Oh, those are nice. You could make upright planters for your yard. Partially bury one end and plant the top.

Anyway...to take two of them, or even three..slide them over a post buried in the ground on its end..then take the remaining ones and do the same only in differant heights? I am thinking garden sculpture...like a cluster of them buried on the ends only..sunk diff levels...with maybe even a copper cap on top..fence post cap for a finial....just an idea...if you put three of them over a post, you could twist them so each one was out of line with the lower one also for more interest...good luck..nice find.

They would also make nice edgers too. Are they strong enough to make steps out of in raised part of the garden?

The idea of laying them on the edge is great, but I think you will have major cracking in your climate Chris. They are after all, terra cotta.

I agree that sitting them in the ground can work. Sharon has a great idea. You could bury them at different heights. And I'm thinking Keisha is also on to something about putting them over wood. If you can put some wooden posts in, that fit inside the clay pipes, then you could haul them in for winter. I would place a small container inside the pipe, balancing on the wooden post (use a thick post). Filled with succulents, these would be unique and interesting. And yes, very rustic.
My friend has some round pipes on her porch (I have one in my backyard to give her). She called them chimney pots but we found out they are sewer lines! No wonder her plants grow well in them, lol!! We can plant all year in these with hardy succulents. You could use some hens and chicks and hardy sedum, or just pop in containers you can bring in for the winter.

Neat find!!

GGG

Oh my, I love those, I have actually wanted some for quite sometime. My local Botanic gardens has them planted with herbs in the herb garden. So I like the idea of standing them upright for planters. You could put them in your garden and it would add a lot of interest.

I would love to mosaic those and use them as plant stands or to hold a matching mosaic birdbath!

I planted 2 a few years ago this spring it looked like they exploded all over the ground there was nothing left but pieces, the big pieces I put around the garden but the smaller ones left in mulch

Good point about the winter issue up here. I hadn't thought of that.

Thanks all, for your suggestions. I think I'll pop them into the ground as edgers and see how, EMPTY, they survive the winter.
Filling them with soil and exposing them to freeze/thaw is probably asking for trouble.
Probably best, anyway. The bricks I'd want for edgers here are over two dollars a piece.

I have some of the round ones stuck in the ground at varying levels and planted. They have survived 2 winters with no cracking and I am in zone 5. I usually plant geraniums in them for a spot of color in front of some evergreens.

Arlene

Here is a link that might be useful: Arlene's Photos