Floral sleeve with constriction element

Abstract

A plant packaging and covering system comprising a floral sleeve having a base portion. The sleeve may have an upper sleeve portion which can surround a plant disposed in a pot and which can be detached once the function of the sleeve has been completed. The sleeve has a plurality of folds, some constricted by a constriction element, the folds comprising expansion elements for allowing portions of the base portion to expand, when a pot is disposed within the sleeve.

1 . A method of covering a pot having an upper end, a lower end, and an outer peripheral surface, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a preformed sleeve having a substantially tubular or frusto-conical configuration that assumes a substantially flattened condition and an open condition, wherein the preformed sleeve comprises:
 a base portion having an upper end, a lower end, an outer peripheral surface, and an interior space when the preformed sleeve is in the open condition; 
 a plurality of preformed folds in the base portion, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of preformed folds are present in the substantially flattened condition of the preformed sleeve; and 
 a constriction element preattached to a portion of the preformed sleeve for forming a constricted area in the plurality of preformed folds in a portion of the base portion, wherein the constriction element is selected from the group consisting of a band, ribbon, string, strip, tape, elastic material, non-elastic material and combinations thereof; 
   disposing the pot into the base portion of the preformed sleeve; and   attaching the preformed sleeve to the pot via the constriction element.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing the preformed sleeve, the plurality of folds are selected from the group consisting of a plurality of pleats, a plurality of folds each having a z-shaped cross section, and a plurality of accordion-type folds. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing the preformed sleeve, the preformed sleeve further comprises a detachable upper portion. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing the preformed sleeve, the lower end of the base portion is open. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing the preformed sleeve, the lower end of the base portion is closed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing the preformed sleeve, the upper end of the base portion has a configuration selected from the group consisting of curved, scalloped, laterally-oriented, diagonally-oriented, petal-like, crenate, crenulate, toothed, zig-zagged, crenelate, and wavy configurations. 
     
     
         7 . A plant package comprising a pot and a preformed sleeve, the pot having a floral grouping disposed therein, the plant package produced by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . A method of covering a pot having an upper end, a lower end, and an outer peripheral surface, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a preformed sleeve having a substantially tubular or frusto-conical configuration that assumes a substantially flattened condition and an open condition, wherein the preformed sleeve comprises:
 a base portion having an upper end, a lower end, an outer peripheral surface, and an interior space when the preformed sleeve is in the open condition; 
 a plurality of preformed folds in the base portion, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of preformed folds are present in the substantially flattened condition of the preformed sleeve; 
 a constriction element preattached to a portion of the preformed sleeve for forming a constricted area in the plurality of preformed folds in a portion of the base portion and wherein the constriction element surrounds the preformed sleeve, and wherein the constriction element is selected from the group consisting of a band, ribbon, string, strip, tape, elastic material, non-elastic material and combinations thereof; and 
 a detachable upper portion; 
   disposing the pot into the base portion of the preformed sleeve; and   attaching the preformed sleeve to the pot via the constriction element.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein, in the step of providing the preformed sleeve, the plurality of folds are selected from the group consisting of a plurality of pleats, a plurality of folds each having a z-shaped cross section, and a plurality of accordion-type folds. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein, in the step of providing the preformed sleeve, the lower end of the base portion is open. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein, in the step of providing the preformed sleeve, the lower end of the base portion is closed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein, in the step of providing the preformed sleeve, the upper end of the base portion has a configuration selected from the group consisting of curved, scalloped, laterally-oriented, diagonally-oriented, petal-like, crenate, crenulate, toothed, zig-zagged, crenelate, and wavy configurations. 
     
     
         13 . A plant package comprising a pot and a preformed sleeve, the pot having a floral grouping disposed therein, the plant package produced by the method of  claim 8 .