Hi, Deebie - I originally got the idea from an article in some gardening publication, but the instructions were so long and convoluted I decided to shortcut the whole process. I clean, let dry, paint, let dry, plant and hope for the best. We'll see how they hold up from mild to hot to rain and back again over time. I may wish I'd followed the convoluted process someday, or I'll just paint them again. I have painted clay containers with plants already in them. I use those long plastic hair clips to hold the spiller parts out of the way. I have plain old clay pots out there right now, but eventually they'll get theirs.
