pulled over and guided along it. An operable cutter is provided at a downstream end for each time cutting of a length of the sleeve material while leaving behind a new leading sleeve end portion at the downstream end. A gripping assembly is configured movable back and forth between the downstream end and a sleeve handling station for each time gripping the new leading sleeve end portion and then pulling the length of the sleeve material from the core element towards the sleeve handling station.

The invention relates to a plate-shaped structure designed for covering a reservoir, said plate-shaped structure comprises a substantially flat surface and a flange at the periphery of the substantially flat upper surface, wherein the flange comprises plurality of openings designed to receive a protrusion on an exterior sidewall of the reservoir, thereby covering the reservoir. The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a reservoir comprising an upwardly extending exterior sidewall comprising outwardly extending protrusion and a plate-shaped structure of the invention wherein the downwardly oriented flange comprises openings designed for receiving one or more protrusions on the upwardly extending exterior sidewall of the reservoir, preferably the assembly being a drinking cup and a cover. The invention also relates to a process for the manufacture of the plate-shaped structure using a pulp molding process.

Shelters for protecting and enhancing the growth of plants reinforced by receiving a retaining structure are provided. The shelters include an outer longitudinal tubular structure having a first-outer-longitudinal-tubular-structure end and a second-outer-longitudinal-tubular-structure end diametrically opposed to the first-outer-longitudinal-tubular-structure end; an inner longitudinal tubular structure positioned within the outer longitudinal tubular structure and having an inner wall, a first-inner-longitudinal-tubular-structure end, and a second-inner-longitudinal-tubular-structure end diametrically opposed to the first-inner-longitudinal-tubular-structure end; and a segmented annular portion positioned between the outer wall and the inner wall. The segmented annular portion may comprise a plurality of segmented annular divider walls defining a plurality of through channels extending from the first-outer-longitudinal-tubular-structure end to the second-outer-longitudinal-tubular-structure end. The plurality of through channels may be configured to receive at least one retaining structure.

A system and method for deterring animal interaction with woody plants is provided, including a wire mesh cage. The wire mesh cage is formed from one of a sheet of steel wire mesh and a stake cage. The sheet of wire mesh may be formed into a tubular configuration to surround a plant in need of the protection. The stake cage may be formed from a plurality of uprights arranged around a periphery of a plant, and at least one filament wound around the plurality of uprights to form the wire mesh. The wire mesh cage may further include a protective covering, in the form of a cap or coating applied to a top surface of the wire mesh cage. The protective covering militates against damage to a plant surrounded by the wire mesh cage. The protective covering may be formed from a polymeric compound having an animal detracting additive and an ultraviolet inhibitor.