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DIY Topiary Trees |
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How to Prune Most Common Evergreens
We love potted Evergreens!
The planters add beauty to the simplicity of the plant and
the plant stays green all year long which compliments the planter! The best of both worlds! The only thing we can’t stand is seeing a
beautiful pot with an overgrown, scraggly, lopsided evergreen. So, if you properly prune them on a regular
basis they will look their best for years to come.

Here are some tips like what parts to trim, how much to take
off, and when is the best time to trim.
Whether the plant is pine, spruce, rhododendron, or camellia,
you need to know where the new growth will originate. Then trim away any dead branches, cut back to
live wood or the base of the plant. Cut
off broken or damaged branches and remove any crossing or rubbing branches.

Arborvitae – Fast growing, tolerates heavy pruning. Prune in early spring, and reduce a branch
by no more than one-quarter its length.
New growth will emerge from buds along the pruned branch.
Boxwood – Thinning is key to maintaining. Dense growth in the interior of the shrub can
cause disease. Thin it out by cutting
overgrown stems no more than one-third each year. Lightly prune to the desired shape.

Camellia – Slow-growing rarely needs pruning. If it gets lanky, encourage new growth by
trimming each branch back by no more than one-quarter of its length. Cut just above a node. The best time to prune is after it flowers.
Pines – produce new growth at the branch tips in
spring. To keep it compact prune each
new growth back by one-third to one-half its length. Don’t prune into woody stems because new
growth won’t develop there.
Spruce – Prune in Spring.
Reduce the length of branches by cutting each one back to a lateral branch
or bud. Bottom branches will die with
age and can be removed.
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By Arizona Pottery Post Last Updated: 2/8/2022 12:29:29 PM |
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DIY Seaside Garden Planter |
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Seaside Garden Idea
Even if you live miles away from the sea you can create your
own garden in a sunny corner with seashells and succulents.
Materials
Seashells
4 Terracotta Flowerpots of various sizes
Compost or potting mix
Gravel
Variety of plant materials

Glue the seashells onto the terracotta pots and leave them
hardened overnight. The next morning, pour
some pea gravel in the bottom of the flowerpots. This creates a better drainage situation for
the plants. Try to cover the drain hole without blocking it totally. You want the water overflow to easily drain
out without taking a lot of potting mix.

Place the planting materials selected in the pots adding
more potting mix around them and pressing down to eliminate air pockets. Try grouping the plants in the pots to create
an interesting look. Once done place on
a windowsill, out on a patio table or front porch stoop.
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Read More: Turn a Fuchsia into a houseplant. |
Read More: Cleaning Tips For Terracotta Pottery |
pottery, planters, pots, containers, garden containers, arizonapottery, terracotta, flowerpots,
By Arizona Pottery |
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Different Types of Containers |
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Planted Containers
After the last couple of years, we are all starting to spend
more time at home. We are turning our
patios and back yards into a safe, comfortable oasis, where we can entertain and
share meals.
One of the easiest ways to turn a drab area into something
special and functional is with planted containers. Growing plants in garden containers can be
rewarding as well as decorative and functional.
It is worth taking a bit of planning and designing in advance to assure your
planted containers will be a success. If
you neglect this, your containers will show suffering and eventually distress.

So, what to do? Start
by deciding where you want containers, how big the pottery should be, and what
type of garden pots you want to purchase.
There are so many different things to consider. Do you need to move the potted plants because
of shade/sun issues? If so maybe you
should consider Poly Resin. These are
durable and LIGHTWEIGHT. 32 shades of
colors to choose from mean they will match any color décor you already have.

Maybe you want something indestructible and hefty in the garden
or patio planters. How about our
American Made Cement Planter. Custom
made to order, with a choice of colors, we ship these across the US. Since these pots are poured into molds you
can get them in huge sizes that can hold trees and more.
I
f you aren’t aware of Sandstone garden pottery, you need to
check them out. They are silky smooth
looking, super durable, and have a choice of colors also. We even offer an exclusive line of Frank
Lloyd Wright Sandstone Pottery that is stunning. When you are looking for long-lasting &
stunningly unique then consider this line.

