Getting Starting

Getting started with hypertufa can seem like a daunting task, but it's actually very simple, as I've demonstrated in my "Simply Hypertufa" CD.

Read everything you can on the subject and then plunge in.  For less than $50, you can invest in a bag of perlite, a bag of portland cement and a bale of peat moss.  Hypertufa recipes can differ, but I prefer to keep it simple and use equal parts of portland cement, perlite and peat moss.  If you intend to make planter pots or projects that don't have to hold water or need extra strength, you can even use one less part of portland cement.

           

Your work area should be a designated area outdoors.  Your workbench can be as simple as a cheap door perched atop two or three sawhorses.   I cover the workbench with a plastic tarp.  I use three large tubs to store my portland cement, perlite and peat moss.   I also have many different so-called molds on hand.  These molds come from garage sales, discount stores, dollar stores or around the house.  I've used everything from a small cereal bowl to cat litter boxes, baskets, trash pails, and so much more.  For easy unmolding, I cover all my molds with plastic bags...from large trash bags to the smaller plastic bags you get from the grocery store. 

Use your imagination.  You'll become a "mold junkie" in no time.

    

I couldn't do without my trusty wheelbarrow and hoe.  I couldn't tell you how many loads of mud I've mixed over the past few years, but I know it numbers in the hundreds.   



I always mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.  Add water slowly.  As you gain experience, you'll know exactly when you have added enough water.  You want to get your mud to a cookie dough consistency.  Hard enough to form a soft ball, but not so hard that it's still crumbly.   And, remember...making hypertufa is a fair-weather activity.  The best temperatures to make the mixture are from 50 to 85 degrees.  

The best part of making hypertufa is everything.  It's everything from mixing the ingredients, to unmolding your masterpiece, to wirebrushing and carving on your project and especially to admiring it years later in your garden.  



Have fun and go for it!