Decorative cover for a flower pot or floral grouping having a matte finish on a surface thereof

Abstract

A flexible sleeve disposable about at least a portion of a flower pot or floral grouping is formed of a flexible polymeric material having at least a portion of one surface thereof modified to provide a textured or matte finish to the flexible sleeve. The flexible sleeve may also be provided with perforations at preselected areas for removing an upper portion of the flexible sleeve from a lower portion thereof. Methods for wrapping a floral grouping or packaging a plant using the flexible sleeve are also described.

1 . A method for wrapping a floral grouping with a sleeve having a matte or textured finish on at least a portion of one surface thereof, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a floral grouping in the absence of a flower pot, the floral grouping having an upper portion and a stem portion;   providing a sleeve formed of a flexible polymeric material, the sleeve having at least a portion of one surface thereof modified to provide a matte or textured finish, the sleeve having an upper end, a lower end, an inner peripheral surface, an inner retaining space, an outer peripheral surface, and a bonding material disposed upon a portion of at least one of the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the sleeve, wherein the bonding material is selected from the group consisting of adhesive, cohesive, cold seal adhesive, shrinkable materials, cling materials, springs, mechanical or barb-type fastening materials or clamps, and combinations thereof, and wherein the modification to provide the matte or textured finish is selected from at least one of printing and embossing;   placing the floral grouping into the inner retaining space of the sleeve; and   binding the sleeve about the floral grouping by crimping portions of the sleeve together causing at least one portion of the sleeve to overlap another portion of the sleeve wherein at least a portion of the stem portion of the floral grouping is disposed within the crimped portion and the bonding material binds the crimped portion of the sleeve in a position about the floral grouping.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, the sleeve is further characterized as having a detaching element for detaching a portion of the sleeve after the sleeve has been bound about the floral grouping. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the method further comprises detaching a portion of the sleeve via the detaching element after the sleeve has been bound about the floral grouping. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, at least a portion of one surface of the portion of the sleeve detached and at least a portion of one surface of the portion of the sleeve bound about the floral grouping are each modified to provide a matte or textured finish thereto. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, the sleeve is provided with a printed pattern on at least a portion of one of the outer and inner peripheral surfaces thereof which provides the sleeve with the matte or textured finish. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the printed pattern is provided by application of a matted ink or a foamable ink to at least a portion of one of the outer and inner peripheral surfaces of the sleeve. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the sleeve is further provided with an embossed pattern on at least a portion of one of the outer and inner peripheral surfaces thereof which cooperates with the printed pattern to provide the matte or textured finish. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein at least a portion of the printed pattern and the embossed pattern are in registry. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein at least a portion of the printed pattern and the embossed pattern are out of registry with one another. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, the sleeve is provided with an embossed pattern on at least a portion of one of the outer and inner peripheral surfaces thereof which provides the sleeve with the matte or textured finish. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, the flexible polymeric material is an expanded core polymeric film having a thickness in the range of from about 0.1 mil to about 30 mil. 
   
   
       12 . A method for wrapping a floral grouping with a sleeve having a matte or textured finish on at least a portion of one surface thereof, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a floral grouping in the absence of a flower pot, the floral grouping having a bloom portion and a stem portion;   providing a sleeve having a matte or textured finish on at least a portion of one surface thereof, the sleeve formed of a flexible polymeric material having at least a portion of one surface thereof modified to provide a matte or textured finish, the sleeve having an upper end, a lower end, an inner peripheral surface, an inner retaining space, an outer peripheral surface and a bonding material disposed upon a portion of at least one of the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the sleeve, wherein the bonding material is selected from the group consisting of adhesive, cohesive, cold seal adhesive, shrinkable materials, cling materials, springs, mechanical or barb-type fastening materials or clamps, and combinations thereof, and wherein the modification to provide the matte or textured finish is selected from at least one of printing and embossing;   placing the floral grouping into the inner retaining space of the sleeve; and   binding the sleeve about the floral grouping, thereby holding the sleeve in a position about the floral grouping.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, the sleeve is further characterized as having a detaching element for detaching a portion of the sleeve after the sleeve has been bound about the floral grouping. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the method further comprises detaching a portion of the sleeve via the detaching element after the sleeve has been bound about the floral grouping. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, at least a portion of one surface of the portion of the sleeve detached and at least a portion of one surface of the portion of the sleeve bound about the floral grouping are each modified to provide a matte or textured finish thereto. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, the sleeve is provided with a printed pattern on at least a portion of one of the outer and inner peripheral surfaces thereof which provides the sleeve with the matte or textured finish. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the printed pattern is provided by application of a matted ink or a foamable ink to at least a portion of one of the outer and inner peripheral surfaces of the sleeve. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the sleeve is further provided with an embossed pattern on at least a portion of one of the outer and inner peripheral surfaces thereof which cooperates with the printed pattern to provide the matte or textured finish. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein at least a portion of the printed pattern and the embossed pattern are in registry. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein at least a portion of the printed pattern and the embossed pattern are out of registry with one another. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 12  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, the sleeve is provided with an embossed pattern on at least a portion of one of the outer and inner peripheral surfaces thereof which provides the sleeve with the matte or textured finish. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 12  wherein, in the step of providing the sleeve, the flexible polymeric material is an expanded core polymeric film having a thickness in the range of from about 0.1 mil to about 30 mil.