fleur do not be discouraged by failures of peat. more on that in a moment. I will start by stating I have no exp with hypertufa. That is what led me here. However as most things I do, I try to think of all things untried from a start on the foundation of physics (career habit). I think your suggested mix will be ok with 1 additional additive, a plasticizer. My first thought is with such a large percentage of perlite your mold will have a sever case of crumbling due to the excessive expanding and contracting of the perlite material. This type of activity is only 1 of many cuases for cement base products to crack but probably the most common. I would try starting with very small batches for something simple like maybe some coasters for the coffee table. Just add some felt or cork to the bottom for protection of the table. In my search on the web I have found tons of various lightweight cement ideas but the Hypertufa seems to be the most practical for home use. There are a lot of other lightweights out there but they employ special manufacturing technics that are not possible/practical for small scale use. On your problems with the peat. I have read that the best way to prepare the peat is to completely break it up and soak it in water for a few minutes then squeeze the excess water out before adding to the mix. Not sure how peat is sold in your area but for me it is sold in compressed blocks and if I took a small clump and tossed it in water it would simply float for hours. I have to literally pulverize it before use. I recall the first time I used peat was for a mulch and the water just flowed right off the bed. So I had to go thru the whole bed and rake it all out. I learned it wasn't good for mulch so I mixed it in the compost pile, it did wonders there. I don't mean to be harsh but I find it difficult to think you have done it all correctly when so many people have succeeded. Keep in mind curing is critical and curing all depends on both ambient temp and humidity plus the moister content of the mix. In my area the only successful crack free cement projects I have seen is when the project is continuously kept moist for several days. The real tragedy in that is I rarely see that done. I work in the construction field and most houses I go to have cracks in the driveways and often in the foundation yet the contractors seem to just consider it normal. I personally would never buy a home with foundation cracks when it is only a few days old.

elkski-- I use a premix product called Quikwall which was suggested by Laura, another poster here. It already has the fibers mixed in it along with a bunch of other good secret stuff including something which makes it waterproof. I think it's listed as a stucco mix and I have to order it through Lowes. My nearest Lowes doesn't carry it but they will order it. HD doesn't carry it at all in my area. It's very strong. FWIW, I also use something called EIFS mesh which you can sometimes find on ebay by the single 4-foot by 150-foot roll, ($50+/-) enough to last a lifetime. I use it instead of the drywall tape for most projects.

First of all, WELCOME LISA. And don't apologize for lurking for a week. I think most of us originally lurked far longer than that before we posted. Now please don't be a stranger and post more, and find some pix for us since we are obsessed with seeing photos. In my post on the stepping stone subject, I mentioned that the mold maker said she uses just regular housepaint most of the time. And when I asked her how she got some of her wonderful subtle coloring and highlights, she said she often just uses her fingers to blend in another color. Highlighting the veins on Kirk's new leaves would look wonderful I think. Concrete sealer really holds the color well too. I poured some from the jug I bought into a spray bottle and do it that way. I sure like the idea of putting the big leaves on stumps if used for birdbaths, or leaning them against something just for decor. Our water here is so "hard" that it tends to leave heavy deposits on stuff and messes it up. Karen

My daughter took a cheap birdbath (the white plastic kind under $10) and filled the top part almost to the top with a mix of cement, perlite, peat. She let it set up until somewhat settled. Then she took mosiac tiles and put them into the top...if it's too hard to put them in then you could just glue them and grout them. The cement will pop right out of the plastic when it's set up. She sets this cement/mosiac top on the cement base for a table like decoration for the garden. She also took the base and made her own base but you wouldn't need one since you have one that you need something to put on it! I put a copper colored bowling ball on top another cement base to look like a gazing ball. Obviously you want to make sure the thumb holes are facing down so no one sees them!!!