The-Artistic-Garden's Blog

A Reader Asks Construction Questions About A
Decorative Cast Leaf Fountain

I received an email from Jan R. asking me:

Hi there, I want to make a hypertufa leaf or concrete leaf fountain. After the leaves are made how would I form the fountain and to what? Got any ideas? Thank you for your time.

Sincerely, Jan

My reply:

Hi Jan:
Thank you for contacting me about making a concrete or hypertufa leaf fountain, which is a fun project to do. The answer to your questions will be rather difficult ones to answer at this point, as you’ve not told me how the leaves are to catch and/or collect the water; how many levels you want; or what sort of base you want the fountain to set on, to name a few.

Make sure you read through the ins and outs of working with hypertufa and concrete for leaves. Here are a couple of articles on my website that will be of help: Leaf Casting with Hypertufa: Tips for Success, and Concrete Leaf Casting: Super Tips From the Pro’s.

There are many variables I’d have to know in order to walk you through this, but basically here is what I believe will help you think this project through:

• Most crafters make two or three leaves set in a tiered fashion, and at angles to each other, which allows the water to spill over the edge(s) and finally collect in the bottom leaf.
• Joining all the pieces can be accomplished by mixing up a fresh batch of your recipe with bonding agent included in it and some bonding agent also painted onto the areas of where everything will be joined for good measure. (You would have to wait until the leaves were cured enough to be handled before you start joining them.)
• You need to seal the concrete or hypertufa leaves with a water-proofing sealant.
• You need to know how to install a simple pump in order to get the water flowing back up to the top-most leaf; you also need to get a pump that has the right GPH rating to effectively keep the water flowing.
• Another consideration – WHERE are you going to hide the pump and cords? Inside the base, or …? I wouldn’t think you want the pump and connections visible.
• You will need a GFI electrical connection available to plug in the motor for the pump. **There’s no side-stepping this requirement – water + electricity do NOT mix!

To learn about GPH and GFI, read this article on my website. Skim about half-way down: Garden Spitters Installation: GPH & GFI Considerations.

This is as specific as I can be for you at this time as I’ve no clue as to what actual shape/form you want your fountain to have. Nor how large you foresee the thing to be. What kind of leaves do you plan on using? Huge gunneras or something medium sized?

But, I do hope these tips help get you to thinking and sketching your ideas out on paper. