Thai Limestone Barrel Pot

The Thai Limestone Barrel Pot is a hand made vessel from Thailand, formed in a centuries old tradition and finished in a limestone glaze with a softly aged, mineral surface. It is made in one size: 75cm across, 65cm high, 140 litres, and 55kg empty. It is a one off statement piece, not a production pot, and works as the object a courtyard is built around.

Why you'll love it

• Genuinely hand made. Each pot is formed and glazed by hand, so profile, glaze depth and colour vary from one to the next. That variation is the point, not a fault.
• A glaze that looks settled. The limestone finish reads as softly aged from the day it arrives, so it sits comfortably against render, stone or timber.
• 140 litres of root room. Volume for a small tree or an advanced shrub to stay put for years.

Sizes and what fits in them

The barrel is made in one size, 75cm across by 65cm high, as outside dimensions.

• Small trees and advanced shrubs. An olive, a dwarf citrus or a clipped standard at an entry.
• Palms and architectural foliage. The wide belly gives a palm or a large strappy leaf plant volume to hold a decent head of growth.
• Left unplanted. Set empty on gravel or at the end of a path, the form and glaze carry the space alone.

Material, weathering and drainage

Material. Fired ceramic under a limestone glaze, made by hand. At 55kg empty it is heavy and rigid, and like any fired vessel it chips or cracks if knocked hard.

Outdoors. The aged mineral finish is made for outdoor life and gathers character in a garden. We publish no frost rating for the Thai limestone range, so in hard frosting districts keep it sheltered and never let water sit in it over winter: water freezing inside a fired pot is what breaks it.

Drainage. Keep the drainage holes clear and raise the pot on feet. Cover each hole with fibreglass flyscreen, never fabric or geofabric, which clogs. Add 50mm of 10mm gravel, then a premium potting mix rather than garden soil.

What to expect when it arrives

The barrel ships empty and unplanted, packed to travel, and is dispatched in 2 to 5 business days. Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. At 55kg the 75 x 65cm is a two person lift before any mix goes in, so plan the route and get it onto a level base first.

Related pots and planting

• Urns and jar shaped pots
• Other statement pots
• How to match pot size to the plant
• Plants that grow well in containers