After years of losing clay pots to freezing and cracking I found this book helpful in understanding why I should search for and select pots made from a clay with a high mineral content. Errington Reay and Company has been in business for over a century and makes salt glazed pots that withstand the humid cold of a British winter. Other historic pottery makers are Littlethorpe Potteries and The Farnham Pottery Company. In the United States, Catawba Valley Pottery of North Carolina also hosts artisans to continue the pottery creation tradition. John Burrison includes an extensive history of companies and people using clay for their art.
From the publisher:
"For over 25,000 years, humans across the globe have shaped, decorated, and fired clay. Despite great differences in location and time, universal themes appear in the world's ceramic traditions, including religious influences, human and animal representations, and mortuary pottery. In Global Clay: Themes in World Ceramic Traditions, noted pottery scholar John A. Burrison explores the recurring artistic themes that tie humanity together, explaining how and why those themes appear again and again in worldwide ceramic traditions. The book is richly illustrated with over 200 full-color, cross-cultural illustrations of ceramics from prehistory to the present. Providing an introduction to different styles of folk pottery, extensive suggestions for further reading, and reflections on the future of traditional pottery around the world, Global Clay is sure to become a classic for all who love art and pottery and all who are intrigued by the human commonalities revealed through art."
🎨 Green Copper Patina - verdigris and terracotta
Pulling the turquoise, aquamarine, teal, cobalt blue,terracotta, and hot pink (think Lily Pulitzer) from mid-century modern, Bohemian, Morocaan, Miami's South Beach, or southwest color palettes I hope to blend a pleasing color palette to harmonize the patio with the natural environment. I found the designer justina blakeney, and she uses a Bohemian style and her color palette is full of the right shades. She incorporates ferns, tropical plants and succulents in her designs.
edMore on NYTimes.com
Blue and green shades used in South Beach, Florida on a sign from our Galveston trip. I found this at the At Home store (as well as the 2 cigar pots). They have an entire beach themed section. The green cigar pots give color as well as height to the corner and should add interest, whether planted or not.
YEAR 1
currently working on three container pots to lighten a corner on the patio. So, this is a post about not just shade plants, but the process of dressing the entire patio. As several people in our area are painting their houses to give them a fresh look I am fighting that urge and trying to work with the terra cotta and burnt sienna brick shades. Terra cotta pots, small teak tables, and a copper patina glaze on the cigar shaped pots are some of the colors I am using for a beach themed palette. The beach theme is perfectly suited to our weather this spring!
Pot 1: Caladum, pink impatens, Euphorbia "White Manaus", and Silver Falls™ - Dichondra argentea
Pot 2: Dusty miller "New Look", Heuchera 'Carnival watermelon", Lamium "White Nancy"
Pot 3: (incomplete) beginning to emerge Purple spiderwort (tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart', aka. scadeant pallida ), Sweet potato, native violet
Photo: Jeanette Hyden
Gardening is a journey............
My containers, in the shade are moved to a part sun spot of the patio.
YEAR 2
Aloe, in the middle pot, is one of the easiest plants to grow in north Central Texas. Aloe can take on all the characteristics of height, fill and spill.
I have tried many plants. Last year, many of the plants from the nursery did well. I followed the rules of container planting, use a thrill plant for height; a draping plant for spill; and a fill plant for continuity. Thrill, Fill, Spill. This year, trying to make-do with plants I had on hand, I can share the problems and the surprises I have found pleasing. Tall pots, with small openings take well to healthy plants placed inside while remaining in their plastic pot. That said, the beautiful fern that I had in a pot became rootbound as well as becoming the home of my tiny nemesis, the fire ant. The roots on the fern are now untangled, split, trimmed and rerouted. You can't see but the fern has small new fronds arising from the center. I like the Miracle-gro potting mix soil with water crystals so the plants have a chance to thrive in the heat.
The third container has been a nursery for out of place Texas native plants that pop up in the yard or are out of place. The wild violet loves the shade. Penstemon has flowered and produced seed. There are non-natives in this pot including purple basil (it self-seeds everywhere) and the extremely heat tolerant purple heart (Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea').
Year 3
Planted with Wave petunia, Wave vinca, and sweet potato vine. The petunia is for spectacular show in the spring and early summer and when the petunia starts to fade due to heat the vinca and sweet potato come on full force.
🎨 Red, White, and Blue Color Palette
Try these Texas natives
Resources for Containers and Pots:
On-line.
Kimball and Bean, Illinois https://kimballandbean.com
THEworld’s finest terra cotta planters come from Impruneta, a small village nestled in the Tuscan hills a few kilometers from Florence, Italy? Due the fact that the Tuscan clay is naturally rich in iron, copper, calcium, and aluminum, the town has been well known for its exceptional quality terracotta and craftsmanship for centuries. Hard gray earth is mined from the surrounding hills, ground to a powder, and mixed with water to make this coarse bodied clay. Subsequently it develops its renown pale, terracotta color after the firing process and is able to withstand extreme temperatures.
