Friday, April 10, 2015

The Garden Olla Project, Part 1

olla, pottery, amy myers ceramics
Let me explain.  I am a potter with a garden.  And presently I live in a region with a unique history of earthenware pottery.  It is a mixture of the Pre-Colombian tradtion and the old Mediterranean tradition, coming together to create various forms, from Native American to Mexican to the American ranch pottery.  So it has been irresistable to temporarily leave off working in my much-loved stoneware to develop my own earthenware clay and play around with the forms and uses it inspires.  A light-hearted look at classical Greek pottery, for instance...
pottery, amy myers ceramics
But at last I had to try out a very traditional idea for the garden.  Across the Mediterranean lands and into the American Southwest, the basic, unglazed, earthenware pot - the same sort used for cooking casseroles in southern France, for instance - finds an additional use in the garden.  As a slow-release water reservoir.

This is due to a unique feature of these low-fired clays.  They are slightly porous.  (This is, after all, the same clay used for flower pots.  This is why clay flowerpots "breathe".)  Pour water into an earthenware pot and it will quickly soak into the fabric of the clay, turning it to a darker red.  Wait a while longer, perhaps half a day, and you will find a little pool of water beneath the pot.  Often this not desirable, which is one reason why glazes are applied on earthenware.  Glaze, with its fully melted glass-surface, renders the pot non-porous.

However, time out of mind, there have been uses for which the porosity was indispensable.  A water-filled jug is kept cool by surface evaporation.  Objects immersed inside remain cool, even in high temperatures, and especially in a dry climate.  Drinking water is kept cool.  And in the garden, the seepage itself can be used to slowly release water to the roots of thirsty plants.  There is minimal water loss as the pot is buried in the soil itself, allowing all the water to flow into the plants' root zones.

Many traditional ollas (as these pots are known in Italian and Spanish) are large, containing 2 gallons or more of water.  Mine... well, they are not very big.  Just some small jars to test the idea and hopefully extend the necessary time between waterings as summer warms up.
olla, pottery, amy myers ceramics
The idea is to dig them into the ground near the plant's roots, covering all but the mouth, then fill them with water.  Simple, I think!

I am finished with part one of the task: making the pots.  Handthrown on the potter's wheel, then dried...
olla, pottery, amy myers ceramics
...then placed inside the kiln...
olla, pottery, amy myers ceramics
Then fired to around 1045 degrees C (about 1915 F).  Ready to... plant.
olla, pottery, amy myers ceramics
So far, so good.  Part two will see them in the ground!
olla, pottery, amy myers ceramics


10 comments:

  1. Amy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! απιστευτο!!!!!! στο DNA σου υπαρχει ελληνικοτητα……….
    σε πληροφορω οτι εχουμε τον ιδιο κεραμικο φουρνο.( εγω δεν δουλευω τροχο ),
    ψηνω μονο τα μικρογλυτα που καταληγουν στο χυτηριο…..
    υπεροχα ολα!!!!!!! προς στιγμην ενοιωσα οτι βρισκομουν στην Σιφνο στο εργαστηρι του
    φιλου μου του Γιαννη του κεραμιστα.πολλα πολλα φιλια!!! αγγελικη.

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    1. I learn that this is all one tradition - across the Mediterranean, into Spain, and so to the Spanish-settled regions of America... But Greek pottery came first!! So I am glad to know that we share this beautiful tradition :) I would like to see more of your pieces sometime!! Hugs!!

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  2. Wow, wow, wow - you are very talented!!!!! Those pots are just beautiful - it must be so rewarding to have such lovely things that you've made yourself available in the garden!

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    1. Thanks so much, Matt! I wish I'd tried using some of the pottery in the garden a long time ago as it is a lot of fun to do this :)

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  3. These are beautiful Amy!!! I'm so impressed. And I have no doubt they'll be useful in your desert garden. I've seen small clay tubes offered to water houseplants but nothing like what you've created.

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    1. Thanks a lot, Kris! I'm anxious to see how they work - I know there are some being offered commercially and they are even bigger, so I may have to size up next time ;-)

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  4. Oh, I do hope it works. But in any event you have some fabulous pots!

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    1. Thanks so much, Jessica :) As a matter of fact, the "best" one has already been salvaged for kitchen use, following negotiations with my sister... But I hope I can prove they work in the garden too!

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  5. The pots are beautiful, I love that red on clay ... it's so typical in my country.
    It is a good idea, which also works perfectly, and can be very useful in warm weather.
    I like your kiln, I have one very similar ;)
    Happy Sunday Amy!!

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    1. I love this kiln - the heat is very even from top to bottom! Red clay was the first type I worked with when I learned to throw, and it is so warm and friendly :) I will keep coming back to it! I love seeing your pieces with the slips over the red clay; I think it works so well that way... Happy Sunday, my friend!!

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