Bold pottery puts plants in spotlight
Imports, high-tech styles replace familiar clay pots
Bold pottery puts plants in spotlight

By Chris Jones,

Published: July 5, 2007

Upscale ceramics, imported pottery and high-tech lightweight foams offer trendy choices for container gardens. The pots take on an exotic look when filled with brilliant tropical plants.

The simple red clay pot filled with red geraniums will probably always have a spot on American porches and patios. But these traditional and economical pots are also fragile containers that many homeowners are eager to replace with more sophisticated styles.

Big, bold, bright pottery from China, Vietnam and Thailand provides style and function for patios and pool areas. These pots are perfect for big, bold and bright plants.

"Pottery has changed, and imports from these countries have gone through the roof,” said Victor Goetz, manager of Calvert's Plant Interiors. "The beautiful Thai pots have variable glazes, and each one is different. The pots are thick and winter very well in fickle Oklahoma weather.”

When choosing container pots, Goetz advised gardeners to look for thick pots that won't freeze and break. These pots can stay where they are year-round. Though the plants will not make it through the winter, the pots will be ready for spring planting.

Goetz suggested filling the pots with brilliant hibiscus or bougainvillea in hot pinks, golden yellow or orange. Oleander, date palm and horsetails from California are other suggestions.

"We can't keep the date palms in stock,” Goetz said. "They do well in the Oklahoma wind. Harry Lauder's Walking Stick is an unusual landscape tree that does well in pots and in Oklahoma.”

The plant, also known as the European hazelnut and corkscrew filbert, was found around 1850, growing in a hedgerow in England. The stems and leaves naturally twist and turn as they grow. According to Adele Kleine of "Flower and Garden Magazine,” the shrub's common name is derived from Scottish comedian Harry Lauder, who performed using a crooked branch as a cane.

When asked about the use of the beautiful but poisonous oleander in container pots, Goetz didn't discourage its use.

"Let's not be nervous mothers about the use of oleanders,” he said, "unless you have a crazy dog that eats plants.”

The oleander has thick dark green leaves, and the flowers grow in clusters at the end of each branch. They are white, pink or yellow and are often sweetly scented. The showy plant is drought-tolerant, though that isn't an issue for Oklahoma gardeners this summer.

Choose big bold bromeliads in place of petunias. Many of these hardy tropical flowers require minimal care; they last three or four months outdoors, and their deep shades are an asset to the landscape.

Goetz suggested a green mound juniper as an alternative to the popular spiral junipers often seen in pots on either side of a front door.

"The spirals are on their way out because they are expensive and also high-maintenance,” he said. "They have doubled in price. Matching of pots and plants is not in as much as it was. Variety and options have changed the traditional sense of container gardens.”

The green mound juniper has an oriental flavor that is a perfect choice for Asian pottery. A 5- to 6-foot green mound juniper in a 24-inch pot provides immediate effect.

Homeowners can do wonders in limited patio and porch areas, Goetz said. He suggested the use of a low bowl, a medium-size pot and a tall pot.

"This trio makes a big statement in a small space,” he said.

Karen Kerr, greenhouse manager at Marcum's Nursery in Oklahoma City, said fiberglass and polyurethane foam pots are more expensive than the older pottery styles, but the pots are in demand because they are lightweight, easily moved and are realistic in appearance to concrete or other materials. Fiberglass pots hold up to heat and cold extremes in Oklahoma.

She said it's important to be sure pots have a drain hole. Some do not, so take a look inside. Fill the pot with potting mix that is made especially for containers and drains well. Kerr said topsoil is not a good choice.

"People want an instant garden,” Kerr said. "The flowers in pots are up close, and they have an impact without a lot of work.”

As houses and outdoor areas get larger and more spacious, there is a demand for very large pots. One or two big pots give visual effect and are easier to care for than a collection of smaller pots.

"Put a simple collection together,” Kerr said.

Kerr offered these suggestions:

•Plant something tall in the middle or the back of the pot. Select a grass or hibiscus.

•Select a bushy plant such as a lantana or begonia for the middle of the pot.

•Add a trailing flower or ground cover. Sweet potato vine is colorful and does well in Oklahoma.

•If the collection is in a shady area, choose types that will do well in the shade. These could include caladium, impatiens or asparagus fern.

•Banana trees, waving grasses and palm trees give people the look they want near pools.

•Remember that bigger pots require bigger foliage.

"Choosing plants is fun,” Kerr said. "Take the mystique out of it, and remember, the main thing is to keep the plants happy. They aren't furniture, and they do need consistent care.”