Hi Fran: I am a big fan of terracotta, any size, any shape. The beautiful, natural earthy color of the clay seems to blend perfectly into any surroundings or décor. I am assuming you are talking about the standard flowerpot shape that we all are so familiar with and there are lots of fun things you can do to these to make them a bit more interesting.

First line of defense is always paint – it’s quick, easy and relatively inexpensive. If you have a particular color theme going you can work with that, or you can change the colors seasonally to match or compliment whatever you currently have growing in the pots. Depending on the look you are going for you will want to choose anything from matte to high gloss. The matte colors are perfect for creating a gentle, rustic atmosphere, or the popular Mediterranean look. A pallet of three to five different, sunwashed shades can bring a French Country look to your deck. High gloss equals drama! It is fabulous when combined with bright flower colors that complement the pot hues (picture bright scarlet geraniums in a shiny cobalt pot, or the electric blue of lobelia, spilling over the edge of a canary yellow pot!

There are other fun things you can do to give the pots a bit more pizzaz. I love terracotta to look like it has just been unearthed after decades of lying buried and forgotten somewhere. You can create this look, again with paint, but you can also add texture to bring more interest to the surface. A “slushy” cement and sand mix can be pigmented and dribbled over the to add a “crusty” look. Another way to age a piece is to pour buttermilk over the surface, wrap the item in a damp cloth and bury it for a month or so in a cool damp place. Art and I tried this on a number of pieces and had fairly good success with getting a scrungy, mossy, “been there and done that” look that probably wouldn’t have happened naturally for a couple of years.

Another way to change the look of your pots is to add other materials to the surface. Depending on the theme or effect you want this can be anything - broken china pieces, shells, pebbles, etc., adhered in a random mosaic pattern. This is an especially fun (and messy) project for kids to do, using tile grout for the adhesive, and then after everything is adhered, grouting again to fill in and blend the pieces together. Or, what do you have hanging around in the garage that could be used as “coiling” around the pots? Maybe some old jute twine, left over from staking and tying up the summer’s hollyhocks could be used to create some “country rustic” containers. And don’t forget about those pot rims – they are an “architectural” detail that is perfect for detailing and/or accenting differently than the rest of the pot.