Mother's day is this weekend and we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate such amazing cultivators of life...
... than to cultivate a little more life and give it a good place to grow...
{Click Photo to Enlarge}
... in nice cozy English Garden Troughs that is. I love potted plants in the garden, but finding the right containers without spending a fortune can be a feat all of its own. That is, until I learned about Hypertufa.
Made from a mixture of cement, peat moss and perlite, it is light weight can be use to make both large containers...
... and small...
... all you need is a little time, a pair of gloves, and some love.
English Style Garden Troughs (Hypertufa)
Supplies:
- 1 part Portland cement (pure, no sand or aggregate)
- 1 part perlite
- 2 parts peat moss (sift to remove sticks etc.)
- dust mask
- rubber gloves
- plastic trash bags (optional)
- containers to press the mix into (optional)
- a bucket or trough to mix everything in.
In your mixing container mix the cement, peat moss and perlite thoroughly (it is good to wear the dust mask during this part). Once everything is mixed well, slowly add water until you can form a ball of the Hypertufa mixture in your hands (wear gloves for this as the cement can irritate your skin). You don't want it to be too wet.
Once you have your mixture ready, you can line a bowl, a pot, a cardboard box etc. with a plastic trash bag and press the mixture into the container making the walls about 1.5" thick. You can also use your container as the inside shape and mold your hypertufa on the outside.
If you would like a more organic looking pot you can also simply dig a hole in the dirt and press your mixture into it the same way you did for the containers.
In either case use a stick or your finger to poke a drainage hole in the bottom of the container and cover the it with plastic loosely. Let sit in a shady spot for 24-48 hours (so it will dry slowly to prevent cracking). After this, take the container out of the mold or dig it out of the dirt (this can be a great opportunity for aspiring junior archaeologists to test out their skills with hand shovels and even a paintbrush sweep away the dirt for fun).
Cover it again for another day or two. After this fill your containers periodically with water over the course of a couple of weeks to leach out the residual lime. After that your containers will be great for years to come!
Happy Mother's Day!
P.S. Don't forget to enter our current book giveaway!
*Last time in Crafts and Imagination: May Days
