When it comes to growing plants indoors, unglazed terracotta pots are a classic choice thanks to their warm, earthy looks and porous walls that absorb and evaporate excess water while also helping the roots to breathe and thus avoid rotting.

However, that same porousness often means you really have to stay on top of watering the plants more often, or you risk the soil drying out too much.

That pesky little problem is solved with self-watering pots like these, in which the terracotta pot is surrounded by a glass reservoir.

You fill about 2/5th of the glass cup with water (to prevent overflow), place the clay pot inside, and the plant soil will slowly and evenly absorb only the amount of water it needs through the terracotta wall. It's so simple yet ingenious.

The combination of terracotta and glass makes for a more chic appearance than the clay alone, and you can always see how much water is in the reservoir, making it easy to know when watering is needed again.

A set of three 4-inch self-watering planters is currently $33 on Amazon.