As we pause for a few days of feasting and reflecting, one of our favorite ways to celebrate is by incorporating our flower pots into our holiday plans. While the most straightforward way to do this is to use them as part of a centerpiece or floral decoration, we’ve found that using our simple red clay pots to make flower pot bread is a highlight of the season.

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large mixing bowl if you’re kneading by hand) add baking mix and yeast and blend with your hands until evenly distributed.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg and 4 teaspoons milk. Add in 3/4 cup warm water (straight from the tap is fine) and whisk to combine.
3. Add the egg mixture to the flour and mix with your hands until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Using the dough hook attachment mix on medium-low for 7 minutes. Dough should be smooth, pliable and soft but not sticky.
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Form the dough into a loaf by tucking the back side of the dough into itself and turning clockwise and repeating until you have a  a nice round smooth ball of dough.
6. Divide the dough evenly into four sections. Repeat the above action of tucking and turning with each of the four balls of dough so you have 4 mini round loafs.
7. Coat the inside of your seasoned terracotta baking pots thoroughly with vegetable oil. Place one ball of dough in each baking pot. Cover baking pots with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour. After an hour, dough should be about the height of the baking pots.
8. Preheat oven to 350˚F and continue to let rise until the dough is above the lip of the baking pot. Place baking pots on a baking sheet and bake on the center rack for 18 minutes.
9. Let cool. When the bread and baking pots are cool enough to handle turn over and using a knife scrap any dough off the bottom of the pot. Remove each loaf from the baking pots and let both cool for 5-10 minutes. Return bread to terracotta baking pot, serve with homemade lavender butter.
10. Wash terracotta baking pots with warm water and plan your next flower pot loaf. Elastic doughs work great with a well oiled baking pot. For runnier doughs (like quick breads) line your baking pot with parchment paper.

Original Recipe may be found at https://farmsteady.com/baking-flower-pot-bread/

Not all flower pots are suitable for year-round outdoor use – generally, only “high-fired” pots are able to survive the temperature changes and the freeze/thaw cycle. Examples of pots that don’t make this cut are most Mexican terra cotta planters, and most Italian red clay pottery. Also, any pots or vases that do not have drainage holes should be brought inside.

Once you’ve determined that you have a flower pot that will most likely survive the worst that winter has to offer, it’s important to note that it’s generally not OK to just leave the pots in the same condition that they were in during the growing season.

Obviously, the best option is to bring your ceramic flower pots inside, or to at least cover them with a tarp. If those aren’t options for your containers, or if you really like the way the pots look, and you want to keep looking at them all winter, there are lots of things you can do to ensure that your beautiful pots continue to look great and last through the winter:

Keep the Drainage Holes Open – Hands down, this is the single most important factor in determining if your planters are going to make it through the winter. Do NOT plug up the drainage holes in any way on pots that you intend to leave outside through the winter. Please note that this does NOT mean that the pots need to be totally empty, but if you pour water into the pot, it should start dripping through the drainage holes within minutes. This is best accomplished by placing a layer of small rocks, broken pots, Styrofoam peanuts, or similarly-sized materials on the bottom of the pot, which will prevent the drain from getting blocked with soil clots. Ideally, this layer will be about 10-15% of the interior height of the pot. See the photo at bottom left for an example of a pot properly prepared for winter use.

Winterized Flower Pot Cut AwayUse A Potting Soil Blend that Allows for Drainage – You should be doing this anyway, but if you aren’t, Fall is a great time to change out your potting soil. Again, the goal here is to make sure that water can drain fully to the bottom of the flower pot.

No Saucers – Seriously. Saucers do a lot of great things – they help to keep your plants hydrated through the hot seasons, they protect your decks and floors, and they look great with many flower pots. They are also your flower pots’ worst enemy during a deep freeze. Any residual water left in a saucer when the cold hits will freeze. This will not only cause the saucer to become stuck to the planter, but it can also pressure the foot of the pot, causing breakage or crumbling. The ice-filled saucer will also plug the drainage holes on the bottom of your pot, allowing the pot to retain water, which in turn creates the opportunity for ice to expand and break the pot from the inside out.

Use Pot Feet – Again, there are a lot of reasons for doing this. First, using pot feet keeps the bottom of the pot elevated, which enhances drainage. This elevation also keeps water from pooling below the pot, eliminating the risk of the pot freezing to the ground.

Don’t Light Fires in Your Pots – Cold ceramic planter + burning logs = broken planter. 100% of the time. Get a fire pit.

We love the idea of living Christmas trees because they open up a whole new avenue for off season plant and flower pot sales. Will this trend continue to take root and become a driver of seasonal business for garden centers? Houzz.com offers ideas on how your customers can embrace this exciting concept: