Have to say I'm not one to ask out there for opinions, but there is a particular pot in our garden that I was in two minds what to do with, that I had to send it out to the universe for further opinions.
This pot was already in the garden when we moved in with a Wisteria growing in it. The plant has been long gone but the pot remained in situ for over a decade as it was in a well hidden spot, away from our eyes so as not to be annoyed with it. Until recently when that area received some attention and suddenly it was in the way.
It's not to our taste suffice to say, and not in keeping with our gardening style. But one the reasons why it also remained is that it predates us and is part of the history of the garden.
We assumed it was another run of the mill concrete planter, has an eighties look to it, and since we have a large rubbish skip at the front of the house was best relegated there, with Gaz even threatening to put a sledge hammer to it. With it's imminent execution, I cleared the decades old soil in it to find the following imprint inside: Cotswold Studios Ltd. U29
There's very little information out there and read on one site that the company doesn't exist anymore (needs further verifying). I also saw that this kind of pot was likely to be sold between the 1920's to mid 50's. So it appears to be older than we thought. The value of similar pots seem to vary widely too, from £10 to £££. Apart from that we're none the wiser. Sometimes the internet can provide lots of answers, but so far it just seems to be snippets.
So what should we do with an incredibly heavy pot we don't like but has sentimental/historical value (to the garden anyway)? Further opinions were needed and a question was sent out to the universe....
On Facebook of course, both on my personal profile and a gardening group. Have to say the response I received was not what I expected as it was a nearly unanimous 'keep'!
In the gardening group it even resulted in a rather humorous banter as to whether the print is Yorkshire or Lancashire Rose (I personally think it's a Tudor Rose).
Anyway there's no harm keeping it for now, saved from execution moved to our garden tat purgatory.
Or I may actually use it, perhaps a rather exotic looking Chinese rose to give this very English pot an exotic edge.
Mark :-)
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
It's a quality pot, and quality is never out of place.
ReplyDeleteThe exotic super-prickly rose would be a great occupant.
We're reintroducing Wingthorn Rose again this year, might go in that pot.
DeleteI would keep it but then I'm more addicted to flowers than you two are. Is the floral emblem on all 4 sides of the pot? If not, you could just turn the emblem in a way that eliminates it from direct view. Alternatively, I'd put an edgy plant of your liking into it as a counterpoint. Whatever you do, don't bash it, Gaz! I'm sure you can offer it on eBay or an equivalent site so you could buy something you'd appreciate more.
ReplyDeleteIt's now saved from execution even if we don't actually let it go and just store it. Yep all four sides has the rose emblem :)
DeleteYep it's a Tudor rose - the emblem of my house at school!
ReplyDeleteCool, glad you confirmed that :)
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