Galestro Clay for Italian terracotta pottery from Terrecotte San Rocco. High quality clay supplied by Colorobbia.
All of the high quality, long lasting and frost proof terra cotta pottery found in Italy uses GalestroClay. Made with 100% Galestro clay by Colorobbia of Montelupo, Italy, and the largest Terracotta manufacturer in the world.
Hundreds of rustic clay pots are stacked high into the at the Amiskygos Pottery outdoor lot near farmers market. Owners Benito and Elsa Reyna have beselling pots, fountains, talavera (the colorful hanainted ceramics), outdoor statueen margarita glasses for 12 years at that spot. They also have a location in Plano. Mostly they sell to designers, landscapers and apartment complexes, but individuals also brave the heat for the good deals. The Reynas own the factory that produces the rustic pottery in Tonala, Mexico, so the cost stays low. They sell everything from a five-tiered garden fountain for $1,000 to a small pot for a house plant for under
Dallas potter David Day throws traditional terra cotta flower pots, whitewashed and stamped with their weight and city of origin (Dallas), ranging from one and a half to 12 pounds per pot in a variety of classical shapes. The whitewash gives them an especially timeless aura. Day learned his craft as a demonstration potter t Old City Park, then moved to the Cedars and set up his own full-scale studio. He works now at what he calls a "real job" during the week but continues to throw pots in his spare on Fairmount where Uncommon Market did business for 40 years, you're in for a big surprise.
References.
Hessenberg, Karin. Ceramics for Gardens & Landscapes. London: A & C Black, 2000. Print.
I am currently working on three container pots to lighten a corner on the patio. So, this is a post about not just shade plants, but the process of dressing the entire patio. As several people in our area are painting their houses to give them a fresh look I am fighting that urge and trying to work with the terra cotta and burnt sienna brick shades. Terra cotta pots, small teak tables, and a copper patina glaze on the cigar shaped pots are some of the colors I am using for a beach themed palette. The beach theme is perfectly suited to our weather this spring!
Seven Plants for Shade
Pot 1: Caladum, pink impatens, Euphorbia "White Manaus", and Silver Falls™ - Dichondra argentea
Pot 2: Dusty miller "New Look", Heuchera 'Carnival watermelon", Lamium "White Nancy"
Pot 3: (incomplete) beginning to emerge Purple spiderwort (tradescantia pallida 'Purple Heart', aka. scadeant pallida ), Sweet potato, native violet
Beach Theme on this Patio
edMore on NYTimes.com
The blue and green shades used in South Beach, Florida on a sign from our Galveston trip.
I found this at the At Home store (as well as the 2 cigar pots). They have an entire beach themed section. The green cigar pots give color as well as height to the corner and should add interest, whether planted or not.
My patio style, bâtons de bord de mer
Raiding the remnant bin at Calico Corners, Yes! What is old is new again and at half the price. I draped the fabric over the back of a bench. I made three pillow covers from the larger floral fabric, noting the "living coral" (Pantone color of the year 2019) splashes on the flower petals. I will try to create a palette at the bottom of this post.
Ordered earlier this year is a section of fencing to hide the barbecue equipment and provide a white canvas for the oranges and greens. A bit kitsch? Nothing is kitsch if you give it a French name, "Beach Kitsch' in french is, "beach kitsch"; "Patio Kitsch" in french is "patio kitsch"; "Seaside tacky" is bâtons de bord de mer. My patio style is bâtons de bord de mer, "practical", trying very hard to be artistic. Someone let me know if this translates into something torrid as an idiom.
My beloved grabbed two lovely five gallon Kimberley ferns. I have staged one in a terra cotta pot, as yet to be planted in a permanent location.
Color Palette
Pulling the turquoise, aquamarine, teal, cobalt blue,terracotta, and hot pink (think Lily Pulitzer) from mid-century modern, Bohemian, Morocaan, Miami's South Beach, or southwest color palettes I hope to blend a pleasing color palette to harmonize the patio with the natural environment. I found the designer justina blakeney, and she uses a Bohemian style and her color palette is full of the right shades. She incorporates ferns, tropical plants and succulents in her designs.
Long-legged Wadders Populate the View
Looking out from our "beach" are larkspur, abelia, and oak. We, in our neighborhood, have been following six Yellow-crowned Night-herons and a heronry/rookery/aviary of egrets and herons. Below is a nest with a parent sitting patiently and rising to stretch. In a few days we should hear babies chirping. Stay tuned. Also, flying around the neighborhood are white egrets. This is not the first time I have seen them. It is a very interesting spring.
