The trouble with the Handmade Garden Projects book by Lorene Edwards Forkner is difficulty in choosing where to begin. Steel trellises or other things made with metal scraps? Clever hose guides? Or creative containers? Then the Bridge of Flowers committee thought it might be a good idea to make hypertufa containers to plant and sell at our Annual Plant Sale on May 19. The decision was made. If you decide you want to have your own copy of this energizing book, Timber Press is offering a Giveaway. Leave a comment on this blog by a week from today at midnight, on May 24 and I will chose a winner at random on May 25.
Five of us ladies got together for our hypertufa party. We gathered assorted materials to use as molds to each make a hypertufa container (otherwise known as a Rustic Lightweight Trough) for ourselves and one for the Bridge Plant Sale.
I was surprised to find out that you don’t whip one of these troughs up one afternoon and plant them the next. You have to think ahead. After you have made your trough (of whatever shape) in your mold, it has to be put in a black plastic trash bag to cure for 24-48 hours. Because we had our ‘party’ when the weather was still quite cold (but not below freezing) we all chose to let our troughs cure in their bags for nearly a week. We were all very careful using our goggles, dust masks and rubber gloves, and I was so busy that I never got any photos that day. Lorene gives full directions beginning with an ingredients list – and I want to say that I have some leftover materials to make more troughs. There is also an equipment list. All those dusk masks, etc., and then step by step directions.
As suggested, I rinsed mine off several times with a hose to wash out some of the alkalinity provided by the cement and let some of our rains practice their scrubbing on them. Lorene recommends not planting the troughs for at least three weeks from construction day, and I just barely held myself in check long enough.
Our group intended the troughs for succulents, but Lorene has other suggestions. I also noticed directions for making a succulent container out of galvanized gutter which may be my next project, unless I decide I need the neat hose guides more urgently.
Lorene Edwards Forkner is clearly the type of person who goes shopping in her basement, attic and garage before she runs out to buy some expensive garden art or equipment. But, I’ve been thinking that all the upcoming tag and yard sales might also be good places to gather material for some of these projects.
A number of other bloggers are posting about their take on this great book. Check them out.
http://www.amateurbot-ann-ist.com/
http://torontogardens.blogspot.com/
http://wwwrockrose.blogspot.com/
http://www.growingagardenindavis.com/
http://bonneylassie.blogspot.com/
http://bwisegardening.blogspot.com/
http://www.houstongardengirl.com/
http://www.vintagegardengal.com/
Don’t forget to leave a comment here and you might win your very own copy of Handmade Garden Projects.
I love your troughs…now that you have showed me yours, I need to show you mind…soon.
picked up a copy of Handmade Garden Projects at the library, would love to own a copy!
This looks like a fabulous book. I love to create unique items to decorate my garden and potting shed.Would love to have a copy!
Great work! Love the troughs – and it’s so much more fun to clean up when you work in a group… Thanks for participating in the the Handmade Garden Projects blog book tour
Sempervivums in containers and what good looking containers.
If the book shows us how to produce these great containers then it is a must have for anyone interested in gardening.
Thank you for sharing
That is such a cool DIY project!
I have made hypertufa a few times, it is a fun project.I used baskets as a mold last time and they came out awesome. I love love love handmade things in the garden, it really lets your personality shine in your space!
We have a bountiful garden, but I would love to give it some artistic flair.
I love gardening projects! Really interested to see all the different projects in the book!
Looks like a fun book, and using stuff you already have kicking around the house and yard, that’s great recycling!
Looks like a fun book. Gardening and recycling!
If you missed the Bridge of Flowers hypertufa workshop, the July meeting of the Greenfield Garden Club (7/19 at 6pm) will be a hypertufa workshop. See: http://www.thegreenfieldgardenclub.org.
Saturday 5/26 is our annual plant sale – buy first, plant later! Thanks for your support, Pat!
I love your photos and reading your blog. Thank you for keeping us informed.
I agree with your approach — garden projects needs to be done in the winter or in the rain. When it is warm and sunny, it is time to be in the garden — the best project of all.
I have made a hypertufa container and it really needs some new succulents for this year. I would love to win this book for some great ideas.