I use clay pots often for my outdoor potted plants because they are attractive and inexpensive. They come in various sizes and shapes. However, sometimes they chip, crack, or break.For years, I have been using the chips to cover the drainage holes in the bottom of pots. When I run out of chips, I break the broken pots into smaller pieces. At that rate, it will take a long while to use up the chips. So, for a long while the broken pots sit in the clay pot graveyard.
However, I recently toured a garden that used these broken pots in a unique way. The broken pot is placed slightly in the ground or under mulch with the pot opening facing a leafy plant. This gives the impression that a whole pot is part way in the ground and has been there for quite a while. I decided to try the same in my garden.
Sometimes I start with a small leftover piece...
And then place it below the mulch.
This green pot broke in half, and I used one half here...
...and the other half here.
This pot piece had a large chip out of the side...
Sometimes the rim breaks off the top of the pot...
Other pot pieces...
The benefits of using broken pots and pieces in this way are that I have some additional decorative features in my garden, the pots are reused, and the pots add a bit more shade in the garden beds.
I am linking up with Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest.
©Michelle A. Potter
