1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to decorating a mailbox and, more particularly, to removably holding potted plants adjacent the mailbox.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stand-alone, curb-side, mailboxes positioned adjacent a street have long been decorated by residents desiring to beautify the uniform, dull, institutional appearance of standard, regulation mailboxes approved by the U.S. Postal Service. Typically, the flat side surfaces of the mailboxes facing the street are painted or covered with pictures. Sometimes, decorative covers, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,178,321 and 5,207,378, are placed over the mailboxes. In a more individualistic vein, the mailbox itself is configured with a unique construction resembling a miniature house, animal, or thing, oftentimes representing a vocation or avocation of the resident.
For those residents who enjoy gardening, a plot of land around the mailbox is cultivated with plants. The resulting greenery screens the mailbox from view. U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D-313,105 and D-322,418 combine the aspect of covering a mailbox with the aspect of providing greenery adjacent the mailbox by integrating planter boxes with a mailbox-mounted cover.
As aesthetic as these combination planter box-covers are, experience has shown that they have not proven altogether satisfactory in use. Plants require care. A plant requiring care must be dug out of a dirt bed in the planter box, transported to and returned from a nursery, and then replanted, or another plant is substituted. In preparation for cold weather, such planter box-covers must be removed from the mailbox, usually with the dirt-filled beds intact. The increased weight of the dirt-filled beds causes the removal to be difficult, especially for elderly residents.