Portable garden

Abstract

A lightweight portable garden container consists of a space frame that supports a flexible waterproof liner such that the floor of the flexible liner is elevated above the ground. The flexible liner includes a plurality of drain holes formed in the bottom surface that are attached to a manifold for collecting water draining from the flexible liner. The manifold drains into a closed reservoir which is attached to a pump that recirculates water from the reservoir back into to the container for irrigating the plants growing therein. The raised floor facilitates gardening at a comfortable level, while the recirculation system minimizes the amount of wasted water.

1 . A collapsible container comprising:
 A space frame defining an interior volume having a side surface, an upper surface and a lower surface;   a flexible liner forming a cup-shaped enclosure attached to the space frame, the cup-shaped enclosure having a bottom surface and a lateral surface supported by the space frame;   a plurality of legs extending downward from the space frame to elevate the bottom surface of the flexible liner above a supporting surface;   at least one drainage hole formed in the bottom surface of the flexible liner;   a manifold attached to the at least one drainage hole for collecting fluid draining from the liner through the at least one drainage hole;   a reservoir attached to the manifold for storing the fluid collected from the manifold; and   a pump for recirculating fluid from the reservoir to the enclosure.   
     
     
         2 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the space frame is formed in the shape of a substantially rectangular prism.   
     
     
         3 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one drainage hole comprises a plurality of drainage holes; and   the manifold is attached to each of the plurality of drainage holes.   
     
     
         4 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a source of fluid attached to the reservoir; and   a valve for maintaining a predetermined quantity of fluid in the reservoir.   
     
     
         5 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a filter disposed between the reservoir and the enclosure for filtering debris from the fluid prior to recirculating the fluid from the reservoir to the enclosure.   
     
     
         6 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a timer for operating the pump on a predetermined schedule.   
     
     
         7 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a moisture sensor for measuring moisture in a quantity of soil within the enclosure and operating the pump when the moisture in the quantity of soil falls below a predetermined level.   
     
     
         8 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a central column for supporting a roof over the enclosure, the central column having an interior lumen and a medial opening, wherein the fluid is recirculated from the reservoir to the enclosure through the interior lumen and out the medial opening.   
     
     
         9 . The collapsible container of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a roof supported by the central column; and   a plurality of side panels each having an upper edge attached to the roof and a lower edge releasably attached to the side surface of the space frame for forming a sealed volume adapted to resist pest intrusion.   
     
     
         10 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of flexible straps attached to and extending across the lower surface of the space frame to form a support for supporting the bottom surface of the enclosure   
     
     
         11 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the space frame is formed of a plurality of tubular members and a plurality of releasable fasteners for enabling the space frame to be assembled and disassembled.   
     
     
         12 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a renewable energy source for providing power to the pump, the renewable energy source being selected from the group consisting of a photovoltaic cell and a wind generator.   
     
     
         13 . The collapsible container of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the reservoir comprises a flexible bladder.   
     
     
         14 . A collapsible container comprising:
 a plurality of tubular members temporarily connected together to form the edges of a hollow space-frame, the space frame defining an interior volume having a side surface, an upper surface and a lower surface;   a plurality of fabric straps attached to and extending across the lower surface of the space frame to form a floor support;   a flexible liner attached to the space frame forming a cup-shaped enclosure, the cup-shaped enclosure having a lateral surface supported by the space frame and a bottom surface supported by the plurality of fabric straps;   a plurality of legs extending downward from the space frame to elevate the bottom surface of the flexible liner above a supporting surface;   at least one drainage hole formed in the bottom surface of the flexible liner;   a manifold attached to the at least one drainage hole for collecting fluid draining from the liner through the at least one drainage hole;   a reservoir attached to the manifold for storing the fluid collected from the manifold;   a pump for recirculating fluid from the reservoir to the enclosure.   
     
     
         15 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the at least one drainage hole comprises a plurality of drainage holes; and   the manifold is attached to each of the plurality of drainage holes.   
     
     
         16 . The collapsible container of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a source of fluid attached to the reservoir; and   a valve for maintaining a predetermined quantity of fluid in the reservoir.   
     
     
         17 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a central column for supporting a roof over the enclosure, the central column having an interior lumen and a medial opening, wherein the fluid is recirculated from the reservoir to the enclosure by pumping through the interior lumen and out the medial opening.   
     
     
         18 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a renewable energy source for providing power to the pump selected from the group consisting of a photovoltaic cell and a wind generator.   
     
     
         19 . The collapsible container of  claim 14 , wherein:
 The reservoir comprises a closed container.   
     
     
         20 . The collapsible container of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the reservoir comprises a collapsible bladder.