The-Artistic-Garden's Blog

Ideas For Using A Garden Mirror
And Outdoor Safety Tips

Wanda emailed and asked:

I want a mirror for my garden. I have heard there are plastic mirrors or that stainless steel would be good for a mirror. Can you tell me if you have made one and how you did it. I want it to be fairly large.

Oh, and thanks for the info on your garden mirror page on your website. Thanks for your help.

My reply:
Hello Wanda:
I did have a mirror in my garden area a few years ago, however used an old (real) glass mirror that had a neat looking distressed frame around it, so I wasn’t too worried about the silver backing wearing off in spots due to exposure to the elements. I hung it on a wall in my garden area. I have since taken it down for various reasons.

But to further answer your question, if I were to do it again, especially a large one as you are mentioning you want to do … I would buy a plastic mirror because it will be lighter in weight, safer for outdoor use, and last much longer if left outside than a glass mirror. Also, I think that a large piece of glass is really not a wise choice to be placed out in one’s garden, mine included.

I would also wager that from a cost standpoint, you will find a plastic mirror much more affordable than a piece of highly polished stainless steel. It might be a bit hard to find a plastic, or sometimes also referred to as ACRYLIC, mirror supplier but I just did an online search via Google and do see suppliers. Type these words into the search box: plastic acrylic mirrors. You can check out the various websites.

Other than that, as far as making a mirror that is attractive for outdoor use, my suggestion is to provide an interesting frame of some sort (distressed looking; or painted in lively colors; etc.) that suits your outdoor décor and garden “theme” and basically mount the piece of mirror onto the frame as you would mount a picture into a frame.

Another idea would be to find an interesting looking, old wooden door; cut out an area in the middle, and mount the mirror onto the door from the backside, thusly the door is serving as a “frame” … and then prop the door in a corner of your garden, as example, to serve as an interesting and unique focal point.

You want it to be large … just remember birds are known to fly right into garden mirrors (they could break their necks from this – poor things!), and if the sun reflects just “right” off the mirror onto another surface that is combustible … you could have a fire start (just like the way children can start a fire by using a magnifying glass to project an intense beam of sunlight). So PLEASE be careful of the ultimate placement of your garden mirror.

And, of course I am sure your imagination will give you lots of other good ideas to make one, too! Put on your creative thinkin’ cap!

Good luck!

Garden Art Or Junk Art …
Painted Bowling Balls Are Really
A Fun & Funky Look In the Garden

I recevied this email from Freddie who asked:

I found your website by accident and I love it. I love trying new garden art projects, especially junk garden art! I have tried to make garden spheres many times….some came out better than others….and this year I was lying in bed and it occurred to me to use bowling balls. Sheer Genius, right?

My boss brought me two from his last bowling night, one real beauty that I wouldn’t consider painting, but one I’ll paint. What do you suggest I use for paint?

Of course my husband thinks I’m nuts with bowling balls in our garden. Let me know about the paint. Thanks. Freddie

My reply:
Hi Freddie:
Thank you for contacting me and for the kind compliment about my site. I do try hard to offer great information.

About painting bowling balls (yeah, I kinda love junk garden art, too!) – here’s my suggestions:

•  take sandpaper and scuff up the surface really good; this will help a primer coat and/or paint to adhere much better

•  prime it with something like “Kilz” (there is an exterior all-purpose version–you can find it at Lowe’s or Home-Depot as examples)

•  paint with latex or oil-based paints (I’ve been successful using both)

•  finish with at LEAST a couple of liberal clear top coats (matte, gloss or semi-gloss – whatever you prefer)

If you take care with all the steps, your painted bowling ball should last many years in the sun. But be warned, UV rays really take a toll on everything, and even the best paint job might start showing “age” in a few years. I am sure you understand this.

That is why taking extra time to “do it right” the first time will save you peeling paint before the year is finished.

