A Little Garden Project

My best gardening pal, Sandie, and I spent a glorious afternoon yesterday making papercrete hypertufa containers.

Huh?

We made containers like this one  (Sandie made this one in a workshop last April).

Only three ingredients:  paper pulp (shredded newspaper soaked in water for 48 hours), Portland cement, and perlite (or, in our case, vermiculite . . . because we couldn't find perlite).

Did you know that cement is really, incredibly cheap?  So cheap. . . that the smallest bag you can buy is 94 pounds!

That's a whole lotta cement. . . but what a deal!  Only $9.79 for a 94 pound bag!

Anyway.  We gathered our ingredients and some plastic forms and other oddments, and set up shop in Sandie's garage.

We measured . . .

and mixed. . .

(3 parts paper pulp : 2 parts Portland cement : 1 part perlite/vermiculite . . . with a splosh of water during the mixing up)

and ended up with a bucket of papercrete!

We coated our plastic molds with vegetable spray,

and then just started glopping it in (with a lot of intentional mooshing and smashing).

We ended up with quite a collection of hypertufa planters!

Now . . . we just have to wait . . . for the papercrete to dry, harden, and cure.  In a few weeks, we'll have new containers for yet more succulents!  (And we have enough cement to last a lifetime. . . )

 

Comments

[Vicki]

My sister made some lovely hypertufa containers years ago and they're all still in service! I've always wanted to make some, too, but think it's definitely a project that's more fun with a group -- even if it's only a group of 2!!

[Carole]

That's pretty cool. My friend's husband likes to make cement blocks, I'll have to tell him about this.

[margene]

Woah! That is so cool! I remember looking up a recipe to make them and decided it wasn't for me, but I'd have joined you if I could. I'm still interested a succulent garden of some sort, however.

[Debbie]

That looks like a fun project!

[Patty]

You guys have so much fun! I want to be your neighbor! ;-) Enjoy the weekend!

[Cookie]

So cool!

Did you know they sell sand in 60 pound bags? Care to ask how I know this? ;^)

[Mary]

that looks like fun! ...and I LOVE the succulent planter. there might be hope for me as a gardener yet!

[Marilyn]

That is so cool! And fun. Especially fun when you have a good gardening friend to tackle the project with. :D

[Diana Troldahl]

That looks like loads of fun!
I am happily playing with ideas for my new south-west facing patio :-}
It is nly 8' by 9' and Oscar wants to maybe put a gas grill there some day. Heh. We are negotiating. I know we both want a small patio table where we can sit and have tea.
He wants to hang a strawberry planter there, too. He has also mentioned gooseberry and blueberry bushing in pots. I think he is a bit imaginative LOL. I want a planter that can hold short-season things like lettuce in the spring, graduating to summer/fall blooms. And maybe a hanging planter with herbs.

[kmkat]

I have always wanted to make those! Looks like a perfect project for a group.