We have been in contact with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissionhttps://tpwd.texas.gov/ about the egrets and herons. Once an egg appears in a nest you can take no measures to disturb the nesting because they are all protected species. We have Long-legged wadders in our neighborhood including egrets and herons and they are building nests in our oak trees. The long-legged wadders are gregarious, so they congregate in one spot, forming their heronry. The Great egrets, snowy egrets, great blue herons, and other migratory birds are protected under federal law. It’s illegal to shoot, trap, or harm them in any way. I had questions for the experts:
Are there any individuals or groups that monitor nesting sites for counts or locations?
Are there experts who can tell us about why they have located here (NE Tarrant County) and any possible measures we should take
Are there any experts that can come out to talk to our HOA?
This is a link to a researched publication that answers many of our questions: Texas Parks and Wildlife Nuisance Heronries in Texas, Telfair, Thompson, and Tschirhart. From this publication, a few species are, Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) , little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) , Snowy egret (Egretta thula), Great egret (Ardea alba) , Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) , Great tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
There are several species and over 80 nests in one front yard. Speaking with the owner of this property, we found that she has had them in the past but not 80+ nests. They start building nests in April and stay until October. The rain storms have damaged or destroyed nests and so we see rebuilding. They are starting to migrate to our adjacent yards searching for building material. The birds fly into our trees in search of twigs for their nests and as they work we see falling twigs and dung. One concern would be the dung as a vector for disease, especially as the summer heats up. The birds aren’t aggressive toward pets. They are noisy, but not loud. We do have a Cooper’s Hawk that has nested in this area in the past and has come in periodically this spring. We found a dead egret at the adjoining park while walking the dogs. In our neighborhood, we have wildlife that will prey on birds, including hawks and fox and sometimes coyotes. Contact the local game warden to clarify if deceased birds need to be reported to the authorities. Enter the county on the upper left side of the web page. https://tpwd.texas.gov/warden/.
Genus name comes from the Greek word keleos meaning burning for the colorful flowers.
The specific epithet argentea means "silvery", in reference to the shiny, white bracts and tepals of the species. The group name Plumosa means "feathery" in reference to the shape of the inflorescence.
Celosia argentea
There are three common groups ofCelosia argentea; spicata,cristata, also known as cockscomb, and plumosa. Spica produces cylindrical flower spikes that resemble wheat – hence the common name wheat celosia or flaminco feather celosia. Cristata celosia produces a crested bloom and plumosa celosia blooms are fluffy and plume-like.
Celosia argentea var. spicata
Spikey grasses and flowers emote a carefree feeling of movement.
Celosia is an annual that is easily grown from seed, which makes it a great seed saving and pass along plant.
You can sow celosia seeds directly in the garden in late spring or early summer after the soil has warmed up and the last frost date has passed. If need be, you can start the seeds indoors 4 to 5 weeks ahead of time. However, celosia resents being transplanted so extra care is required when moving the young seedlings to their permanent home outdoors.
Celosia grows best in full sun and soil that is humus rich. While these plants can be somewhat drought tolerant, they prefer consistent moisture and suffer if allowed to wilt.
For better flowering, pinch back the first few blooms that appear. This will promote more branching of the stems, which means more flowers.
Celosia is a great flower for drying. Simply bundle 5 to 10 stems with a rubber band and hang upside down in a cool, dry room with good ventilation. Be sure to place a piece of newspaper under the bundles to collect the falling seeds.
The celosia is a plant that lends itself to change.
The colors and form can change from year to year.
White Flaminco Celosia
Celosia argentea var. cristata (sic. var. spica) 'Flamingo Feathers'
This new perennial,Purple Celosia 'Intenz.' is provided by Ball Horticultural to the nursery and ornamental garden trade and is well worth an ardent perusal. It is found under various names including Celosia spicata or Celosia argentea var. spicata 'Flaminco feather' (wheat feather). I have seen it in dramatic shades including magenta and purple and brilliant whites.
Cockscomb celosia, Celosia argentea var. plumosa
Celosia argentea var. cristata
Red celosia with a coleus top.
This celosia has a crested faciation which gives it a
"For over 25,000 years, humans across the globe have shaped, decorated, and fired clay. Despite great differences in location and time, universal themes appear in the world's ceramic traditions, including religious influences, human and animal representations, and mortuary pottery. In Global Clay: Themes in World Ceramic Traditions, noted pottery scholar John A. Burrison explores the recurring artistic themes that tie humanity together, explaining how and why those themes appear again and again in worldwide ceramic traditions. The book is richly illustrated with over 200 full-color, cross-cultural illustrations of ceramics from prehistory to the present. Providing an introduction to different styles of folk pottery, extensive suggestions for further reading, and reflections on the future of traditional pottery around the world, Global Clay is sure to become a classic for all who love art and pottery and all who are intrigued by the human commonalities revealed through art."
