Terracotta Pots

• Unglazed pots are porous allowing water and air to circulate.
• Evaporation keeps terracotta pots cool in summer.
• These type of pots  need more watering but are plant friendly.
• Pots are liable to be frost damaged and may crack and break unless they are protected in winter.
• Pots can get frozen to the ground and the bottom may then fall out if you move the pot.

Metal Pots

• Metal can be very stylish and has become a feature in some contemporary ‘designer’ gardens.
• In sunny positions they can get far too hot and damage plant roots.
• Fake metal or internal insulation may be an alternative.

Natural Wood Planters

• These containers blend well with plants and traditional locations.
• They are light, reasonably inexpensive and are not affected by frost.
• Some untreated wood pots are not very long lived

Plastic Pots

• Good bad and ugly plastic pots are available.
• Recycled plastic made to look like stone or textured are very good from a distance.
• Resin is now used to fake the appearance and or age of pots.
• Plastic goes brittle over time due to UV light.
• I was nearly tempted to try a large fibreglass pot from our garden centre but the drainage didn’t look good enough
• White plastic discolours  and will not bleach clean.

Stone and Concrete Pots

• The best pots in stately home gardens are those hewn from stone but ‘boy are they pricey’.
• You can make your own pots from a tufa mixture see Grow your own rocks