Terracotta — Aged Beauty in the Mediterranean Garden
Terracotta — Aged Beauty in the Mediterranean Garden
“The beauty of handmade lies in the imperfections.”
There is something comforting about naturally worn, aged terracotta. The earthenware, with its classical look, has been used for millennia throughout the Mediterranean in the form of oil jars, urns, water vessels and plant pots. Today, it is a versatile option that brings a touch of old-world charm to the gardens and terraces of Mediterranean homes. Jennifer Warren-Gash, Curator of Outdoor Living for Mashamba Collections in Mallorca, shares with us the appeal and craftsmanship of handmade terracotta and why it’s ideal for use in the Mediterranean.
Baked Earth
The word terracotta originates from the Italian translation of terra cotta, meaning “baked earth.” It’s a type of natural clay that gets its reddish colour during production when the clay’s high iron oxide content reacts with oxygen.
Terracotta’s true beauty is in its white and grey powdery patina. Called efflorescence, it means “to flower out” in French. The look occurs when mineral salts from the soil and water are absorbed by the porous terracotta clay. Jennifer explains, “The appeal of terracotta is its warm colour and weathered patina — it looks like it’s always been part of the garden — and it only gets better and better as it ages.”
“The appeal of terracotta is its warm colour and weathered patina — it looks like it’s always been part of the garden — and it only gets better and better as it ages.”
Quality matters
If it’s this patina that you are looking for, you are unlikely to find your terracotta pots and planters on the shelves of your local garden centre. Mass-produced, machine-made terracotta doesn’t develop this aged patina because it has a dense and closed texture compared to the porous quality of traditionally made pots.
How can you tell if the terracotta you are looking at is high quality? The colour of fired terracotta says a lot about its origin and production. Quality terracotta ranges from a warm earthy red to a pale peach colour and never takes on the brighter orange hue of factory-made terracotta. Another way to check for quality is by gently tapping the pot — the higher the note, the better the quality.
Durability is another reason to look for quality terracotta. Traditional production techniques and a long fire at high temperatures creates a robust pot that is both frost resistant and able to withstand the intense Mediterranean heat.
Ideal for the Mediterranean
Besides its natural beauty, high-quality terracotta has other characteristics that make it ideal for use in the Mediterranean. Its porous nature means that moisture and air can pass through the terracotta. This allows for aeration and the drying out of the soil between waterings, both of which are needed for many Mediterranean species to thrive.
Its porosity also prevents root rot by absorbing excess water and gradually releasing it back into the soil.
Terracotta’s insulative qualities regulate soil temperature and prevent root shock from the Mediterranean’s extreme heat and sometimes cold. And finally, high-quality terracotta weighs more than mass-produced terracotta and other materials like fiberglass and plastic. This added weight helps reduce the chance of plants toppling over in the Mediterranean’s strong winds, especially if the plant specimen is tall or top heavy like palms, citrus or olive trees and cacti.
Time-honoured techniques
High-quality terracotta comes from being handmade with the methods, skills and artistry that have been used for hundreds of years across the Mediterranean. Mashamba has worked with the same brand, Italian Terrace, for over a decade. Its range of pots, planters, urns and oil jars are hand-crafted in Italy using traditional processes that take time.
Jennifer tells us, "The pots we use are made from the very best Tuscan clay, blended to achieve a pale colour and a special finish is added to create a weathered texture. The lime-bloomed techniques used in production create beautiful, aged pots that can take up to six weeks to make."
Artisan hands press the clay into moulds and the pots spend weeks being gently air-dried and regularly turned by hand. This delicate process ensures even drying and requires three people to rotate the largest of pots. It’s while drying that the pots' colour begins to take on terracotta’s distinctive pinkish hue.
To develop strength, the pots are fired for 36 hours at a controlled high of up to 1000°C in modern gas kilns and then cooled. The craftsmanship and care evident during production show in the final product. Jennifer says, "In terms of both design and durability, these terracotta pots are the best we have found. They have passed the test of time in all our garden and terrace projects."