Lastly, for over 20 years we have imported Italian
Terracotta clay, Bright glazed pottery, and Mexican Talavera. All are best sellers. They won’t hold up to freezing temps but a
green thumb gardener would not plant in anything but terracotta. This material breathes and is super healthy
in a natural sense for all your planting materials.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at
800-420-1808
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Read More: 3 reasons your containers might fail. |
Read More: Winter and Garden Pottery |
pottery, planters, pots, garden pottery, home and garden, containers, vases, urns, arizona pottery |
By Arizona Pottery |
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Home Entrance Containers |
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Entrance & Step Garden Planter Ideas!
The entrance to your home tells the world a lot more about
you than you think.
Virtually all entrances will benefit from potted garden planters. It’s a decorating delight and an easy way to
soften harsh lines. You can add color,
fragrance, and beauty to your front entrance by placing colorful planters around
overflowing with grasses, succulents, flowers, shrubs, or palms. So many choices.

The choice of a container will depend on the size of the
area around the entrance and the design you are looking for. Do you want the pottery to be brightly
colored and filled with small flowers so the attention is on the planters? How
about a large terracotta pot overflowing with green ivy and a palm shooting out
the top opening of the pottery. You will
notice the plants and not the container on that type of style & design.
Are you going for a contemporary look with planters that
have smooth lines, mono colors, and clean lines, or a more formal entrance design
with a garden urn or towering vase?

Maybe you don’t have a lot of space but you do have steps
leading up to your front porch. You can
place two larger garden containers framing each side of the front door. If you have only the steps to work with, try
placing smaller pots on the different levels of steps, up next to the railing
so that they won’t be obstructive and cause issues.

When it comes to the planting materials for any of the
entrance pots suggested above, just look at how much sun or shade they will
get. Are they under a porch awning or
exposed to direct sunlight all day. Once
you select the perfect planters, filling them will not be an issue but a super
fun adventure.

Lastly, whatever style, size, or planting materials you
choose, please, please, please keep them cleaned up, watered, fertilized, and
well maintained. It won’t matter how
much you spend on a garden planter if they are ignored and not taken care of.
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Read More: The best climbing potted plants |
Read More: Easy Potted Garlic
pottery, planters, flowerpots, arizona pottery, home and garden, pots, garden containers, terracotta |
By Arizona Pottery |
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Create Classic Potted Topiary |
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How to create classic potted topiary
Materials:
4 large terracotta pots
Bark Chips
Pottery Mix
Slow-Release Plant Food Fertilizer
4 – box trees in different topiary shapes, real or faux
Most topiary from a garden center or nursery will come in a plastic
container. We think that isn’t very
decorative or nice looking so we recommend our Italian Terracotta Standard or
European Style Pottery. If you look on
our website you will see both styles, come in many sizes and are shipped
directly to us from the Italian factory.
This is not a cheap, easily damaged terracotta clay. Each of these pots is fired in a gas kiln
making the color even, sun-backed, and stunning.

The clean lines of the topiary are matched by the simplicity
of the terracotta pots. Since the eye is
drawn to the outlines of the box plants, decorated or colorful pots would be a
distraction.
Fill the bottom of the planter with bark chips. This keeps the potting mix from coming out
and the water able to run off. You want
to keep the drain hole free and clear for good drainage but not totally open so
the soil runs out.

Remove the tree from the nursery pot and place it in the
terracotta container surrounding it with potting mix. Push down the side so there are no large air
pockets. Scatter the fertilizer over the
top and then finish off with more bark chips.
Water well and position in sun or partial shade.
***Plant anytime of year!
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Read More: Winter Potted Herbs |
Read More - Evaporate Stress with Tropical Plants |
potted planters, terracotta pots, terracotta, potted topiary, home and garden, pottery, pots, arizonapottery |
By Arizona Pottery |
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Grow & Dry Potted Basil |
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How to dry fresh basil.
You may ask why we are bringing up drying basil in the dead
of winter? Well, we think you should be
planning now what herbs, flowers, and plants you want to grow in garden
containers this coming spring. So maybe
if we tell you how to dry potted basil (popular herb) and why you want to dry it, you
will include it in your coming garden décor.

