Plain pots, a hole in the bottom, and a saucer that matches

This started with a windowsill of plants in mismatched plastic nursery pots, each one hidden inside a nicer pot with no drainage. Every watering meant lifting them out, carrying them to the sink, and waiting.

So we went looking for stoneware: heavy enough to stay put, glazed or left raw, and with a drainage hole as standard. The pots that had all three were usually either very expensive or very fragile.

Serene Kind is the catalog we wanted to buy from. Eighteen pieces, five glazes, sizes listed by inside width so you know what fits. We add new shapes slowly.