What is an Olla and why do you need them?

The definition of an olla is a low fired, clay ceramic vessel used to save a gardener time, energy and water.  Potted planters watered this way do not put stress on water sources and help potted plants to live long healthy lives.  A clay olla watering jar is considered an inexpensive way to maximize the output of your garden while minimizing overwatering, runoff and water loss.

When watering your garden containers, it is sometimes difficult to get enough water to the roots of the plants only without the water flowing out the bottom drain hole and on to the porch or patio surface.  With the olla planted in the center of the flowerpot, the water will seep out the sides of the porous clay directly into the area where the roots are located.  Many times, the roots will be drawn to this source of water and wrap themselves around the olla bottle.  Water irrigation for garden planters becomes super-efficient and has little runoff or evaporation.

Bury a watering clay olla in the center of your garden container, leaving 2” above the opening of the bottom so dirt and mulch don’t fall inside.  Gently tap soil around the olla making sure there are no air pockets.  Fill with water.  Plan on checking the water levels of the ollas on a regular schedule until you have worked with them for a bit to understand how much and how often you should refill them.

Small size watering ollas are good for porch and patio pots.  Usually, space would be about 2 feet long like a window box planter or wide like a round garden pot or garden bowl.  The medium size is best when you have large planters where you need to water around 3 feet.  The large size is better for potted trees, large shrubs or the largest planters you have.  You can always use multiple ollas in each pot or window box.

FYI:  When leaving for a short vacation, Ollas are the perfect solution for your flowers to stay healthy and watered while you are gone.  With the slow release of water, they should be good for up to 10 days or so.

Looking for something easy to plant and grow in a decorative patio pot, something healthy to eat, wonderful to smell, and looks good in a garden planter?  GARLIC!

If you have never tried to grow garlic in a garden container and watch it grow so you can harvest it, then you are missing out for sure.  It’s really so easy and fun to do.  Great for kids and older adults alike.  Just follow a few easy tips and you can have great success growing your potted garlic.

As we all know, garlic is one of the most popular herbs you can grow.  It’s used in almost all recipes from spaghetti sauce, to stir fry and everything in between.  Garlic is reported to be a wonderful medicinal plant owing to its preventive characteristics in cardiovascular diseases, regulating blood pressure, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels, effective against bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections, enhancing the immune system and so much more.

The first thing to consider is the right type of garlic to plant in your flowerpot.  If you live in a cold climate purchase Hard neck. The Soft neck kind is better for warmer climates.  You can google this for more information.  The second thing to consider is where you will place the garden containers once they are planted.  The best place to locate your pottery is where they will get full sun.  A patio area or yard and garden area where they can get direct sun without an overhang or awning.

When selecting the container to grow the garlic in you will need one that is at least 6 inches (15 cm.) deep and has excellent drainage. The garden container also needs to be big enough to leave 6 inches (15 cm.) of space between cloves.  We recommend a terracotta planter, window box, or garden bowl because the clay breathes and is healthy for the soil and garlic to get good air circulation.  But most any garden container will yield success.

Start with fresh potting mix.  Don’t reuse mix from year after year in any of your flowerpots, because the garlic will deplete the nutrients in the soil.  Separate the cloves carefully and set them into the mix pointy side up about 4 to 6 inches into the soil.  Space apart.  Top with soil and mulch the planter.

Don’t overwater these planters.  Allow the soil to dry a bit between watering but never dry out completely.  Feed each flowerpot with fertilizer during the active growing season to help things along.  Stop fertilizing the potted garlic mid-summer when the leaves begin to turn brown and die back.  You will know when to harvest when half or more of the leaves have died.  That is the time to dig up the bulbs.

Dig them up being careful not to bruise or cut them.  Lay them out to dry for 2 to 3 weeks in a shady area or in a garage.  When the roots feel brittle, rub them off along with excess dirt, but leave the papery skins intact.  You can now store them in bunches, braid them or cut off the stems a few inches above the bulb.  Store on a screen or shelf where they will get good cool, dry air.

Right now, the earth is quiet.  Winter is upon us and there isn’t much going on in our yard and garden areas.  Let’s talk about adding some décor to our stark and barren landscape planters.  If you think it takes a lot of decorative talent to create unusual and inexpensive garden containers then you would be wrong. 

Below we are going to show you examples of simple, easy, and cheap ways to “dress up” your garden pottery that are doable no matter if you have flower arranging skills or not.  So, let’s dive right in.

One great tip for most of these planters is the word “stuff”.  We recommend that this not be the time you skimp on materials.  When you are filling empty planters for winter, you need to fill them with as many decorative items as you can.  The more the merrier is really germane here.  So, stuff them up!

Berry Branches:  A natural yet simple terracotta garden pot is crammed with all kinds of assorted plant materials.  The main theme is dark green and red.  Fill the pot with branches of assorted conifers, graceful cedar, spiky holly, and juniper.  Drape limp branches over the sides and stand stiff sticks in the center to create height and flow.  Once finished with all the greens, place the berry branches with emphasis on different heights.  You don’t need a lot here just splats of color nestled among the branches.  Simple, natural and truly superb.

Feathers & Pods:  A small low-profile planter is filled with all kinds of fun objects with very little emphasis on greens.  The evergreens are almost an afterthought.  Place bundles of cinnamon sticks, pinecones, moss balls, quail feathers inside the garden bowl till it is filled.  Add bundles of dried pots and curly willow around the bundles.  Finish by adding a sprig or two of limp cedar and eucalyptus in and around the bundles.  Just push anything you can find laying in the yard or around the patio into and between the bigger items.  This is planter arrangement is perfect for a patio table or porch area.

Wire Sphere & Twinkle Lights:  This winter garden urn is for the person who wants elegance for little fuss.  Any empty planter works great for this look.  Purchase a wire sphere from any craft store.  String little twinkle lights around it and that is pretty much it.  Make sure the home and garden urns are placed near an electrical outlet or that one is located close by.  Plug it in and you have an imaginative, impressive and really inexpensive decorative vase.

Winter Window Box Planter:  Another really easy idea to copy.  Take green spruce or graceful cedar branches and start on the outside and front first.  Place the branches inside the planter with the ends sticking out the side and draping over the front of the window.  Then add the top and center, following the same thing.  Just keep sticking branches in until you get the look you want.  Once all branches are mixed together, they will create a woven pattern which helps to keep them all from moving.  Then top them off with a few branches of pussy willow. It adds softness and texture to the overall window box.

We hope these few ideas can help you to create artistic garden planters for your porch, patio, home or garden areas.  Just because it’s pretty sparse outside doesn’t mean you can’t dress it up a bit!  Share your thoughts below. We love to hear from you!