Urns

These vessels don't need to contain plants to be beautiful.

More from Gardening by the Yard
Filed under: Garden Pots, Container Gardening

"When it comes to pots, I guess you could say I'm a bit of a fanatic," says master gardener Paul James. When storing his pots for the winter, Paul prefers to showcase his collections in various stacked groups.
For the most part, pots are used to plant things in, whether vegetables or herbs, perennials or annuals, even trees and shrubs. "But there's another category of pots I love just as much, maybe even more," he adds. Very often they look great with nothing in them. Urns make great enhancements to the look of a patio, the landscape, even a dull corner by the stoop outside the kitchen door, and they come in many shapes and sizes.

These classically shaped clay urns are stunning. Whether arranged in groups or individually, urns may be left empty or filled with twigs or bamboo.

These clay amphoras, a type of urn used to hold various liquids eons ago, bring a look of antiquity to the landscape, and in time, may develop a patina that actually makes them appear ancient.

"And speaking of ancient, this urn, an olive jar, is an antique," says James. "It's also my favorite urn in large part because of the incredible flaky texture of the exterior."

But this urn, another of James' favorites, is an awesome replica of an antique. "So the next time you're in the market for pots, remember that you don't have to stick with traditional forms, especially if you, like me, occasionally yearn for an urn."