Many years ago, I worked on the Coronado Seniors Apartments. One element was a planter surround and bench for a very old Queen Palm which was there prior to this building. It had a woven motif (like the other items, a gate, lights). I had cast the top caps, wove copper flat stock and put LED lights under the weave, a gentle light. The caps were cracking and the metal vaporized from overspray in the irrigation. I was not going to recreate the same thing. I chose to make a concrete surround (thanks Jerry from Sun Country) and had him leave a space for my woven work. I made a silicone mold that I pressed into the wet concrete, stained and sealed. 

Oh, another problem was Coronado has a 4th of July parade. The seniors were standing and jumping on the planter. I loved to think of that.