Thai Limestone Cauldron

The Thai Limestone Cauldron 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, 105cm across and 83cm high, which puts it beyond an ordinary large pot and into landscape object territory. Buy it when the pot itself is the feature and the planting is the supporting act.

Why you'll love it

• A true one off. Each cauldron is formed and glazed by hand, so shape, glaze depth and colour differ from piece to piece.
• A glaze that reads as aged. The limestone finish looks settled from the day it arrives, so it sits easily beside render, natural stone and weathered timber.
• Scale you cannot fake. At 105cm across, one is enough to anchor a courtyard on its own.

Sizes and what fits in them

The cauldron is made in one size, 105cm across by 83cm high, as outside dimensions.

• Advanced trees and large palms. An olive, a large palm or a multi trunk feature tree with room to establish.
• Massed planting. One wide vessel takes a group of grasses, succulents or clipped shrubs as a single composition rather than a row of pots.
• Left unplanted. Set on gravel or a paved landing, the profile and glaze do the work alone.

Material, weathering and drainage

Material. Fired ceramic under a limestone glaze, hand made in Thailand. Like any fired vessel it chips or cracks if knocked hard, so protect the rim while positioning it.

Outdoors. The aged mineral finish is made for outdoor life and gathers character. 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 cauldron 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 cauldron 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. A 105 x 83cm fired vessel is heavy and awkward, so plan the route and set it on a level load bearing base before any mix goes in. Expect visible variation in glaze and tone from the photography.

Related pots and planting

• Other statement pots
• The extra large pot range
• How to repot a plant properly
• Plants that grow well in containers