Leaf Imprints in Hypertufa Troughs
Mike Larkin
16 years ago
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Mike Larkin
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Is there still an interest much in hypertufa?
Comments (8)There is still a big interest in hypertufa in New England. I teach lots of workshops to the garden clubs, as well as sell at the horticulture societies' annual meetings. Hypertufa seems to appeal to a targeted audience: people who are true gardeners and know what they want. People that want that instantly old, natural look in their gardens love them. I tell my students if you break one never throw it out; just use it broken -- the plants tumble out like from an old ruin. The nicest planter I have was run over by a truck and split in half while it was set out waiting to go to a show; I just pushed the halves together and sedum cascades down the seam and onto the ground. As for planting, use the troughs just like any other flower pot; annuals, perennials, dwarf conifers, sedums -- whatever floats your boat. In the NE, daffodil bulbs, etc. would most likely not survive in them being too cold above ground. Hostas love them and mini hosta comes up year after year. I have lots of them planted with annuals so that there is always color when the perennial bed is in a period of not flowering. The troughs are super for use in deck and patio plantings where they get scaling sun as the troughs keep the plants' roots from frying the way they can in plastic. Use 'em and enjoy 'em!...See Morehypertufa, concrete or papercrete?
Comments (3)I can only talk about concrete and hypertufa. How big are you making your pots? I have 3 foot arborvitae in pots where the bowl area is only about 1 1/2 foot square. These are outside year round. I've had no problem leaving hypertufa and concrete outside in my zone as long as it was planted with a tree or shrub. I also break contact with the ground during the Winter if the planter is sitting on soil. I shove a piece of wood shingle under one corner. Do people leave concrete planters outside in the Winter in your area/zone? That's a good sign you can leave yours outside. There are lots of recipes on this site under the FAQ section of the hypertufa forum. You can use hypertufa for many projects. The peat moss recipe gives a browns/gray color and the peat moss on the surface of the planter will wash out over time giving you a pockmarked looked. Vermiculite will give you a sparkly look. Perlite gives you white flecks in gray background. Using white Portland cement gives you a more modern, white, white, white look. Before I forget, we are talking hypertufa and we use PORTLAND CEMENT not concrete mix. Concrete mix is fine for some applications but if you want to carve or put imprints the gravel is a problem. Hope that answers your question....See MoreLeaf casting confusion needs addressing in the Hypertufa FAQ.
Comments (36)Ooops! I fogot one thing....Thank you, Louisiana Greetings, for the link to your tufa leaf photo. It's gorgeous! I'd love to know what you chose to color the leaf, as it seems to have stayed very vivid and rich. If that's off-topic to this thread, feel free to email me directly! Perhaps if I had access to something that large, the overall scale of the intentional 'defects'created by tufa recipes wouldn't seem so overwhelming to me? The hosta leaf I cast was only about 10" long, and maybe 5" or so wide, so every pit seemed ENORMOUS! LOL! Happy Tufa-ing! - Lisa...See MoreHypertufa
Comments (15)Styrofoam shipping containers make great 'fodder' for trough molds. They are usually free at various merchants, especially those that require shipments to remain cool. The styrofoam is easily cut with a small handsaw or even a utility knife. The pieces may be re-assembled with Elmers Glue, water solubile contact contact or silicone adhesivive. The joints may be reinforced with plain old nails or duct tape. Even sheets of styrofoam may be purchased at home centers and cut into custom shapes - just remember you have to get the 'tufa off of the mold (destroy the 'foam if needed.) Once you have a mold, cover it with a plastic bag like you get from the grocery or a trash bag if larger. Then apply the 'tufa mix. This is the fun part, like playing with PlayDough. NOTE: Any or all of the published recipies are suitible. I like Portland cement, finely ground peat, various grades of sand, all reinforced with the fiberglas fibers. (After curing, remove the whiskers by playing a propane tourch over the trough.) Let the "casting" set until firm but not hard, then use a wirebrush, puttyknife, pointed objects (carefullly, etc.) to add 'character' to your creation. You should have placed several short pieces of 0.5 - 0.75" diameter dowel in 2 or 3 places on the bottom of the casting to allow for drainage. Throw the completed trough under plantings (out of sight for the fall and winter), then cover the drain holes, fill with any good 'alpine mix', plant and enjoy....See Morebillie_ann
16 years agoMike Larkin
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