Timeless Terracotta
This blog post initially started as a “Trend Alert” post, but I changed the title because while terracotta is indeed having a moment, I firmly believe it’s not a trend. This timeless material has been around forever and feels super classic to me. Yesterday I spent my lunch break at the local greenhouse and I finally bought some matching terracotta pots for our little garden. Last year, we threw together the space in our side yard the best we could using planters that were left behind by the previous homeowners, but this year I wanted it to look a little nicer and better fit our aesthetic. While I’m still holding out on filling the pots with plants (it snowed here this week), I’m excited to tend to our tiny garden for the second year in a row. Soon, I hope! In the meantime, click through for my thoughts on terracotta, some inspiration for styling it, some good resources, how to get that perfect terracotta patina, and for a roundup of my favorite planters right now.
Terracotta comes in many different hues, and I really love them all! For our garden, I landed on some weathered looking planters, that is more of a muted terracotta color- including the ones with the ridges pictured above. I also enjoy mixing in some of the more saturated planters, or even better… vintage ones that have a nice patina going!
If you’re looking for a rich terracotta patina, I’d definitely suggest scouring Etsy, eBay, Chairish, or Facebook Marketplace for some vintage options. I’ve even had luck at local yard sales! I have two GIANT terracotta planters that flank our garage doors, and I pulled them out of some guy’s garage when picking up a vintage rug. They’re so beautifully aged, and it’s really a look that only time can add. Another tip? Leave your terracotta planters outside year round. While I’ll carefully tuck other planters away in our shed, I leave my terracotta pots outside to weather naturally. It helps them age more quickly, and it is less work for me! They’re really zero maintenance.
Terracotta planters aren’t only great in exterior settings, but I also enjoy decorating the interior of our home with them- especially during the spring & summer months. I’ve been testing out planters I ordered for our Tuesday Made shop, and I currently have this pretty number sitting on our window sill above the kitchen sink, pictured below. We should have lots of beautiful options arriving and available in the shop within the next month or so, including the mini planters I used for my herb garden!
Ready to see some of the beauties I’ve been saving and have found recently? They vary in price and size!
Click directly on the items to be redirected to the source- or use the numbered links below the collage to shop…
01: lima planter // 02: clay planter // 03: shandon planter // 04: fluted planter // 05: tapered planter // 06: planter set // 07: double walled planter // 08: granada planter // 09: french planter // 10: scalloped planter // 11: megara planter // 12: greek key planter
I actually ended up buying the #10 planter yesterday. Home Depot happens to be near the local greenhouse I like, so I quickly popped in to check out their garden center. For $11, it felt like an awesome buy… but I will say, it’s not actual terracotta and the color looks nothing like it does on the website (it’s more orange in person). It’s composite on the inside, but the outside has the feel of coated terracotta. I’ll be interested to see how it wears, and I’ll keep you updated. I do like the scalloped rim detail!
Basic terracotta planters are really inexpensive and a wonderful buy- especially if you keep them for a long time and allow them to patina outdoors. They’ll eventually take on a really gorgeous texture and color- it’s a fun process to watch! I feel like my inexpensive basic terracotta planters, like the ones pictured above and below, started to get really good after 4-5 years. It just takes some patience!
What do you think about terracotta? Do you like the look? Do you currently have some terracotta planters of your own, you’re prepping for spring? I feel like most people do! I do a lot of plant gifting, and I always make sure the pot is terracotta (because it’s timeless and something friends & family can keep forever), which usually ends up outlasting the plant. I’ll be sure to share my new planters on IG later today, and any garden progress I make this weekend! I hope you have a great weekend ahead, too.
