Here is a simple recipe for making Hypertufa* Troughs. These beautiful troughs resemble the centuries-old stone troughs you see in Europe. The troughs are beautiful when potted, and because of their primitive style, are especially striking planted with succulents.  

"Hypertufa Trough Recipe"

1 part perlite or vermiculite 1 part sphagnum peat moss 1 part Portland cement 1 small handful synthetic fiber reinforcement material 1 part water, approximately Plastic bowls, shoe boxes, or a mold of your liking similar in size Soil to pot trough Succulents or other plant material

Put dry materials in a large container such as a wheelbarrow, in this order: 1 bucket perlite or vermiculite, 1 bucket peat moss (remove any large lumps or sticks), 1 bucket of Portland cement, and a small handful of loose reinforcing fibers (these are sold at masonry supply stores). Mix thoroughly. Add water in small increments and mix until the material is the consistency of dry cottage cheese or thick oatmeal. Don't let the mixture get too wet.

Line the inside of your bowls or shoe boxes with plastic bags or plastic wrap. Using a rubber glove, scoop handfuls of mixture and mold the inside of your containers. Form mixture around edges 3/4" to 1" thick. Poke 1-2 drainage holes in the bottom of the mixture with your finger, stick or dowel. Cover the mold well with plastic or place in a plastic bag for 24 hours.

After setting 24 hours, carefully remove the very fragile trough from its mold and peel off the plastic. Use a wire brush or a paint-scraping tool to smooth out any imperfections, and give the exterior a pleasing texture. The edges should be softened, rounded, and somewhat irregular.

Place the trough back in its plastic bag and let it cure for a couple of weeks. The slower it cures, the stronger the trough will be. Remove the trough from the bag and allow to air-dry for a couple of weeks longer. When completely dry, carefully move a propane torch quickly over the surface to burn off any reinforcing fibers that are exposed. The number of troughs which can be made from this recipe is dependent on your mold sizes. This recipe may be doubled and still fit in a wheelbarrow.

These troughs are great on outdoor tables, patios, or as a special gift to someone. This recipe is from dear friends, who like to have a trough-making party once a year.

-Glossary-

*Hypertufa---is a man-made rock substance intended to assimilate natural tufa, which is a form of porous limestone rock. It is created by mixing dry cement, perlite, peat moss, and water. It is used in rock gardens, and is quite effective as a plant container.

As soon as I saw these Kalanchoe beharensis, or common name Felt Plants, I knew they would look great potted in two rusty patina vintage urns, creating the look of a fire's torch. I normally see the Felt Plant in a large and upright form. These two shown in the photo are round, tightly curved, and growing in a torch-like shape.

The Felt Plant is a succulent perennial which has an abundance of character in shape, color and touch. It can reach a statuesque 4-5' tall, with little side branching. It is a soothing olive green color with beautiful chocolate brown highlights on its tips. It is very soft to the touch, just like its name Felt, and if you look closely it actually has a coating of tiny white to brown hairs. Its leaves are very thick and scalloped on the ends.

A mature Felt Plant is dramatic in appearance, especially in a raised bed or rock garden. Recently, I have seen smaller scale Felt Plants, which lend themselves well to pots, urns, and containers. It can flower, but the beauty is in the plant. It does well in full sun or partial shade. This plant thrives in zones suitable for succulents. Use moderation in watering.

The pairing of the urns with the Felt Plants make a natural vintage container design. The pedestal shape of the urn reinforces the look of a torch. The rusty coloring of the urn complements the olive green coloring and brown tip highlights. To create a finished appearance, mixed echeveria are planted around the base of the Felt Plants. All of these plants are succulents, and are best potted in a cactus potting soil mix. The urns have the ability to drain water from their bottom. Plants are potted tightly within the urns, so they will have a tendency to grow slowly and keep the design shape.

Sources: Felt Pants at Armstrong Garden Centers, (800) 557-5268, www.armstronggarden.com, Vintage Urns, see this page, top right side bar, Mon Petit Chou.

My mom who is a Master Gardener in Missouri, during her last visit here introduced me to the perennial, Lotus Maculatus, Gold Flash. It is a great trailing plant for a pot or even ground cover. It has dense green foliage and large beak-shaped yellow orange flowers. It also comes in a bright orange-red colored version called Amazon Sunset. The Lotus averages 3-6" high and 36-72" wide (trailing). It will do well in full sun or partial shade. It likes regular water, in fact I water it every day, when I am tending to my chickens. There are two more species of Lotus, Berthelotii (Parrot's Beak) and Corniculatus (Bird's Foot Trefoil). Zones vary by species.

This particular Lotus Gold Flash was planted within a draining pot, that fits within the rim of the vintage tall chicken feeder. Vintage chicken feeders are so much fun to pot up, and have so much character. One can usually find them for a reasonable price, the more rust the better the character, and they look great potted. This is a very tall chicken feeder, the only one I have ever seen, that a dear friend and fellow chicken aficionado gave me.

In time, the Lotus Gold Flash has beautifully cascaded over the top. In the shallow bottom rim, where chickens would normally be pecking for feed, I have planted Echeveria perennial succulents around the base. Echeveria require less water than the Lotus, and also planted in a shallow rim will stay on the dry side. The colors of the Lotus foliage and the Echeveria mirror each other nicely. These two plant types are a great complement to the tall chicken feeder. My little vintage hen statuary likes her potted vintage chicken feeder so much, she is staying close by.