Decorate your cottage garden with clay pots
COTTAGE GARDEN DECOR
Accessories are vital for finishing and lending your cottage garden decor a distinct look. Terraotta tiles, plaques, pot hangers, wall pots all make for great cottage garden decor accessories, whether it's in your balcony, terrace or even your backyard. One of the most practical and accepted container types for planting is terra(clay) cotta(pots). Made of baked earth, clay has been in use for containers, bricks, pipes, roof tile, and sculpture for thousands of years in both Eastern and Western cultures.
WHY CLAY POTS?
There are a number of advantages to using terracotta for your cottage garden decor. Clay is completely natural. It's porous so it's nearly impossible to overwater plants, something many gardeners learn to be wary of when using plastic or resin containers. Clay tends to protect above-ground root systems from extremes in temperature too, which is especially important during warm summer months. Its porosity contributes to the breathability of the container, so roots (which need air) can breath and remain healthy. If you notice a damp, green film on pots left in the shade, you have a fine crop of algae. It doesn't hurt the plant so leave it alone. You can clean clay pots at the end of the growing season.
CARE AND NURTURE
The quality of clay is critical to the final quality
of the pot. Other factors include construction and the temperature at which the pots are fired. You can tell something of a terracotta container's quality and durability by rapping it with a knuckle while holding the rim. If il goes "Ihuri" when you hit it, it's fired
at a low temperature. If it "rings", it's probably Fired at higher temperatures and more likely to be durable.
at a low temperature. If it "rings", it's probably Fired at higher temperatures and more likely to be durable.
Hand-turned or molded pots are most common. These are made individually by potters and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. As with any craft that is labor intensive, the cost of such pots is relatively
higher compared to the molded pots that are mass produced in factories. Coarse, low-fired clay pots can disintegrate in four or five years. Others may contain resins or have finishes that supposedly prevent wear or cracking, but should you decide to fire an additional glaze (as some ceramics students have been known to do) the pot could melt in the kiln.
higher compared to the molded pots that are mass produced in factories. Coarse, low-fired clay pots can disintegrate in four or five years. Others may contain resins or have finishes that supposedly prevent wear or cracking, but should you decide to fire an additional glaze (as some ceramics students have been known to do) the pot could melt in the kiln.
Understanding your clay pots is the first step to
protecting them. With proper care, you can enjoy and decorate your cottage garden with them for many seasons.
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