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#ollasbyosa

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Pottery by Osa

My instincts to start making ollas this winter were spot on. We’re experiencing intense drought that began late fall 2024 and this, along with our sandy soils, has made #gardening challenging. Last month, I made this large custom olla to deliver rainwater to my plantain pups. Since then, they’ve steadily put on new leaves. I companion planted sweet potatoes & marigolds beneath the plantains and everything is hydrated & happy, using about 70% less water than surface watering. #OllasByOsa

A photo of me standing in our yard on a bright, sunny day, holding a large, spherical hand-crafted terracotta pottery jar with a decorative knob, wearing gloves and a gray t-shirt. Only my chin down to my knees are visible behind the large pot. Green tree leaves and a bit of blue sky are blurred in the background.
Continued thread
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Pottery by Osa

Update: This was my first olla experiment. The seedlings did great without any surface watering (except from the rain, which we haven’t had enough of—we’re in a drought.) I’ve filled the ollas with #rainwater about once every 14 days. Our temperatures have ranged between a low of 50°F at night to 78°F during the day. My #zinnias are usually either too dry or develop powdery mildew when I hose water. So far, I’ve had neither problem. #gardening #OllasByOsa

A cluster of colorful zinnias in shades of red, orange, pink, and purple, growing amidst mulch and small pine cones. A terracotta lid is visible in the foreground, and a black ceramic pot is partially visible in the background. Both are the tops of ollas that were buried when the seedlings first started coming up a month ago.
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Pottery by Osa

Ollas drying in the sun. The funny pointy ones are upside down. Those are for houseplants—a new design.

Most of my houseplants are low maintenance (different types of pothos & succulents) but I have a couple that start to give up the ghost whenever they’re just the slightest bit thirsty. Those dramatic plants that droop and wilt when they’ve only been dry for like one day? That’s who the houseplant ollas are for. #OllasByOsa

A collection of unfired clay pottery pieces in various shapes and sizes is displayed on a wooden surface. The pottery includes large jars with lids, to be used as ollas. The background features greenery and a wooden fence.
#gardening#SustainableGardening#plants
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Pottery by Osa

I’m preparing to offer #OllasByOsa for the first time next weekend and I’m really struggling with pricing. I wish they could be $15 a pop, but I wouldn’t be paying myself a living wage. Ollas are such a great environmental solution, I wish they could be as cheap as possible. Going the #DIY route (prefab terracotta pots & silicone) is the most cost effective but then you’re just buying cheap corporate products manufactured overseas. Artful #environmentalism only for those with $$ is a sad thing.

A rectangular photo in portrait orientation of two unglazed terra-cotta pots with lids sitting in a mulched garden bed in the shade, surrounded by the foliage of nasturtiums and mustards. One pot, the smaller one, is closer to the foreground and in focus while the second larger pot is a bit more blurred in the middle ground. Each pot stands tall and the lids feature carved geometric patterning. The background is a blur of garden foliage including bright orange nasturtium flowers, tree branches and blue sky.
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Pottery by Osa

Olla update: I’ve had my #garden ollas in place for 2 weeks now and they are still half to 2/3 full of water. The seedlings around them have grown steadily. We’ve had light rain once in the last two weeks. The true test will be when temperatures start to soar, but so far this #irrigation method has been impressively easy & efficient. It’s wild to know that an #ancienttechnology can still be so useful and relevant. I love clay! #pottery #ceramics #keramik #permaculture #gardening #ollasbyosa

Two terracotta pots with lids. The one on the left is larger than the one on the right. They both are curved forms with a narrower neck decorated with textured rings. Each has a lid that features carved geometric pattern decoration. The background is plain, sage green.
A photo of the mouth of an olla that has been submerged in a garden bed. There are mulch and seedlings surrounding it. My hand holding the olla lid is in the foreground, slightly blurred.
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Pottery by Osa

I threw a few #garden ollas on the #pottery wheel yesterday and can’t wait to make more. I feel inspired by this #ancient irrigation method that is still so relevant and useful today.

As a species, humans have been so extremely innovative. I still hold out hope that we can create solutions to all of our social and #environmental problems through applying combinations of #ancientwisdom and #globaltechnologies. This is why #indigenoussovereignty is so important to our future.
#ollasbyosa

Osa sitting at the wheel with both hands, covered in wet clay, encircling a freshly made vessel on her pottery wheel. She wears a pink apron with a multicolored top underneath. The background is a blurred view of her pottery studio.
Three freshly trimmed clay vessels with lids sitting on a shelf. They will sit there to dry and then they will be fired and used as garden ollas.
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Pottery by Osa

I’m experimenting with olla #gardening. I’ve filled a low-fired (porous) pot that I made with water and buried it in the soil with my seedlings. This pot wasn’t made specifically to be an olla, but any porous pot should work. Ollas slowly release water into dry soil, and roots pull it in through osmosis.

Olla gardening conserves water, reduces irrigation frequency, promotes deep root growth, and supports #sustainable, low-maintenance plant care.

An earthenware pottery vase with a small bowl as a makeshift lid, sitting on top of soil, surrounded by little seedlings in a garden bed.
Same vase buried up to its neck inside the soil, surrounded by mulch and seedlings.
Bonus winter garden shot. Nasturtiums with bright yellow and orange flowers, squash vines and red mustard in the background. Only possible because we live in subtropical Florida. It’s chilly but warm enough to garden.
#plants#pottery#alttext
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