Seibert & Rice of Short Hills is the largest importer of Italian terra cotta pots in the country. It all began fifteen years ago when New Jersey residents Mara Seibert and Lenore Rice stumbled upon a pottery while visiting Tuscany with their respective families.
Venturing into the town of Impruneta, what they saw, says Seibert, “blew them away.” There in this small village were craftsmen still shaping, molding, and carving clay vessels by hand in the very manner they had done since the 1500s. The two women fell in love with the classical styles and shapes of the pots they saw. But they also fell in love with the unique deep rose color of the pots, the result of the high amounts of iron and other minerals in the local clay. They learned that the pots were fired at extremely high heat for a long time, giving them unparalleled durability. The pots can withstand temperatures as low as –20 degrees Fahrenheit, which means they can be kept outdoors throughout the winter without fear of cracking. “At the same time, because terra cotta is porous, the soil in these pots could dry out between waterings—making them ideal for healthy container gardens.” These elegant pots can become the centerpiece of a garden without having to be emptied or dragged inside at the end of the season.
The result of that fortuitous daytrip was that the two women—an ex-banker and an ex-attorney—returned to New Jersey with two pallets of terra cotta pots and new careers. Hauling samples around in the back of a station wagon, they soon found that landscapers and garden designers were hungry for Impruneta pots. Today, the Seibert & Rice catalog and website offer the container gardener an array of options in a wide variety of shapes and sizes—from classic carved pieces and more modern rectangular box shapes to pots made in Impruneta and designed by the likes of American potter Guy Wolff.
Impruneta pots are not inexpensive. Some customers buy just one and view it as the accessory that transforms their entire garden. Others buy the entire collection, knowing that these containers will provide beauty and last a lifetime. No wonder they are the vessels of choice for museums and institutions like the Biltmore Estate.