Garden Art & Crafts
I would like to have a category of Garden Arts and Crafts because I know of many people who would like instructions for making some garden ornament for their own garden. I know I have some ideas for hypertuffa and I need some instruction for Clay Pot People. I know that Savvy gardeners such as ourselves could share our experiences...success and failures. Such as: Never use chicken wire in small hypertuffa projects. It is too easy to cut your rubber gloves as well as your hands. Somebody might need to know where to get cheap wire frames for a hens & chicks wreath.
Plus it would be great just to show and tell a bit. I love to read the discussions and blogs.
Plus it would be great just to show and tell a bit. I love to read the discussions and blogs.
Views: 4
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Marsh on -
here you go...
http://community.savvygardener.com/group/gardenartscrafts
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Permalink Reply by Mark McRoberts on -
Well Linda: I like the "thirds" recipe. One part Portland cement, one part peat moss, one part perlite; mix dry ingredients well then add a small measure of water at a time. Work together until all water disappears then add additional water until you get to the consistency of unbaked bread dough. Stop mixing and place into mold. After hypertuffa dries for a while but still appears to be damp cover with plastic and allow to dry. Next day unmold your creation and thoroughly spray with water, cover and allow to cure until the next day and then spray with water again, and cover until the next day. Do this every day for six more days. After a week then you are ready to bath and allow to further cure your piece. If you have constructed a planting trough you need to take the time to rinse off all the lime in the concrete. This step will take several months. If you are constructing something that is ornamental then you can use it right away.
I was given another recipe that included some fiber. But I have not found a place to purchase this special fiber. What common items have other people used to create their garden art.
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Permalink Reply by Linda G. on -
Thank you! The only thing i have made as far as hypertufa goes, turned out to be a dog watering trough by accident, I had an old kitchen pot I tried to use as a mold and then couldnt unstick it so I left the pot in it and turns out the dogs get an extra place to drink from in the yard. I want to try again any good suggestions for molds and unsticking it?
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Permalink Reply by Mark McRoberts on
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Hey Linda: what I have been told is to use Pam cooking spray or any non-petro based oil. But I was cautioned by a friend to cover my "mold" with plastic wrap or a dry cleaner bag.. I used a trash bag as a liner and sprayed it with Pam. One other description of a project is to use two cardboard boxs and then as the water cures the hypertuffa the boxes just rot or rinse off. I don't know but I don't like the idea of losing a mixing bowl to a hypertuffa project.
I looked up in a book about using childrens balls a molds of solid spheres or hollow spheres. That is going to be this years project. I'm going to take a cheap walmart childs plastic ball and while it is still blown up to wrap it in duct tape in all directions so as to make the ball stay a spherical shape with out flattening out because of the weight. Maybe even supporting it by filling a box with dirt. Oh well I got to use all that concrete I bought last year before it gets hard!
Let me know about your projects!
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