Fire & Earth

Dermot recommends terracotta pots and gives some advice on colour combinations.

A number of years ago a gardening friend Carmel Duignan and I visited some wonderful gardens in the south. We took a detour to visit Kiltrea Bridge Pottery, a few miles outside of Enniscorthy, to have a look and buy some Irish hand-thrown terracotta pots. It was here that I saw for the first time how a lump of cold wet clay was transformed into a work of art. There was something mysterious and magical unfolding as you watch a piece of earth being brought to life, as the age-old craft of the potter pours from fingers. Even the slightest hand movement as the clay turned would send it on a new shape and direction. Before my eyes the miracle of the potter unfolded, revealing a pot of artful simplicity, quality fit for any garden or patio.

It is only after firing that the grey pot would take on the colour of true-fired earth. Terracotta, warm and rich, is the colour of burnt earth, a colour you will find in red bricks, old polished red pine floors and sunlit sandstone, a colour reminiscent of Mediterranean evenings spent on the French Riviera.

There is very little that can beat the earthy beauty of a simple clay pot. Each year I add more to my own garden and as time passes they take on a different character in the same way as an old burgundy matures. They develop a patina rich and deep, often with a veil of frosty efflorescence that blends with the rich greens of moss. It is all of this with a softness and warmth that makes terracotta the perfect complement to virtually every type of plant I know. After all, nature invented the combination, plants growing from earth.

Terracotta pots are ideal for growing colourful summer displays. The porous clay helps to prevent the compost becoming waterlogged and it also allows a little air to get to the roots. On a hot summer's day the evaporation from the pot helps keep roots cool. But on a warm day you will need to water a little more often. These pots remain porous and so remain very susceptible to damage from freezing weather and frost. Make sure when purchasing that the pot is frost proof; this is usually the case if fired at a sufficiently high temperature.

Next year I am planning some interesting colour combinations, which will look dramatic and bold in my terracotta pots. You may like to try one of these combinations for your garden. But first let me tell you that a visit to your local garden centre around May can be very rewarding. For it is then that the very best of the summer flowering bedding plants become available. On one of your visits take the opportunity to pick and group together plants in your basket or trolley and where possible see what the colours will look like together before making your purchase. You can have fun either harmonising colours or contrasting them and sometimes invent new combinations for your garden, all inspired by the plants on sale in front of you. I always find this allows your creative side to come to the fore. It is as simple as selecting the colours of the clothes you wear. All down to your own personal tastes and likes.

Back to my own pots. The two main colour combinations I plan for next year's summer display will be: First, a combination of burnt orange, lime green and shades of maroon; Second, a softer combination of pale lemon with chocolate coloured foliage and soft purple flowers. Let me give you a list of plants from which you can choose to make up your own display. This is not a fully comprehensive list and you may find other suitable flowering plants that will give you the shades and colours needed. You may also need to visit several of the larger garden centres to source exact varieties. Most of the plants listed are flowering but some are grown for their interesting foliage colour.

FIRST COLOUR COMBINATION

Burnt Orange

1. Arctotis 'Flame'
2. Gazania
3. Viola padparadja
4. Canna Tropicana
5. Calceolaria 'Kentish Hero'

Lime Green

1. Nicotiona 'Lime Green'
2. Zinnia 'Envy'
3. Alchemilla mollis
4. Helichrysum 'Limelight'

Maroon Shades

1. Cosmos atrosanguineus
2. Regal Pelargonium Burgundy
3. Cerinthe major Purpurascens
4. Petunia Maroon Shades
5. Cornflower 'Black Boy'

SECOND COLOUR COMBINATION

Using plants and combination from the next list will create a very different effect. The chocolate colour is obtained by using foliage. The lemon and purple are from flowering plants.

Lemon

1. Nasturtium 'Jewel Primrose'
2. Argyranthemum 'Jamaica Primrose'
3. Osteospermum 'Buttermilk'
4. Calendula 'Lemon Beauty'

Chocolate (Foliage)

1. Heuchera 'Palace Purple'
2. Heuchera 'Plum Pudding'
3. Sedum telephium Atropurpureum
4. Aeonium arboreum 'Arnold Schwarzkopff'
5. Purple Basil

Purple

1. Heliotropium
2. Osteospermum 'Nairobi Purple'
3. Verbena 'Homestead Purple'
4. Petunia Purple Shades
5. Viola Purple Shades

Use these lists as a guide. You may need to substitute if varieties are not available; an expert at your garden centre can help you with this. Whatever combination you choose to create, you can be sure the effect will look wonderful when planted into a terracotta container.