Small terra cotta garden pots are as basic and as cheap as they come; breaking one is no big deal. But larger planters are serious business: they're expensive, they're heavy, and after you invest in one you won't want to break it.
We'll deal with that issue—caring for your terra cotta planters—in another post coming later today. But first, here are 10 handmade terra cotta planters we like in colors that range from traditional red to gray. For when you're ready to invest.
Red
Above: The Cassetta Liscia terra cotta window box is made by Benocci Maurizio Terracotta Studio, a 250-year-old family business based just outside of Florence, Italy. The box is 90 centimeters long and available for AU $295 from The Terrace Gardener. (In the US, select Benocci Maurizio planters are available from Detroit Garden Works.)
Above: Connecticut potter Guy Wolff designed the Hartford Pot for terra cotta importer Seibert & Rice. Made by hand in Impruneta, Italy, the pot is 16 inches tall and $585—including shipping, handling, and insurance—from Goods for the Garden.
Above: London-based Clifton Nurseries offers the Round Pot in three sizes starting at £12.95. It is handmade by Goicoechea Poterie in France using Basque clay from Navarre.
Above: We like the traditional shape of the Lemon Pot from Whichford Pottery in Warwickshire, England. The family business produces the pot in six sizes, ranging in price from £26.50 to £560.
Above: Connecticut-based Frances Palmer is one of our favorite ceramists; her No. Two Tom Pots are 6 inches wide and 7 inches tall and available for $95 each from Frances Palmer Pottery. (A larger version, the No. Five Tom Pot, is $135.)
Gray
Above: The Impruneta Manor House Pot is on sale for from $275 to $955 (down from $535 to $1,195) in three sizes from Restoration Hardware. It's made in Impruneta, Italy, using gray clay.
Above: The Handmade Anduze Pot by potter Peter Wakefield Jackson comes in gray-glazed terra cotta and is made in Honduras. Available in three sizes, at prices ranging from $28 to $58, at Detroit Garden Works.
Above: The Brown Terracotta Rim Pot is available in two sizes for £46.95 and £77.95 from Clifton Nurseries in London.
Above: The Vaso Alto Liscio by Benocci Maurizio is AU $325 at The Terrace Gardener. Shown here in grigio, the planter is also available in natural terra cotta.
Above: Part of terra cotta importer Seibert & Rice's boutique collection, the Large Grey Rectangle planter box is 32 inches long. Contact Seibert & Rice to purchase.
For more terra cotta, visit Design Sleuth: Terra Cotta Window Boxes. Or continue browsing Gardenista's 10 Easy Pieces: see our favorite Hanging Votive Lanterns; Outdoor Folding Chairs, and Wooden Elevated Planters.
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