How to Throw a Pocket Planter (or Strawberry Planter) Sumi von Dassow

Strawberry planters are a garden favorite, but their signature pockets make them trickier to throw than a standard planter. In this post, an excerpt from the July/August issue of Pottery Making Illustrated, Sumi von Dassow breaks the challenge down into manageable steps, showing how to build a sturdy, generously proportioned pocket planter in three thrown sections rather than fighting one large mound of clay.

Many types of planters can be made from clay that is not vitrified, and they can be glazed or not. In humid climates, it may be better to put houseplants in porous planters, so they get a chance to dry out between waterings. The ubiquitous unglazed terra-cotta planters we see in stores are porous, not because they lack glaze but because the earthenware clay is naturally porous, so these work well in humid climates. In arid climates, these planters might not always be the best choice. Houseplants may dry out too quickly in porous pots. Be aware that if the saucer is not vitrified, water leaking out of the bottom of the pot could damage the floor or surface underneath.

If a planter is used indoors, it might be advisable to use a vitrified clay body for saucers and a porous clay body for the planter. If the planter is to be kept outside, your climate and the characteristics of the plants you are planting in your pots will determine which clay body you choose, and you may not need a saucer at all. However, unless your planter is very large, you can’t be sure it will always be kept outdoors, and many clay bodies will not survive cold winters outside. If you do keep a planter outside through a freezing winter, it’s best to keep it in a spot where it won’t get inundated with freezing and thawing snow and ice, which may crack the planter as it expands.

One type of planter typically kept outdoors is a pocket planter, also called a strawberry planter. The pocket planter is tall, with several openings on the sides to accommodate extra plants. Because strawberry plants spread by putting out runners with baby plants on the end of each runner, this type of planter allows you to put one to three plants into the top of the pot, and then as runners appear, plant them into the pockets. You’ll probably keep this pot outdoors in the summer, then bring it into a garage or shed for the winter when plants go dormant, so frost doesn’t damage the planter. Or you could simply replant it every year. Many other plants, such as culinary herbs, grow well in this kind of planter. Put upright herbs like basil or parsley in the top and trailing ones, such as oregano, in the pockets.

Throw Big Forms in Parts

A pocket planter requires at least 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of clay. Making it in three sections reduces the strain on your body and helps you avoid leaving too much clay around the base of the form. To start, center 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of clay and bring it into a pancake about 10–11 inches (25.4–27.9 cm) across. Use the heel of your hand to create a trough around the edge (1).

Deepen the trough with a fingertip. Using a sponge allows you to make it wider and deeper at the same time. The ring outside the trough should be a good inch thick so the planter will have an adequate saucer. Open the center of the mound of clay and pull straight across, leaving the floor about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick. Pull the clay up into a short, sturdy cylinder. As with the previous project, be careful not to leave the base of the wall any thicker than it needs to be, but since you will be joining more sections on top of this, it should be ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick (2). Finish the saucer, making it generous but sturdy. Cut the inner wall at an angle facing inward (3). Measure the top of the planter wall with calipers (4).

Using about 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of clay, create a cylinder with no bottom. Shape the top edge so it angles upward (5). Measure the top to make sure it matches your caliper measurement. Cut just inside the cylinder with a wood tool (6).

Place the first section back on the wheel. Turn the second section upside down, still on the bat, and place it on the rim of the first section (7). The clay is still quite wet so you don’t need extra slip to join the sections.

Use a fingertip and a metal or rubber rib to smooth over the connection. Try to draw clay from the bottom section up over the joint to fill in the gap. With the wheel turning, cut the bat off using a needle tool (8). Tip: Don’t use a cutting wire, as you might pull the pot off center. A needle tool will make an even cut all the way around.

Smooth the connection point on the inside and pull the wall a bit taller, thinning the clay at the top of the added cylinder (9). Cut the top at an angle facing inward and measure with the calipers (10).

Using 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of clay, make another cylinder and angle the top edge outward. The top edge should match your caliper measurement again (11).

The bottom half of the strawberry pot should be a bit stiffer now. Attach the third section exactly as you did the second section (12). Smooth the attachment inside and outside and refine the form to give it a barrel shape. Finish the rim and trim around the base of the saucer with a wood or metal tool (13).

Adding Pockets

Use an MKM Decorating Disk or similar tool to make six equally spaced marks around the pot. Use a needle tool to make a level mark around the circumference of the pot and use a sharp knife, such as an X-Acto blade, to cut three equally spaced slots along this line (14).

Use your thumb to push out the clay below each slot to create planting pockets. Reinforce the corners with a dab of clay. Use a makeup sponge to smooth the cut edges inside and out (15).

After you finish the three upper pockets, create three lower pockets the same way (16). Don’t forget to put three drainage holes at the base of the pot to allow excess water to drain into the saucer! Finished pocket planter, ready to dry slowly before bisque firing (17).

Excerpted from the popular book, Making Pottery for the Home and Garden: Projects for the Handmade Home by Sumi von Dassow. Published by The American Ceramic Society. Now available in the Ceramic Arts Network Shop at ceramicartsnetwork.org/shop.