ROOT & EMBER
SUSTAINABLY CRAFTED GARDEN PLANTERS
About Root and Ember
At Root and Ember, we specialize in creating customizable and sustainable garden planters designed for functionality and beauty. Our mission stems from a personal journey that emphasizes the importance of health and clean living. By utilizing locally sourced materials and the ancient Japanese yakisugi preservation method, we ensure that our planters are food-safe, durable, and environmentally friendly. Our commitment is to provide families with the tools to grow healthy food and create lasting memories through gardening.
Our
Story
The Inspiration Behind Root and Ember
Jason lives in Wilmington, NC with his wife, Sarah, and their two kids. As a cancer survivor of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare and aggressive head and neck cancer, his journey reshaped the way he thinks about health, food, and the importance of living clean.
When our family first started gardening, Jason quickly realized that many traditional planters are made of treated wood, plastics, or other materials that can leach chemicals into the soil and ultimately into the food we eat. Determined to give our plants (and family) a healthier start, he began crafting planters himself from locally sourced cedar and preserving them with the yakisugi method which is a natural, non-toxic technique that makes the wood last far longer than conventional options.
What began as a way to grow clean, healthy food for our family has grown into this business. For Jason, it’s not just about building planters, it’s about setting an example for our kids, creating a legacy of healthier living, and offering others the chance to grow food with confidence, knowing their planters are safe, sustainable, and built to last.
Here’s to cleaner food, healthier families, and gardens that inspire!
Our Crafting Process
Each Root & Ember planter begins with sustainably and locally sourced cedar. These 1x6 cedar boards are carefully crafted and preserved using the ancient Japanese yakisugi (or shou sugi ban) method—a centuries-old woodworking technique that enhances the wood's natural durability through fire rather than synthetic chemicals. During this process, the surface of each board is carefully charred to create a thin layer of carbon that helps repel moisture, resist rot and decay, deter insects, and provide added protection from UV exposure. After charring, the wood is brushed to remove loose soot while preserving the protective carbon layer and highlighting the cedar's rich natural grain and texture.
We finish every planter with two coats of a 50/50 blend of food-safe pure tung oil and D-limonene. The tung oil penetrates deep into the wood fibers, providing additional water resistance while allowing the wood to breathe, and the citrus-based D-limonene helps the finish absorb evenly and cure properly.
Together, the yakisugi treatment and tung oil finish create a planter that is exceptionally well-suited for Wilmington and any coastal environments, where intense sun, salt air, humidity, and frequent rain can quickly deteriorate untreated wood. The result is a durable, non-toxic planter that develops a beautiful natural patina over time, retains its rich character, requires minimal maintenance, and provides a safe, long-lasting home for growing healthier gardens for your family.
Standard Sizes,
Custom Possibities
We offer 4 standard planter sizes to fit a variety of gardening needs, from herbs and flowers to larger vegetable gardens. Need something more custom? We can create virtually any size to perfectly fit your space—whether it’s a front porch, backyard garden, patio, or unique landscape design. Every planter is built to feel as intentional as the space it lives in.
Laser Engraving Services
Make your planter uniquely yours with custom laser engraving that adds meaning, personality, and craftsmanship to every piece. From family names and coastal designs to business logos or meaningful dates, each engraving transforms a planter into a one-of-a-kind statement. They also make thoughtful, lasting gifts for weddings, housewarmings, anniversaries, memorials, and other meaningful moments.
Not sure exactly what you want engraved? We're happy to help. Whether you have a finished logo, a rough sketch, or just an idea, we'll work with you to create a design that fits your vision and looks great on your planter. Before any engraving begins, we'll send you a digital proof for review and approval, so you can verify every detail and feel confident before we start crafting your piece.
Chemical-Free and Eco-Friendly
Many traditional planters are made with treated wood, plastics, or chemical preservatives that can leach unwanted toxins into the soil and the food you grow. At Root & Ember, our sustainably crafted cedar planters are completely chemical-free and naturally preserved, creating a safe, food-friendly space for vegetables, herbs, and flowers to thrive. Thoughtfully made from locally sourced materials, our planters help you grow with confidence—supporting healthier families, cleaner food, and a more sustainable future.
Durability and Maintenance
Using the ancient Japanese yakisugi method, our cedar planters are naturally preserved through a controlled charring process that enhances durability without any harsh chemicals. The charred surface helps protect the wood from moisture, sun, insects, and rot—making it especially resilient in Wilmington’s heat, humidity, salt air, and storms. The result is a food-safe planter built to last longer and evolves beautifully over time, commonly lasting well over 50+ years.
Our Commitment to Quality
At Root & Ember, every planter is crafted with intention—from sustainably sourced cedar to our natural yakisugi preservation process and food-safe finishes. We believe quality means creating products that are safer for families, better for the environment, and built to thrive for years in coastal conditions. More than a planter, our goal is to help families grow cleaner food, healthier habits, and gardens that become part of lasting memories.