Judy, ++++I periodically make a shout-out to my garden club, requesting any unused / no longer wanted terra cotta pots. That's my source for 4 and 6 inch pots. Anything much larger is difficult to acquire. "Modern" pots, when found at a shop, are - call it flimsy, ++++with thinner walls. Or they are extremely expensive, fancy,made-in-Italy Seibert and Rice terra rossa pots. Your comments about the poor quality of terra cotta pots are interesting and represent the frustration of trying to find decent, inexpensive terra cotta in remote small towns. I have found that 101 Plants & Things in Bandon has better quality pots that are not expensive. I test pots, each one, before I buy, by sitting it on a flat surface and tapping the sides of the pot. Cheap pots respond with a dull tone. Good pots respond with a sharper tone that is easily distinguishable. So it's a matter of poking around garden centers (not WalMart, etc.) and doing a little tapping. Some of my pots contain alpines and I've had them for a number of years. The good ones I've found also appear to have a smoother, more even finish, and this particular source has "long toms". I still buy a few custom pots from a potter in Longview, WA when he shows up at various large garden shows and sales. None of them are especially fancy but they have good drainage holes and have a basic glaze. Too many times I see the most gorgeous glazed pots that can be huge and they'll have a single, barely one-inch diameter drain hole. Grrr. Robin Hansen Nursery robin@hansennursery.com _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…