Does this help? If not, please do not hesitate to contact me again. Have fun!!

~~~

Freddie wrote back to say:

Actually your instructions were what I was thinking about doing anyway, it just seemed too logical and easy.

I’m a big recycler, so reusing bowling balls just seemed a no brainer. My boss actually brought me two of them from his league night at bowling. I’m sure he must think I’ve lost it, but I wanted to make a couple for my sister and her gardens.

Can’t wait to get this funky bowling ball garden art project rolling.

Thanks for the info … Freddie

What Is The Best Method To Seal Off The Interior
Of A Terra Cotta Pot?

I received an email from Leslie asking:

This is a fantastic website, extremely helpful. I have found the articles in the Decorative Paint Techniques category very informative. THANKS!

My question: I am using gauze fabric and modpodge and then painting over it with airbrush metallic paint on the outside of the terra cotta clay pot. Any ideas what to use to seal the inside of my pot, so that when dirt goes in and the pot is watered, it won’t effect the outside of the pot?

Thanks so much. Leslie

My reply:
Hi Leslie:
Thanks for the compliments, I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me.

About sealing the inside of a terra cotta pot, there are two ways you can approach this:

#1) Apply a number of coats of an acrylic or latex paint to seal off the inside. (Easier for brush clean-up than oil-base paint.) You can also use a clear spray, like Krylon acrylic. Or, try a polyurethane. Anything, basically, will “seal off” the interior.

#2) The “safest” route to really make double-sure that whatever you’ve applied and/or painted on the exterior of the pot won’t be affected is to use a plastic inner pot to plant in.

I’ve never had a problem with the exterior paint bubbling or flaking off of terra cotta pots, as I do always liberally spray about 3-coats of Krylon onto the interiors … but then again, I haven’t ever used fabric and modpodge on the outsides.

If I were you, I’d make sure to apply a generous base coat of paint on the outside of the pot, too. Unless that would keep your fabric and glue from sticking properly?? That base coat on the outside will also act as a moisture barrier.

If you do use a brush-on paint or spray paint for the interior of the terra cotta pot, I’d make sure to cover all the surfaces extremely well.

Does this help??

Sounds like a fun project. Good luck!

Leslie wrote back:

Dear Claudia: Thanks so much for getting back to me. Your information was wonderful and very helpful!!! I’ll definitely try that technique on the pots. I’m going to do some experiments first to see just how they do outside. I’ll do this before I decide to sell them, so my clients won’t have any problems. All the best, Leslie

My reply:
You’re welcome. Like I said, an inner plastic pot that actually holds the dirt and plant would be the very best bet to increase the longevity of your artistic applications!

And providing a plastic inner pot would let you off the hook “legally” if you are selling your pots … meaning you clearly state on a little label that your embellished terra cotta pots are NOT guaranteed to last forever if someone places dirt and a plant directly into them.

If it were me … I would cover myself in that way if selling them retail. You’ve warned them up front and provided the plastic inner pot … no unhappy customers on up the road!

Just my 2-cents. Claudia

How Important Is Peat Moss In A Hypertufa Recipe?
Is It OK to Substitute Another Kind Of Moss??

I received an email in late winter from Becky asking:

Claudia, Thank you so much for writing the Hypertufa How-To eBook as you did an outstanding job! So much info to pour over. It is a great resource guide for newbies like me.

I can’t wait to get started! But my problem is that I’m having trouble finding “PEAT” moss. I have found Reindeer moss, sheet moss, Spanish and Wood moss. Will any of these mosses work?

Is one type of moss better for a hypertufa recipe than another? Thanks for your time, Becky

My reply:
Hi Becky:
First, THANK YOU so much for the kind compliments. I tried my best to “over deliver” the information in my Hypertufa eBook.

About peat moss … I looked at your eBook purchase receipt and see you live in Ohio. Well…you should have NO problem finding PEAT moss (no … it is not the same as any of the mosses you listed). To be more specific, you want to look for “sphagnum peat moss”.

