There is a wide variety of pots available in most parts of Australia ranging from traditional terracotta from Italy, glazed ceramic in oxblood red, greens, blues and whites and terracotta from south-east Asia, natural rustic granite pots from China, traditional cast iron or lead pots, moulded cement pots with various finishes and a multitude of plastic look-alikes which are easy to move around.
Using pots in the garden
Matching your choice of plants with the ethnic feel of the pot can be quite important, even before tying it in with the rest of the garden. For example glazed bonsai pots can look good with a Japanese Maple or a bonsai pine or even indoors with a suitable foliage plant but not with succulents. A cast iron urn constructed out of fibreglass and sprayed with iron filings which rust and give the appearance of iron is ideally suited to succulents such as Echiveria ‘Violet Queen’, Crassula ovata or a trailing Drosanthemum. Traditional terracotta cones and square pots suggest formality and will always look good with slow-growing conifers or with topiarised plants such as Buxus or some of the lilly pilly cultivars suitable for clipping such as Syzygium ‘Tiny Trev’ or ‘Blaze’. The less traditional terracotta from Greece can look great planted with an Olive, Oleander, Bougainvillea or Citrus.
There is such a variety of glazed pots from south-east Asia that the application is endless – from simple water bowls in the garden to bold architectural plants such as the Japanese Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) or a Bird of Paradise plant (Strelitzia reginae) . Stick with the same style of pot in the garden, repeating the theme and colour as brightly coloured glazed pots are likely to clash with terracotta. Whether the garden has a Tuscan, Mediterranean, Mexican or Asian feel, there will be a range of pots that will suit the feel of the garden combined with the right sort of plants.
Pot size and shape
The larger the pot volume the greater the soil water reservoir there is for sustaining plants but the pot should be in proportion to the plant. A cluster of different sized pots can look good in the corner of a courtyard provided the pots have the same appearance.
The height of the pot should also suit the plant chosen. Plants with a vertical growth habit should be grown in tall pots whilst displays of ground covering annuals will look better in a broader, more shallow pot. An elevated urn will look great with a cascading pigface (Mesembryanthemum spp).
Choice of plants
Some of the best plants for pots and tubs are colourful annuals such as impatiens, polyanthus, pansies, geraniums and petunias etc. They grow quickly and produce masses of colour and each season you can choose a different look. They do however create work and may need frequent watering in warmer weather.
At the other end of the scale you can minimise maintenance by choosing plants which are slow growing. Some plants are happy in tubs for years and many increase in value. eg Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) or the Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata).
Drainage
It is important that water can drain well from the base of pots because poor drainage can lead to unhealthy plants and eventual death from rotting roots. Raising the pot slightly above the ground will help water drain away. Some pots do not have holes in them but these can be easily drilled using a masonry drill bit or punched through plastic imitation pots. It is an old husbands’ tale that crocking pots will improve the drainage so don’t be tempted to put stone or gravel at the base of the pot. Modern potting mixes are designed to drain well and you will notice that crocks are never used in nursery pots. Just place a piece of fly screen mesh over the hole to prevent potting mix from falling out.
Potting Mix
Choose a potting mix which has the Australian Standards Mark on the bag to ensure that your plants have the best chance of growing in a well balanced organic mix. Never use soil in pots because you run the risk of introducing weeds, pests and diseases and soils allow in little oxygen resulting in poor growth. Slow release fertilisers with eight to nine month release characteristics are the best way to feed plants in pots and these should be applied each spring. Annual flowers or herbs tend to produce masses of fibrous roots. Freshen up the potting mix by replacing it each time you plant if necessary. These fast growing plants will also benefit from a liquid feeding twice a month in addition to the slow release fertilisers.
Watering
Watering plants in tubs and pots is critical to their success and is the most common reason for failure. Unlike plants growing in the garden most potted plants are unforgiving when it comes to lack of water. Just one instance of severe drying out can kill off a lot of roots and plants like azaleas may never recover. There is no hard and fast rule for watering other than good observation skills. Succulent leaved plants such as Agave or Echiveria, or bamboos, bougainvillea, olive are examples of plants which are much more tolerant of dryness.
Availability
Our segment was filmed at Motyaj Potteries, wholesalers in Sydney and Melbourne who supply to nurseries and department stores throughout Australia. Phone: (02) 9618 6866 for your nearest stockist. Pots range in price depending on the size, shape and design. Glazed pots can vary from $20 to $300, Chinese granite pots from $450, Greek Amphora style pots from $120 to $400, terracotta pots can vary from $5 to $250, plastic pots from $25 to $250 and cast iron or fibreglass pots from around $250.
Further information
The planted pots were filmed at Bronte House, 470 Bronte Road, Bronte, NSW, 2024. The house and its garden will be open to the public on Sunday 18th October 1998 from 11am to 3pm. Admission is by donation. Phone Waverley Council on (02) 9369 8000 for future opening details.