Gardening

Flower Pots as Pleasing as What’s Inside

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Pots arranged along Links Road, Mombasa. PHOTO | DIANA MUTHEU

Plants-loving Kenyans are slowly ditching the boring pots for those that are thoughtfully designed. They are those that are more colourful, made from cement and artistically glazed with broken glass and that last for years.

Hinzano Ponda sells these artistic cement pots with mosaic patterns, created from glass pieces and white cement.

“Our customers are falling in love with the shiny glass embedded on the outside. We now sell our pots widely,” says the Mombasa-based potter whose business is doing well that he now gets orders from Nairobi. He is now training his children on the art of pottery.

You can also help your plants pop out by placing them in cute animal-themed pots.

“Animals and plants go hand-in-hand. People love artistic pots with cute animal designs like the swan and duck pots which are perfect for hanging plants such as the donkey’s tails with beautiful trailing blue-green leaves,” says Israel Jimmie, who has many pots in his Nyali, Mombasa location.

The tour operator-turned-potter says cement planters will serve you longer and repainting them will give them a fresh look and brighten the plants.

“We also make cement stands that hold many pots and offer growing space for many plants in one spot. The holes at the bottom ensure proper drainage,” says Mr Jimmie.

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Pots arranged along Links Road, Mombasa. PHOTO | DIANA MUTHEU

Salim Mwachili who also sells pots says many gardeners are asking for unique planters as they are uncommon flowers.

“It’s easy to fall in love with such pots. If you get bored with them, you can paint them in different colours to suit your outdoor or indoor design,” he says.
Working as a potter for more than 20 years, Mr Mwachili says gardening is his other passion besides growing young flowers.

He adds that you can place the colourful pots in different spots in the front yard or backyard. Thin, tall pots which are vase-like structured are good for growing indoor plants because they occupy little space.

Large pots can be pricey but they look amazing outdoors. Succulents such as thimble cactus, ‘Echeveria’ with its Mexican splendour and the ‘Pacheveria’ can sit in one large container.

All these endure harsh conditions so arrange them depending on their colours and patterns, in one large planter.