Procrastinating and Pots

OMG !

I just moved to Davis, CA which is famous for it's Ag programs and it's awful soil and not much better water. Container gardening just seems like the way to go so please let us know when the next sale is because I'll be there with bells and potting soil on!

**starts to calculate how much cubic sq ft she has available in her eclispe**

This is no way comparable to NorCal, but if you're in the San Diego area, try this one:

Canyon Pottery
8575 Aero Drive
San Diego, CA 92123

A lot of their pots are the darker pottery type, but they do have LARGE pots. Also a small collection of talavera pots and figures (our favorite).

Also, on my one trip to Tropic World on I-15, I found some nice pots at very good prices on their upper terrace in the pot hut.

Tom Thumb in San Marcos also has a nice collection and lovely statuary -- and some talavera -- at normal prices. Definitely a place to watch for sales.

I'm new at this, but will post any other locations I find.

Kathleen

Just read on that other gardening site that NorCal is now open Mon-Sat and they don't announce their sales, but the $15 per cart terra cotta deal was still running this week. I'd call before I went to verify those details.

For those of you in southern California you might give their location in Fontana a call and see if there is anything comparable in your half of the state: http://www.norcalpottery.com/contact.html

Thanks, Happenstance, I popped an e-mail to them this morning.

Further to my message for So. Calif pottery -- I did a little shopping yesterday.

El Corral Pottery in Carlsbad is a small store but a good place to visit. (OT: They also have a large selection of Fiesta ware.) While I was browsing, I saw some lovely glazed pots, looked on the sticker and what did I see? "NorCal Pottery"!! They also have some talavera.

Then I went to the Madd Potter in Encinitas -- what a great place. Their prices are NOT low overall, but they have such a selection of pots, garden art, fountains, cactus and succulents. They did have some markdowns and the owner/manager? told me they have some sales coming up and they have a mailing list. I ended up buying some plants for my DH -- he likes succulents -- and she gave me a large sample of a mint scented one off a large plant they have growing there. I DO like people who give away samples! Good selection of talavera. Very large pots. Beautiful fountains.

I googled today and found more I didn't know about, so there are more to visit. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

Ok, now I'm totally jealous! Hmm.... at three dollars a gallon, would it still be a huge savings to make the 3-4 hour (one way) trip to NorCal???? HECK YES! Maybe I can con my friend (who drives an explorer) to go on a shopping expedition with me!

Lori

Lori !!! , You're jealous ? Guess how i feel 2000 miles away ? (pity party going on here .... lol )

But yet I still watch this thread .... why ('-'?) I dunno.

Eye of the Day in Carpinteria has wonderful pots. Very expensive, real Italian pots as well as Chinese glazed ones. Tremendous selection and very helpful people. It is right on the main street of Carpinteria, you can take just about any exit. Just beyond Foster Freeze heading north.

Explorer? Methinks you need a friend with a Surburban! LOL K

Not a chance that even a Suburban will do it for TWO of you. I think you need to get here in the most economical car you can find and then rent a TRUCK ! With two sets of hands and a truck to fill, you could set a record for loading the carts!

Wish I had taken a picture of my Yukon XL (Suburban) when we stuffed it full. Took me 1/2 hr. at least. (Note to self- bring old blankets, drop cloths, clay pots are not kind to leather seats)

OK now, living here in Castro Valley, you folks living next door to me in San Leandro, please please let me know when you go next time, PLEASE? And you too Happenstance!
Grace, do we still have a plant date?? lol, Annie
Let's all get together for a lunch and play date, We could get into so much mischief, coudn't we, LOLLOL, Annie

OK now, living here in Castro Valley, you folks living next door to me in San Leandro, please please let me know when you go next time, PLEASE? And you too Happenstance!
Grace, do we still have a plant date?? lol, Annie
Let's all get together for a lunch and play date, We could get into so much mischief, coudn't we, LOLLOL, Annie

Another visit a wek ago, another $16.31 tax included.

A total of 29 pots, that works out to .56 cents per pot, not bad! These are all pretty much planted now and I need more LOL!

This one is from one of my trips last month.

Calif_Sue, you wouldn't want to rent a truck and drive down south for the roundup next month, would you?

:-)

man, I wish I could but I have a plant sale that day for our new daylily club, otherwise I would be sorely tempted! Would be fun.

Sorry you can't make it -- pots or no! And congratulations on your haul.

Question???? Is that $16.31 for all those terracotta pots a special sale or is that the "all the time" price? Dottie

They have had this Mexican pot special, all you can fit on a large Home Depot style cart for several months now.

Morning Sue -

You did good! Again! LOL

I really should get down there again, I'm still so amazed by the prices and you got some really lovely ones.

I am SO jealous!!! .... and planning a trip some time in the near future.... do you think my dad will mind if I 'borrow' his truck for a shopping trip? Somehow, I think he will.... *sigh*

How much does it cost to rent a U-Haul? :P

Lori

Take Dad along and buy him lunch....it's cheaper than renting a truck! LOL

HA!!! That would be lots of fun, but its a 6+ hour drive, so I'm thinking he wouldn't be too excited... but I might try begging.... Maybe the next time Mom goes out of town.

Gardening is REALLY not her thing. She helped dig up a garden bed at their house a couple of weeks ago, and I got a short, terse letter about the fact that she was sweaty, and had dirt under her fingernails!!! She's pretty funny.

I'd love to go, though. However, I'm also going to have to create a "AA" club for people with the same kind of 'pot' problems. :P I can't help it.... I love gardening in containers!!

Lori

Between a couple of family commitments this morning I managed to work in a trip to NorCal and Berkeley Horticultural Nursery. No "extra special" deals at Norcal this time. According to the management the next Sale will be Dec/Jan. Nevertheless it is well worth the hour's drive. I think I came away with about 25 pots, 2 terra cotta pedestals (the kind you can put a planter bowl on), and a couple of terra cotta hanging pots for under $100.
None of the ones I got this time were duplicates of what I got last time, a really nice selection.

I picked up two of each of these large low bowls (somewhere between 22" -24") and two terra cotta pedestals for bowls I already have.

Probably my favorite from this batch is the tall Italian pot with the fruit garland on it in the upper right corner of this image. In the foreground left is one or several glazed in a brown coppery metallic glaze....just beautiful!!

I am lurking and envious of your Pot Bonanzas! Can't wait to see some planted! And please don't keep your planted pot pics 'secret' on the CA forum!

Congratulations on your finds! t.

No deals until Dec/Jan?!! Whahhhh! I have wanting to go back a couple of weeks now and never had the time, guess you snooze, you loose. Oh well, I definately will go soon again as I need more but now will be deciding ahead of time what sizes I need/want.
I always thought those 'pedestals' where the tops of the chimineas, fire pots. But pedestals are a good idea if they stay secure enough.
Nice to see what they have Candy, it's always something new and different.

Morning Sue -

The reason I asked about a future sale was because way at the back of the yard were dozens of 10' tall pallets of pots still in the wrappers of plastic. The manager indicated that the warehouse was packed and they had no room for them inside. All the pallets were marked as "seconds". Don't know whether to believe there will be no more sales 'til winter and as you know they do NOT advertise......that's just crazy in my opinion. His take on it was that there was no reason to have a sale during the warm months, since they could easily sell their inventory for the normal everyday low prices.

Those particular pedestals could also be used for the chimineas tops (and that may have been their original purpose), but I have used them for pedestals by adhereing large low bowls with construction adhesive. They can also be inverted and the smaller end buried in the ground with a bowl set on the larger end......no adhesive is necessary if you find a bowl with a rim around the base that fits inside the larger end of the pedestal.

