... or, at least, something close to it.

I'm looking for a good resource for hanging pots. I don't want to spend a fortune on them (who does, lol?) but I'd like them to be something other than plastic -it just doesn't live very long in the desert.

The other part of this is that they're for my Epi's. I've seen so many pots with a sharp edge that bites into the soft leaf. Ultimate find would be something with a rolled lip.

Any good ideas? I'm kinda coming up empty, here. Thanks for any advice!

Here you go Sheryl. Let us know if any of these turn out for you. : )
http://www.arizonapottery.com/...

Nice selection Lynn.

That is a great selection…I really believe in terra cotta pots. If you don't have availability of eaves on which to hang traditional hanger pots…I discovered this neat idea… http://www.hangapot.com/home/

You guys are great, thank you! I'm off to shop....

It makes me wish I lived in Pheonix. Would I love to shop there.
Sheryl, sure hope you will share photos with us once your finish shopping.

Tara, that is really interesting. Do you have those?

Yikes.... the hanging pots are still a bit out of my reach (no pun!) at >$100. I wonder if I could do the hay rack stuff with Epis. They certainly need good drainage, just not sure if watering them as often as I would need to here would be bad for them.

I love terracotta too.

But this one says it is on sale for $5.00. http://www.arizonapottery.com/...

Oy, how did I miss that??? Thanks again, Lynn - duh!

I thought that was a very good deal. But I think you wold have to carefully check the quality of the clay. It does say low fired.

Terracotta is always a low fire clay Lynn as compared to stoneware or porcelain. (nothing wrong there) I've made pottery for many years in the past and still have a kiln. They will be fine I believe.

There are different grades of low fired terracotta. I know very little about pottery/clay, but I do know that we get some terra cotta containers here in my area that disintegrate when moisture and a moderate frost occur, temps of 31°F. The one I purchased exploded in the middle of the night, waking me up. I had planted it the afternoon before the lite freeze. I did take it back, seems they were having a problem with these particular containers.
So I wonder if it has to do with the quality of the clay?
I have some great pieces of terracotta that have been around for at least 10 years, in my garden. They have survived temperatures down to 10°F.

You have experience as a creator of pottery, what would cause this to happen?

Possibly its just the fact I live in a more Southern climate. I've never experienced that problem and possibly should not interject unknowlegeable information on the subject.

Don't you get occasional frost?

I have heard that there are differences in quality of clay, the way the clay is worked, etc. Beyond that I don't understand what makes the difference between a good terracotta container and a poor quality one.

Yes!

I have just never had that problem. All of my low fire pottery have been Kiln baked. I do realize the Indians used to make really low fire clay pots in pit fires and still do for shelf items. Maybe they were Southern Indians in areas like Mexico? I would imagine that modern day manufactures would be doing them in a kiln and not in firepits. I would imagine at least cone 06-012? Its worth researching for those interested. I'll bet the company would let folk know if contacted;... and would be happy to answer questions from a prospective buyer!

valleylynn said:It makes me wish I lived in Pheonix. Would I love to shop there.
Sheryl, sure hope you will share photos with us once your finish shopping.

Tara, that is really interesting. Do you have those?

I've not tried them yet, but I have ordered a set for some orchid pots…I'll update once I get them done.

Thank you Tara, I look forward to your report.

SCORE!

The pots are very typical of those you see @ the Big Box stores, with some nice, some *very* nice and some the same as anywhere. The big deal for me is that I only needed the lower end pots and didn't need to spend anything on shipping as they were no more than 5 miles from me and I simply dropped by and picked them up. Thank you again, Lynn!

The deal with pots and freezing temps is the water the pot absorbs - and just about any clay pot will absorb some water. Just like your pipes - if they freeze, the ice crystals expand and will break the pipe. Ice inside the pores of the clay will do the same thing. I would guess that a very low porosity pot might work, but I never used anything like that outside that could possibly freeze.

As added protection with these types of pots, I use a waterproof sealer on the inside and on the bottoms. Although it probably makes them much like plastic pots for the plants at that point, I still have the terracotta on the exterior. But water is usually what makes them break down over time.

There are differences in clay bodies, as David points out.
Terracotta is a claybody made up of a variety of clays that mature at a low temp when fired as David said between cone 06 and cone 12. Terracotta is exclusively used in utilitarian ware like plant pots and sculptural pieces.

About Indian pottery. There are few examples from northern tribes.Storage containers used by Lakes tribes were tightly woven reed containers.
Southwest tribes rarely dealt with the prolonged freezes experienced by northern tribes.
I have zone envy for gardeners who can leave containers out all year round.

As Sheryl said above,Terracotta can be left outside in warm climates,all year round.A light frost wont hurt it.
When terrecotta is left outside in northern winter ,especially filled with dirt.The rain and snow keep the walls wet as the dirt holds moisture also. These wet walls freeze under prolonged months of freezing and thawing in winter temps of 20* and lower.
The water freezes and expands and opens the walls of the pot and it fractures and just crumbles.

I dont buy clay pots anymore and I use a plastic pot liner in the terrecotta pots I have because the terrecotta draws moisture from the dirt in contact with bare walls. I water less with plastic liners.

Terracotta is the cheapest clay body on the market compared to Stoneware and Porceline. There are cheap manufacturing methods too. Hand thrown on a wheel would be more expensive but it's my hunch most Terrecotta now id mass manufactured in "press molds " if not poured into "slip molds". The profit margin is really high using these methods. $100.00 for a terrecotta pot is just out of sight. Many customers like the look tho.

Pit firing is still done ,GF uses this method to produce expensive sculpture.No fuel costs. Native Americans and Mexicans use this method because there werent and modern fuels.
There are still areas in Mexico where they pitfire but use old oilfilters as fuel.
I love the smoked look even tho it doesnt last long if pieces are left outside.
GF Website http://www.janjacque.com/
GF pitfiring a load of sculpture

Great information Jo Ann. I know you spent many years making pottery. I have seen some of your lovely pieces.

Wahoo Sheryl. I am so glad that worked out for you. I can't wait to see photos. What size were the hanging pots?