Pottery

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How to Plant a Pot

Are you in need of a very simple and inexpensive way to add a decorative touch to your yard or garden? Well, I have the answer for you. In fact, you'll be recycling something that might have otherwise ended up in the garbage.

Plant that broken ceramic or terra cotta pot in your garden!
Although you can use this technique with a new pot, it's even better if you salvage a broken pot and give it new life.
If you have a ceramic or terra cotta pot that is cracked on the lower half, you have a good candidate for this project.
I prefer pots that have an undamaged top rim but, depending on your goal or vision, the choice is yours.

Plants in terra cotta pots are notorious for drying out faster than in plastic or glazed ceramic pots.
Since you want the plants inside the planted pot to receive an equal amount of water as the plants around them, it is necessary to open up the bottom half of the pot.
The method for doing this is to lightly tap a hammer around the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot, breaking and removing the bottom.
Be very careful because you can easily remove more than you had planned.
The pot in this picture was nearly a victim of a heavy hand.
However, the missing side of the pot was easily hidden by keeping that side facing the ground.

Once you have the bottom removed, it's time to plant that pot.
Dig a fairly large hole because you want plenty of room to position the pot just how you like it.
Make sure you leave enough of the pot showing above ground to account for any ground cover you may use around or near it. Fill in the area outside the pot with dirt first to ensure the positioning doesn't shift, then fill the inside.
Keep in mind that you may have the pot tilting (as in the picture), so you could end up with less planting space than you had planned.
Use plants that will remain fairly small or they will quickly overcrowd the pot.
The pot in the picture is approximately 15" in diameter, but an interesting display could also be produced with a grouping of pots of various sizes.

Have fun with this inexpensive and fast method for adding an interesting accent for your yard or garden. Don't forget to send me a picture of your successful use of this idea.