Dried basil in flowerpots can be used in so many cooking recipes. Sauces, pesto, chicken and pasta dishes. It really is one of the most used and desired
herbs you can pot and grow at home. And,
have you ever priced basil at the grocery store? argh.

If you don’t want to grow your own basil in flowerpots you
can always dry any fresh basil that you purchase at the grocery store.
After harvesting the basil grown in clay planters, make sure
it’s gently washed. Lay the basil
bunches in a dish strainer or on a kitchen towel where they can dry
completely. Remove as much stem as
possible because they don’t dry so well.

Preheat your oven to the lowest setting. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread
leaves out so they aren’t touching. Place in the oven for around 1 to 2 hrs.
checking every 15 mins or so. You don’t
want the leaves to burn but just feel dry to the touch. Remove and cool completely. Now you can crumble it up removing any
stems. Bottle the crumbles and store in
a cabinet out of sunlight.

See how simple this is! You can easily
grow and dry your own basil in almost any size and kind of flowerpot. By using a clay planter instead of planting
directly into your yard or garden, you can container the roots from spreading. We like to grow all herbs in terracotta clay
instead of other types of garden pottery because the clay will breathe and that
is good for creating healthy roots. So,
if you have clay flowerpots or any clay planters laying around use those
first. Just make sure they are large
enough to hold the number of herbs you want to grow.
[Read More] Better Berries Potted |
[Read More] Potted Chili Peppers
potted basil, grow basil in flowerpots, dry potted basil, basil dried |
By Arizona Pottery Post Last Updated: 2/20/2020 2:02:42 PM |
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Plant Leaves In Clay Planters |
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How to create interesting garden containers
If you have a green thumb touch, or maybe not so much here are some tips that
may help when it comes to what types of plant materials to pot in your garden
containers. Of course, everyone’s tastes
are different and we encourage that, but these tips can work in general ways
also. These tips also work with all
types of garden containers. Clay
flowerpots, Clay Planters, Concrete Pottery, Glazed flowerpots, tall, thin and
window box pottery. Make it simple and
keep it simple!

Mix different leaf textures & sizes
Potting green plants in your home and garden pottery or containers is not the most exciting thing to do but if you think about it, they make a wonderful filler
for very little financial investment. If
you put your palms, flowers, bulbs or succulents in the center of your planter
and fill the border with leaves and greens you will have a much fuller flower
pot arrangement without a lot of expense.
Sample:
Lamb’s Ear: We love
these silky soft leaves. They range
from pale yellow to deep emerald green and have a fuzzy softness to them. These are great when planted in clay planters
all alone because they grow fast and provide lots of colors as well as filler. The leaves have almost a light grey cast to
them because of all the fuzz. Love it!

Ferns: Ferns are
known for their feathery tapered leaves.
They range in too many colors to list here but they are perfect as
filler or as stand-alone. Each leaf has
a natural bend to it so it looks lovely draped on the outside of your clay
flowerpots and glazed planters. Ferns
are also perfect for patio or porch hanging terracotta planters.

Hosta: These leaves
are little paddles that look lovely when mixed with spikey flowers or plants
that have height. A deep green that
complements all colors of flowers, even white.
When mixed with other green leaf plants they add a tremendous contrast
in color and style to all your clay planters or clay flowerpots.

So hopefully these few suggestions can spark
some inspiration in you and make potting up your home and garden planters, clay
flowerpots or clay window box planters easier, more enjoyable and lovely to
look at.
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[Read More]The best climbing vines for flowerpots & clay planters |
[Read More] Your Indoor Potted Ferns. |
By Arizona Pottery Post Last Updated: 2/5/2020 1:17:59 PM |
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Save Water With Ollas |
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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.