It is pretty darn easy to find, too. You’ll be able to find peat moss at any Lowe’s or Home Depot, or any gardening center that sells packaged soils. It is around $4 or $5 (cheap) to buy a very large package of it. (I suggest you go and look where all the packaged soils are kept in the outside garden depts. of the stores i mentioned. You’ll find peat moss, not to worry!)

The kind you want to buy is compressed into a rectangular “bale” and wrapped in plastic like this photo:

I don’t know the brand name off-hand that Lowe’s or H-Depot sells, but the point I’m making here with this photo is go and look for a very large squared/rectangular shaped compressed bale.

I know I can buy it right now at either store, but I am here in Tennessee and maybe because you are in Ohio and it is still super cold up there, they might not have it stocked yet. But they will … gardeners use it all the time to amend their garden soils with.

This should be the answer you were looking for.   

And welcome to making garden art with homemade hypertufa recipes! Have fun with all your ‘tufa projects!

Finding A Store That Sells Perlite Is Not Too Difficult

I received an email from Gabriella asking:

Hi Claudia, I was wondering if your Hypertufa How-To eBook includes sources for supplies? I am having a hard time finding perlite. Thanks, Gabriella

My reply:
Hi Gabriella:
Thanks for contacting me – I can help steer you in the right driection to find perlite.

Perlite is not hard to find if you know where to look. I will assume you live in the USA or Canada. You can find perlite in the indoor gardening area of Home Depot, Lowe’s or even Wal-Mart, as example.

It is usually sold in a smallish-sized bag for around $4.00 per bag (I bought a bag last year–can’t remember the exact price.)

You should also be able to find it in any gardening store that sells potting soils, etc. And you can also find a number of online sources, just search for “buy perlite online”.

But, for those folks who are looking for vermiculite … well that stuff is getting tougher or almost impossible to find. The reason? The contaminant ASBESTOS is sometimes found in vermiculite and we all know that back in the early 1990′s the health hazards of inhaling asbestos became a hot topic and very much talked about publically.

The vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana supplied about 80% of the world’s supply and in 1990 guess what? You got it … they got shut down because of all the health risks attributed to asbestos. As a matter of fact, sadly many of the Libby town residents suffered “vermiculite-related” illnesses due to living within the vicinity of the mining operations and inhaling the asbestos.

So … stick with perlite in your hypertufa recipes and you’ll be fine!

And yes, my Hypertufa eBook does discuss how to find some of the harder-to-find supplies and it has a lot more information on all aspects of working with ‘tufa.

I hope this helps you and if you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Hi, Thanks for the reply. Do you know where I can find larger bags of the perlite? I live in Wisconsin. Thanks

My reply:
Hi again Gabriella:
I suggest you Google “perlite” and you’ll get lots of search options. Plus, by performing the search yourself, you will get suppliers’ ads that are targeted to your area and/or to Wisconsin. There might be a local supplier where you can get larger quantities.

It looks like there are many online suppliers, of course what they charge is the big question!

Good luck!

Hypertufa Can Be Used To Repair Concrete
But There Are A Few Things To Keep In Mind

I received this email:

My 14-year old pond is showing signs of wear … the initial waterfall & trough were made of dyed concrete supplemented with mountain rocks. The concrete has some cracks and the mortar between the rocks is pulling away.

Can hypertufa be used to make repairs and rework my filter’s waterfall coming out of a larger filter so that it would appear similar to the original rock/mortar work? I’d like to purchase your Hypertufa How-To eBook, but I’d like to know if hypertufa is the correct medium to use or should I return to a portland/sand mix?

Also I’d like to supplement the large rocks with more faux rock. Thanks for your help.

My reply:
Hi:
These are some good questions and I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction.

About hypertufa, the first thing I want to say is the whole purpose of using a hypertufa recipe is to replicate real Tufa rock. Peat moss is an all important ingredient in hypertufa recipes because over time, the peat moss decomposes and leaves pits and crevices like you find in real Tufa rock.