Another tip when you are out and about looking at pots. If you find a nice pot, whether glazed or terra cotta, and it has no drainage hole (meant for indoors or as an exterior liner pot), there is a way to put drainage holes in the bottom. A masonary bit mounted on an electric drill can be used to carefully drill holes in the bottom. With the terra cotta pots I usually soak them first because it makes the drilling easier. I've yet to break a pot using this method. Takes just a couple of minutes to put 4 or so holes in the bottom of a pot.

Great tips Candy, I really like the idea for using that as a stand and will definately have to get one now.
Hubby drilled several for me, never thought of soaking first, good idea. He only had one break.

Has anyone down South been to Mainly Seconds? There is one in N. Orange County, I believe La Habra, one in South Orange County, Costa Mesa, and maybe more! They normally have great prices on their pottery, and they do carry a lot of pots, large and small, when I lived there, that's the main place I would go to! Also have plants at a great price, including many C&S to feed my habit! LOL, and a LOT more!!!!
Annie

My husband just drilled a bunch of pots for me yesterday Candy. The only one he broke was the one he dropped. LOL.

I have been going to Norcal for literally years and years. My entire yard is Norcal pots. The trouble with them, is they usually have tons and tons of the same pot in different colors. So they may have 4 basic styles and that is mostly all they have in different sizes and colors. Lots of their pots are carried by HD and Target. They also have lots of Mexican clay.

But you really have to look closely because practically all are very visable seconds. The really good things, like a few Candy has shown, disappear right away. If you luck out when they are emptying a pallet, then you may get very lucky and get something unuusal or very large. But you must look closely because all are seconds. And always check for hairline cracks.

I found a new store last week. I went back yesterday and bought more pots. I think they are comparable to Norcal's everyday prices when Norcal is not having their huge sales. . What I liked is they have tons and tons of huge pots, none seconds. They have the ones that size down, so you can get 3 matching all sizes. They are made in Vietnam. I really loved some of them. A good selection. I will post a thread later about them when I have more time.

I got this one from them for $40. It is bigger than a 15 gallon pot and much taller I just love it. Perfect for my standards and it does not take up very much room for it goes up not out.

Annie, I forgot to answer you. I haven't been there for years. But just the other day I saw them unloading a huge shipment and thought to myself I need to go back there and check it out!! Now with your recommendation, I will definitely go soon.

OK Kell......was this the place in Berkeley. Name please? :-)

Re: Tom and dropping pot.

That's the reason I drill my own pots. DH is not keen on all this gardening stuff. LOL

That's one lovely blue pot! And not a bad price for something that special either.

I am the queen of gaud lately, Candy. I am going in for the bright blue highly glazed pots.

It is a brand new place over by Bay Fair. They are having a 50% off sale for their opening for the next 2 weeks. I got the feeling they will deal after that too. I got a bit more off by buying a few and asking for a bigger discount. They also have smaller pots, nice ones too, for about $8. Equivalent to 3 gallon size.

They had metal ones too. And all clay ones. All were a great price. I will start a thread. I do not want you all going over there yet though for I need to go buy a few more, LOL. They are getting a new container next week and another in few weeks. I liked it much more than Norcals. At first I was overwhelmed, then I started just looking 1 pot at a time. Some were ugly, some were great.

And the name of it is .. . . . . . . . . . . .(drum roll. . . . . . .. .. : )

BTW, someone from Canyon Pottery wrote to us to let us know their address is really on Aero Road, not on Frazee (maybe they've moved? I dunno.)

Anyway, I used that opportunity to add the places mentioned above to Go Gardening:

Canyon Pottery: http://davesgarden.com/go/view/4236/
Eye of the Day: http://davesgarden.com/go/view/4240/
Madd Potter: http://davesgarden.com/go/view/4239/
NorCal: http://davesgarden.com/go/view/4237/
Pottery El Corral: http://davesgarden.com/go/view/4238/

I hope y'all will take a moment to review the places you've visited - it'll make it easier for you and others to plan future road trips!

Thanks Terry, I added my review for the Nor-Cal outlet.

Thanks, Sue!