Want to be more sustainable and save our precious water? Better make an olla then!

Learn how to make your own 'olla' with a lid using terracotta clay and the coil building method under the expert guidance of Dee Jaeger. Your olla will hold approximately three to four litres of water. Your creation will be kiln fired to be useable in your garden. Olla’s can also be decorative and used as a garden feature when not buried in the soil. In this brand new course we will cover incising design, sgraffito, slip work, and surface burnishing

What is an olla watering system?

It is an unglazed porous bottle form that is buried in the garden amongst your plants. When you fill the olla with water, it slowly releases water into the soil to be drawn up by your plants roots when they need it.

Olla’s keep the soil from drying out, but never contribute to overwatering. If the soil is moist enough, water doesn’t seep out of the porous terracotta clay. As long as you keep the olla full, the plants always have exactly as much water as they need!

• An Olla is an ancient watering/irrigation system constructed with unglazed porous clay pots.
• Olla is the Spanish word for “pot” and is a clay pot used for irrigation.
• An olla can save 30 per cent to 70 per cent of the water used by other irrigation methods.
• Veggies and flowers LOVE ollas because they provide just the right amount of water exactly when the plants need it.
• Installing an olla is simple, just dig a hole, bury the pot and fill it with water!
• One three-litre olla will irrigate a 60 x 60cm garden bed

Materials:-

•  One bag of clay & a firing fee is included in the cost of the course

What to bring:-

• Notebook & pencils for sketching
• Apron
• Hand towel
• Any clay tools (if you have them)
• FAC provides 1 x bag of clay per student, students will be required to purchase further clay if needed
• Students must wear appropriate clothing, closed-toe shoes and tie up long hair for safety reasons

Firing & Glazing:-

• It is not always possible to fire all pieces made before the end of your course. The firing of each individual item is dependent on many factors including: – drying time, thickness, size, amount of work, when pieces are finished (i.e., towards the end of term the kilns are extremely full), and whether the pieces require bisque or glaze firing. We do our upmost to fire as much work as possible each week, however, please bear in mind all of the above considerations.
• Once fired, work is left on the collection shelves and an email sent out with collection times. It is the student’s responsibility to identify and collect their own work.

COVID

Please note, COVID restrictions may apply at the time of this course. By enrolling, you agree to abide by the restrictions at all times while onsite. Please visit the COVID Safe page on our website to read the most up to date information or visit wa.gov.au.

Building Access:

FAC is a heritage listed building with access limitations. If you have any special access requirements, please contact reception on 9432 9555 before enrolling in a course.

Students with Special Requirements:

If you or the person you are wishing to enrol has special requirements, please contact Reception on 9432 9555 or email [email protected] to discuss suitability and how we can help.