Method of covering a pot with a floral sleeve having a side-sealed bottom gusset

Abstract

A floral sleeve and method of using the floral sleeve to cover a pot. The floral sleeve has an inwardly folded bottom gusset for forming a bottom in the sleeve which is concealed by the lower sidewall of the sleeve when the sleeve is opened and the pot is disposed therein. The sleeve may have a detachable upper portion for enclosing a floral grouping disposed within the pot.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of covering a pot, comprising: 
 providing a floral sleeve comprising a body initially having a flattened condition and having an upper end, a lower end, a first panel having a first upper edge and a first lower edge, a second panel having a second upper edge and a second lower edge, a skirt portion having a skirt upper edge, an interior space and a gusset extending inwardly from the lower end into the interior space, the body having a left side edge sealed from the upper end to the lower end, a right side edge sealed from the upper end to the lower end, the first panel and the second panel together forming a sidewall in the body, the body tapered from the upper end to the lower end, the gusset having an inner fold extending from the left side edge to the right side edge, and wherein when the body is opened from the flattened condition to an opened condition for containing a pot, the gusset is unfolded to form a bottom in the body, the bottom having a lower bottom surface, a left side bottom surface extending upwardly from the lower bottom surface to the left side edge, and a right side bottom surface extending upwardly from the lower bottom surface to the right side edge,    a first upper support element extending from the skirt portion of the body, the first upper support element is detachable from the skirt portion via a first detaching element, and    a second upper support element extending from the skirt portion of the body, the second support element detachable from the skirt portion via a second detaching element, and wherein the first upper support element and the second upper support element are adapted to support the floral sleeve from a support assembly;    opening the floral sleeve to expose the interior space of the body;    disposing the pot into the interior space of the body; and    detaching the body of the floral sleeve from the first upper support element and the second upper support element.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, at least a portion of the skirt portion extends above an upper end of the pot after the pot is disposed into the interior space of the body.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the floral sleeve has a slit or line of perforations which extends vertically from a center point in the skirt upper edge a distance downwardly into the body.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the skirt upper edge has a non-linear pattern.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first detaching element and the second detaching element each comprise a plurality of perforations or a score line.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the floral sleeve is provided by detaching the floral sleeve from a pad of the floral sleeves.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the floral sleeves are connected in the pad via a connecting bonding material disposed between portions of adjacent floral sleeves in the pad.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the floral sleeves are connected in the pad via a staple, clip, wicket, pin, tie, hanger, or wire.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the floral sleeve further comprises a skirt insert or skirt extension which extends beyond the skirt upper edge of the skirt portion.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the skirt insert or skirt extension is constructed of a material which is different from a material used to construct the body of the floral sleeve.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the floral sleeve has a gap or notch between the first upper support element and the second upper support element which the sleeve is in the flattened condition.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  comprising the additional step of securing the floral sleeve about the pot by disposing a securing element about the floral sleeve after the floral sleeve has been disposed about the pot.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the securing element is selected from the group consisting of elastic bands, plastic bands, strings, ribbons, ties, wires, stribbons, rubber bands, barbs, collars, staples and clips.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the securing element is placed above an upper end of the pot.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the securing element is placed below an upper end of the pot.  
     
     
         16 . A method of covering a flower pot, comprising: 
 providing a floral sleeve comprising a body initially having a flattened condition and having an upper end, a lower end, a first panel having a first upper edge and a first lower edge, a second panel having a second upper edge and a second lower edge, a skirt portion having a skirt upper edge, an interior space and a gusset extending inwardly from the lower end into the interior space, the body having a left side edge sealed from the upper end to the lower end, a right side edge sealed from the upper end to the lower end, the first panel and the second panel together forming a sidewall in the body, the body tapered from the upper end to the lower end, the gusset having an inner fold extending from the left side edge to the right side edge, and wherein when the body is opened from the flattened condition to an opened condition for containing a pot, the gusset is unfolded to form a bottom in the body, the bottom having a lower bottom surface, a left side bottom surface extending upwardly from the lower bottom surface to the left side edge, and a right side bottom surface extending upwardly from the lower bottom surface to the right side edge,    a first upper support element extending from the skirt portion of the body, the first upper support element is detachable from the skirt portion via a first detaching element, and    a second upper support element extending from the skirt portion of the body, the second support element detachable from the skirt portion via a second detaching element, and wherein the first upper support element and the second upper support element are adapted to support the floral sleeve from a support assembly;    detaching the body of the floral sleeve from the first upper support element and second upper support element;    opening the body of the floral sleeve to expose the interior space of the body; and    disposing the pot into the interior space of the body.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, at least a portion of the skirt portion extends above an upper end of the pot after the pot is disposed into the interior space of the body.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the floral sleeve has a slit or line of perforations which extends vertically from a center point in the skirt upper edge a distance downwardly into the body.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the skirt upper edge has a non-linear pattern.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the first detaching element and the second detaching element each comprise a plurality of perforations or a score line.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the floral sleeve is provided by detaching the floral sleeve from a pad of the floral sleeves.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the floral sleeves are connected in the pad via a connecting bonding material disposed between portions of adjacent floral sleeves in the pad.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the floral sleeves are connected in the pad via a staple, clip, wicket, pin, tie, hanger, or wire.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the floral sleeve further comprises a skirt insert or skirt extension which extends beyond the skirt upper edge of the skirt portion.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the skirt insert or skirt extension is constructed of a material which is different from a material used to construct the body of the floral sleeve.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16  wherein in the step of providing a floral sleeve, the floral sleeve has a gap or notch between the first upper support element and the second upper support element which the sleeve is in the flattened condition.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 16  comprising the additional step of securing the floral sleeve about the pot by disposing a securing element about the floral sleeve after the floral sleeve has been disposed about the pot.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the securing element is selected from the group consisting of elastic bands, plastic bands, strings, ribbons, ties, wires, stribbons, rubber bands, barbs, collars, staples and clips.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the securing element is placed above an upper end of the pot.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the securing element is placed below an upper end of the pot.