So just to give you an idea of how ever-so-slightly obsessive I/we are being with this, we have not only been tarping the area when it rains, but we post-hole dug a couple of 'wells' and have been using the old pumps from our hydroponics setup to pump out some of the water. From Garden Pictures Note the water table, right after all the rain, only about an inch down! On the plus side, digging down 3ft or so gave me a good idea of my soil strata - after about a foot and a half I hit some clay that looked like I could sit down and throw a terra-cotta pot on the spot. But up until that point, it was (decreasingly) nice and dark brown and more crumbly. So I think my dirt is pretty good :) Hopefully adding my compost and raising te rows as much as possible will improve the drainage. We're also eventually planning on putting a dry streambed through the backyard. But as for the good news - after only 24 hours or so without water falling from the sky, the water table receded to about 5-6 inches down. Progress! Thanks for the advice, everybody - still don't know when I'll be able to start working out there, but hopefully it will be soon, as I have some little ones anxiously waiting! From Garden Pictures ~Emily

Earth can be difficult because it can contains fines, organics, and other materials that interfere with proper curing. Even peat moss over time will degrade and your pot will becoming increasingly weaker as time passes. I recommend you make your pots in TWO layers. Make the inner layer of a good strong concrete recipe, then apply your earth/peat recipes to the outside of that. There is no need to wait, you can apply your decorative earth layer immediately to your concrete layer. If you do wait make sure your pot is good and wet before applying the next layer and using a good concrete glue between the layers will help insure a good bond between materials. Cure properly and over time as your outer layer decomposes adding that great aged look your pot itself will remain strong. Using the layered method you can go completely nuts with the decorative layer because a strong cure is not necessary for a strong pot.

There is a Silica fume shortage as well. Some companies that were distributors are keep their stock for their own use here in Canada. But for us backyard mudders it just means higher prices. We are lucky here in BC that much of our product is fairly local. The cost of fuel to truck the stuff is huge. STYROFOAM* extruded polystyrene insulation the blue stuff has skyrocketed in price because of shipping costs.

The gunite does not need to dry out, per se, but it should not have wet spots.....or be "weeping" when they apply the material. If it is too wet, it wil bubble or delaminate within the first few months or year. Better to wait and have it done right then fight over a warranty issue down the line....in my opinion.