The-Artistic-Garden's Blog

Aging A Hypertufa Trough With Moss

Note: the information about growing moss also pertains to almost any porous material – such as clay or terra cotta pots.

I received this email from Stephen who asked:

Dear Artistic Gardner: This is from Sheffield England. Please could you advise me on the “wooden former”, concrete mix, possible wall thickness and dimensions and possible type of chicken wire as strengthener to make a concrete “aged type trough” or what was had in England where old stone sinks werer used for outdoor water and plant features. Yours sincerely, Stephen

My reply:

Hello Stephen:
Thank you for contacting me. The information to help you can be found on the 4 Basic Hypertufa Recipes page and the instructions for How To Make A Hypertufa Trough.

I have many more pages of information on hypertufa (and concrete, too if that might interest you) that will be helpful to you about the ins-and-outs of working with hypertufa. Please go to my main hypertufa page: www.the-artistic-garden.com/hypertufa.html. Then go all the way to the bottom of the page – you’ll see links to all the other pages of ‘tufa information.

About how to age a hypertufa garden art item – I will assume you want moss to begin growing. You can find my suggested recipes and how-to tips on this age hypertufa troughs with moss web page.

Growing the moss isn’t hard … it’s the patience and time it takes that is!

I hope this helps. Good luck with your project.

What In the Heck Is This Stuff Called ‘Hypertufa’ ??

I received an email asking:

Help me please! I am wondering if you can describe hypertufa to me — like how it feels, looks, etc. I am doing a report about the Roman Coliseum and the interior was made partly with ‘tufa and I need to describe it so can you help?

I replied:

Hi:
First, let me steer you straight on one very important thing — “hypertufa” is NOT what the Romans utilized as a building material.

They used real Tufa rock, which was quite abundant, and still to this day can be seen in many structures in Rome and the surrounding area. So … I also encourage you to search the phrase “Tufa rock” in Google or other search engines, and read up on the real product made by Mother Nature.

As far as the concoction called “hypertufa”, that is something that is man made from various ingredients and it was developed to REPLICATE real Tufa rock.

To help you learn about it, I will direct you over to my website where I have many pages of specific information on hypertufa, and since you say you want to SEE what it looks and feels like, I will send you to this page – watch this mixing hypertufa recipes video.

And then I suggest you watch this how to make a hypertufa trough video, too.

Also, check out all the hypertufa pages on my website. If all this doesn’t provide answers for you, then come back and ask for more help.

Good luck with your report.

How Do I Paint My Hypertufa Sphere?

Korenv posted and asked me:

Hello, I’ve just completed my hypertufa sphere project, as per your hollow sphere instructions on The-Artistic-Garden website.

It’s in the process of curing. I made one before this using a liquid cement colorant, which was alright, but a little drab. On my current sphere, I’d like to use paint to give it a “rustic” finish. What should I use? I’m hoping I can use ordinary acrylic paints. Can I also use a water based sealer?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! Korenv

My reply:

Hi Korenv:
Gee that’s great! You’ve got a successful sphere project in the works!

About what to use — have you read over the Hypertufa & Concrete Stains & Colorant Guides yet?

Scroll about half-way down that page and you’ll see the PDF icon — click on that and the guides will open up. BTW, feel free to print out a copy for future reference.

Maybe you know this, but I’ll mention it just in case … if you used grey portland, well that does tend to make colorants that you add into the recipe look drab. But if you can find white portland, that will allow any colorant added into the hypertufa (or concrete) recipe to be “truer” in color. Of course you still have the dark peat moss if using a ‘tufa recipe, but white portland sure can make a difference!

As far as a topical paint or stain … sure, water based acrylic or latex paint is quite alright, along with a water based sealant. **Just make sure your sphere is good and cured (dry) before you paint the surface.

Hmmmmm … to get a “rustic” look … do you mean sort of like rusted metal? Sorry, when you say rustic that’s what comes to my mind. I’m not sure if you’re also asking for ideas on paint colors/colorations to use??

Let me know what else you might need clarified and I’ll be happy to try and help. Thanks for stopping by.

Chinarabbit then asked a lot of good questions:

Hey, I’d like to know a little more about “water-based sealant” ….. sounds pretty high-tech. Are there any more primitive alternatives? something more basic? anything else that might work? such as a clear laquer? or will any can of clear spray finish do the trick, such as car finish or something ?

I think I have white portland cement I intend to dye, but I would like to add finishing touches with an airbrush, to get a realistic effect. And it needs to be water-proof. Any water-based acrylic or latex-based paint will work equally well because the sealant will seal the paint under a “clear-coat” with the sealant, is that right? So airbrushing would be fine as long as you use a sealant over the top?

Will the sealant give it a glossy look? i would prefer a flat non-glossy sealant that is really quite invisible, just kind of weatherproofs the paint … is that the best for surfaces that maybe be submerged in water, such as under waterfalls? or would it really better to have the color mixed in to withstand the constant flow of water?

I see now that you recommend 2 coats of clear acrylic or urethane finish from a spray can, is that right? And will it be fine for protecting delicate airbrush designs under water? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

My reply:

hey, I’d like to know a little more about “water-based sealant” ….. sounds pretty high-tech.

No, nothing fancy, just means you can clean up your brushes and such with water and soap. As opposed to oil-based paints and sealants.

You can buy low-gloss on up to high gloss clear coats/sealants. Just depends what brand you are looking at. And some (like Krylon) come in spray cans, and other brands you paint on. Any brand should work, as long as it is meant for outdoor use AND is compatible with the paint you are using for air-brushing or top coating with. I guess just read all the info on the can labels, or pick the brains of the folks in the paint department!

About something “more primitive” … you’ve got me on that one? I guess a matte finish as opposed to a gloss finish would be more primitive … in other words, not noticieable that you’d used a sealant.

And I’d suggest at least 2 coats. You say it will be under water … again, double check the specific uses for all the paints and sealants you’ll be using to make sure they can withstand 24/7 contact with water.

Hope this information helps!

Sealing Terra Cotta Pots Before Painting …
Should I Paint The Inside And/Or Outside?

I received an email from Marie asking:

If preparing a terra cotta pot for painting to be used outdoors, do you need to spray the sealer on the inside and on the outside of the pot? Marie

My reply:

Hello Marie:
Thank you for contacting me and I will be happy to answer your question. I do suggest you also refer back to the article I wrote about all the basic how-tos regarding how to paint terra cotta.

When I prepare a clean terra cotta pot to be painted and to which I will be adding dirt and plants, I will spray 3-coats of a clear sealer on the inside of the pot, but will use a base coat of whatever color acrylic or latex paint I choose for the outside of the pot.

But, you certainly could use a clear sealer on the outside, as well. And you could certainly just brush on paint on the inside, as opposed to the clear sealer. Many people use paint for the interior.

I just usually brush on a neutral color on the outside for my base coat, normally an off-white if I’m painting lighter colors, or a darker base coat if I’m doing something like a verdigris faux finish.

Just be aware though, that paint and/or a sealer will never allow your pot to hold up through wintertime freeze and thaws, especially if it is a cheaper quality terra cotta. I think you’ll find the information I have about winterizing container garden pots useful and a worthwhile read.

And yes … I remove all my terra cotta pots from the garden during the winter months and place them in a protected area.