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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

This pot, sadly gone

Oh, I feel so stupid today. Sad too. You probably know that I have many pots in my yard, made from many different materials: glazed ceramic, plastic, resin, and simple terra cotta (clay). I really like the look of clay pots but they are the most fragile, especially during the winter as many are only slightly freeze resistant.


Like this beauty. It was one of my favorite big pots, and now... well, at least I have photos.


***


What I don't understand is why I didn't bring this pot into the garage for the winter?


I think I just forgot that it wasn't freeze-proof. Or maybe I always intended to but left it too long.


In any case, this pot is now useful only as an artistic subject for a photographic essay called "decay: a constant struggle with idiocy" or something like that.


I think we just had way too many freeze-thaw cycles this winter, and the porous clay just couldn't handle it.  Plus I left it full of soil. Stupid!


I'm going to have to find a replacement for this ASAP, as I loved its simple lined texture, and its overall shape.


Either that or I'm going to have to take up pottery and build a kiln.

I hope I've learned my lesson.

.

7 comments:

  1. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)February 21, 2012 at 10:36 AM

    Wow, it completely disintegrated. I had no idea terra cotta flakes off in sheets like that. It was very interesting to see, but I hate that it came at your expense.

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  2. Linda/patchworkFebruary 21, 2012 at 11:14 AM

    I've had pots do that. It is a sad thing.
    Hope you find another one you like as well.

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  3. Gardener on Sherlock StreetFebruary 21, 2012 at 4:49 PM

    That is a bummer with clay pots. I hang onto them as long as they hold soil and sometimes even with large chunks missing because they make nice little shelters for new plantings. I'll bet you find another pot to love.

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  4. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2012 at 6:22 PM

    The nice big one with handle(s) on my porch is doing the same thing. Why is it I'm so dang lazy about doing the easiest things?!

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  5. Christine @ The Gardening BlogFebruary 23, 2012 at 7:29 AM

    Oh dear, that is sad ... what a lovely pot it was.

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  6. deborahMarch 7, 2014 at 12:31 PM

    I have 2 very large terracotta pots that stand about4' tall. they are not glazed and I do not use them for plants. Over several years standing out in the salty, rainy and sunny Florida weather I am can see that they are leaving red residue all around the base and basically disintegrating.
    Do you know of anything I can do to preserve them?

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  7. AlanMarch 7, 2014 at 2:35 PM

    Deborah: I'd suggest waterproofing them in some way. I might try a clear spray (Krylon and Rustoleum both make one), but you could also try something like Thompson's water seal -- but that usually leaves things looking wet all the time.

    ReplyDelete