So … the use of hypertufa to make rocks will end up looking a bit different from the dyed concrete rocks and mountain rocks you currently have. I’m not saying this is a “bad thing” … just depends how similar you wish to match the job.

The other issue that comes to mind is the fact you said dyed concrete – can you replicate the color in whatever recipe you concoct to make new rocks and/or do the patch work?

But all this being said, sure you can certainly use hypertufa to spruce up everything. ‘Tufa can be colored with different colorants, and you can use white Portland cement if need be to better achieve a specific color. (However be aware it might be hard to find in your area.)

Here’s great info on concrete and hypertufa colorants sitting on my website: concrete and hypertufa colorant guides. Scroll down about half-way on the page to find the link to the PDF colorant guides.

I also have a hypertufa mortar recipe that goes beyond a plain portland & sand mix that you might find useful. Here’s the link: hypertufa mortar recipe.

Here’s a faux rock recipe that is great for projects like yours where constant contact with moisture is an issue: faux rock recipe.

And make sure to use a bonding agent on the “old” surfaces before you apply the new mixture, whether it be hypertufa or a concrete mixture.

That’s about it in a nutshell. This project more than likely will be a bit more complicated than just a simple “slap & patch” job.  

Oh … I do have more information in my Hypertufa How-To Manual about making forms for larger rocks and boulders.

Good luck with your project!

Concrete Statue Repair
How To Reattach A Broken Concrete Statue Head

I received an email asking for help:

I accidentely knocked the head off of a statue. Is there anything I can use to reattach it? It was my late Mother’s and I really need to fix it. Thank you for your answer. Irene

My reply:
Hi Irene:
Thank you for contacting me and I hope I can be of help. But first, you didn’t tell me what material the statue is made from. Because you found my web site and I deal with garden art, I will assume you are referring to a concrete statue.

Yes … you can fix it with an epoxy glue that is meant for concrete.  There should be a brand available at (hopefully) Lowe’s or Home Depot, as examples. Go to the paint department area and that’s where all the epoxy glues can be found. (Important for you to know, is that there really is no way to use a concrete mix to stick the head back on. Don’t even try it.)

Epoxy glue comes in 2 tubes that you mix together before you apply it to the concrete. Not a big deal to do, just a bit messy. Just FOLLOW the instructions –read them over first before you even open up one of the tubes.

Make SURE the concrete statue is bone dry!! Even a little bit of dampness in the concrete will very likely cause failure to your repair attempts.

The epoxy might be slightly visible when dry, but how “invisible” the repair will be is of course also dependent upon how neatly and carefully you can apply the glue.

I wish you the best of luck with this concrete statue repair.

When Should I Deflate The Ball When Making
A Hypertufa Or Concrete Hollow Garden Sphere?

I received an email from Charlotte who asked:

Did I miss something in understanding the concrete and hypertufa garden spheres instructions? Doesn’t the ball have to be deflated? If so – at what point? I’m so new at this that I would probably make a really stupid mistake about deflating the balloon too soon. Thanks for your help.

My reply:
Hi Charlotte:
Thanks for writing me. No, you didn’t miss anything … I guess I assumed that folks would know that you would have to deflate the ball after your ‘tufa or concrete garden sphere is cured hard enough – better to err on the side of a few extra days rather than deflating it while you still can detect moisture–meaning the mixture hasn’t cured enough yet.

Use your best judgment to gauge the right time to deflate it. Just make sure your sphere will be able to hold together.

Please read more about concrete garden sphere tips and garden sphere how-tos which will hold true for either hypertufa or concrete.

Sorry if this threw you for a loop. And please … no question is stupid  And I am glad you asked because now you are more knowledgeable about the issue of using the deflatable ball for your hollow garden sphere projects.

Good luck!