So, a quick recap:
Ollas save water
Good for when on Vacation
Saves money and is inexpensive to purchase & place.
Self-regulating watering system
Promotes root development
Improves soil structure
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[Read More] Evaporate Stress With Tropical Plants |
[Read More] Cleaning Tips For Terracotta Pots |
ollas, watering vessels, watering pots, watering bottles, oyas, olas, arizonapottery, arizona pottery, |
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By Arizona Pottery Post Last Updated: 1/7/2020 12:37:00 PM |
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Yummy - Easy - Healthy Potted Garlic |
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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.
See how simple this all is. You just do a few things the right way and
the garlic will reward you with healthy, plentiful amounts of cloves for use |
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[Read More] Your Indoor Potted Ferns Need Help |
[Read More] Pots Within Pots |
garlic potted, garlic in flowerpots, potted garlic, grow garlic in flowerpots, garden containers, pottery, planters, pots, arizona pottery |
By Arizona Pottery Post Last Updated: 1/20/2020 2:55:15 PM |
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Give Terracotta Pottery A Second Look |
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Arizona Pottery has been in the pottery industry since 2000. We have seen and continue to see all kinds of trends come and go when it comes to choices of garden planters. Fiberglass, Poly Resin, High Fired, Low Fired, Concrete, Black Clay, Terracotta the list goes on and on.
Why did we start with red terracotta and it continues to be our best seller? Because it is timeless. Terra cotta pots have been around for ages and they tend to come and go in popularity but in this post, we want to discuss some of the pros and cons.
When it comes to cons when using terra cotta flowerpots and garden planters the list is pretty short.
* Dry out quickly.
* Breakdown over time.
* Become heavy once planted.
* Discolor over time
* Plain and boring
So let’s look at a few pros on why they are basically timeless and still popular.

HEALTH
Healthy for a plant’s, roots – Did you know that terra cotta clay breathes? Yes, it is very healthy for all plants root systems. Because the clay “breathes” it will also show the chemicals that are in your potting mix or fertilizer. Every time you water the potted plant, the water soaks into the clay, eventually seeping out, the clay will start to show a calcium build up or white lines and markings. This is loved and appreciated by many terracotta owners. So much so that they try to age their planters by applying milk to the outside so that moss will grow and the pot will look aged faster than the natural process.

WEIGHT
Terracotta planters are not known for being the heaviest garden containers around but once they are filled with damp potting mix, they can become quite heavy. This is great if you are planting a tree or shrub and the yard pot is placed in a spot where it will receive some wind. Lightweight or Fiberglass containers will blow over very easily. If you need added weight you can always put a brick or rocks in the bottom of the planter before adding the potting mix. Just make sure you have it placed where you want it since you won’t be able to move it easily.

DISCOLORATION
One of the worse and most popular reasons for using terracotta is the aging process that naturally occurs. Like we stated above green thumb gardeners won’t use anything else and rejoice in the aging process. It is a sign of beauty and age that can hardly be duplicated. If you are the type who likes their containers to look brand new then Terracotta is not the planter for you.

PLAIN/BORING
Yes, terracotta is ageless and is seen everywhere. Maybe you need something different a bit more modern or contemporary. Terra cotta pottery is considered traditional, timeless and naturalistic, all good things but maybe not your thing. That is fine. If you like the look of clay but not clay itself there are resin pots that are textured and come in the terracotta color that will stand up to an explosion. Unless someone walks up and knocks on the planter they will not know it’s not the real clay of terracotta.

So, these are the best pros and cons that we can think of today. How about you? What do you like or not like about Terracotta garden planters and containers.
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[Read More] Potted Jasmine To Help You Sleep |
[Read More] Art on the Patio |
clayflowerpots, terracotta, clay pots, planters, pots, terra-cotta |
By Arizona Pottery Post Last Updated: 2/19/2019 3:10:51 PM |
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