Arrived on time in a practical box with protective foil. There was a small flat area on the side, but that made it easier to drill a hole for the inlet/outlet pipe. I like the more compact and less heavy 3 gallon buckets for growing small root and dwarf plants, although I still use 5 gallon buckets for large, tall tomatoes. It is currently being used for my indoor beetroot experiment. These buckets are very versatile and can be used for tasks such as changing solutions and storing nutrients and mixes.