Tom's Yard XL Terracotta Strawberry Pot

All prices on our range of English terracotta pots include free postage. This covers a standard delivery service.

As each sale is packaged to order, this can on occasion take some time - so we like to allow 3 > 6 working days from receiving your order to you receiving your pots.

We use sturdy double-walled cardboard boxes and plenty of paper to ensure your pots arrive intact.

Please note that returns must be covered at the buyers expense.

To remain competitive on our prices, we are pleased to introduce our new Cash & Carry programme.

This offers discounts on terracotta pots purchased directly in the Yard and taken away on the day, or at a later date:-

Payment can be made by card or bank transfer (bank transfer preferred). Cash payments are also accepted; however, please note that we do not keep petty cash on-site and therefore cannot guarantee change.

Contact us to arrange your visit or book online.

Made from a raw wild clay sourced in-and-around the North of England, this range of terracotta sees an entire collection of traditionally inspired garden pottery designed by Thomas.

Once the clay has been prepared (sliced into manageable pieces after being 'wedged'), it is ready to be worked.

Small > large lumps of clay are placed on a wheel and carefully formed into shape by hand as they rotate. This is rarely a skill that anyone can naturally pick up on their first go - it often takes years to be able to consistently throw large, uniform pots.

Once the pots have been thrown and any decorations applied by hand, they are left to air-dry before being hand-stacked into large kilns.

These gas-fired kilns are operated over two days at extreme temperatures reaching 1165°C. It's firing the clay at such a high temperature that go a long way to ensuring they are hardy against frost damage.

At Tom's Yard we choose to focus on clay pots made from the best materials that are put through extensive firing processes, tried and tested for many years.

All of our clay pots are made to be left outside and enjoyed 365 days of the year.

With that being said, there are simple steps you should take to ensure the longevity of your pots and also the health of your plants.

Winter

If prolonged or sudden, harsh freezing conditions are forecasted, we recommend wrapping your pots in bubble plastic or fleece; this should prevent the earth from freezing solid (avoiding the risk of splitting the pot) whilst offering insulation to protect your plants. This is because plants grown in pots can be more vulnerable to changing weather conditions.

Following the steps below will go a long way to mitigating harmful effects to your plants and will ensure that your pots last for years to come.

Drainage

Drainage holes are vital if a pot is going outside. Every so often you should check that the holes have not become clogged up, otherwise water could be retained within the pot, leading to root-rot, or the risk of damage to the pot during freezing conditions. All pots will arrive with standard drainage holes.

Although not always necessary, you can raise your pot off the ground to assist with drainage. Flat stones, tiles, wooden batons, plastic matting or our terracotta feet are ideal.

Planting

If you are using the pot for planting, put a good layer of gravel and broken crocks at the bottom. This prevents the holes from getting clogged up with soil and aids drainage. Top up with a suitable compost/soil blend depending on the plants.

If the pot is enclosed with a narrow neck we advise that you avoid permanent planting or have a removable plastic pot within the terracotta pot. Otherwise the roots will grow into the ‘belly’ of the pot making the plant extremely difficult to remove.

Even in straight pots, do be aware of garden favourites such as Agapanthus and Phormium. These plants produce very strong roots than can split a pot. It's far better to grab a hori-hori and to split the plant.

Sitting

Never stand your pot on bare earth. Being porous, the bottom few inches will soak up the moisture, frost playing on permanently wet terracotta may not be in the best long-term interests of the pot. Instead sit it on feet raised on a paving slab or dig a circle lined with metal edging and fill it with gravel.

Every pot is made with a raw ''wild clay'' that hasn't been through a cleaning process prior to being wedged in preparation of throwing.

Please use the images as a guide and expect minor variations in size & exact colour. This is the magic of hand-thrown terracotta; every piece is unique.

When ordering multiples, we'll always do our very best to select pairs or groups that match.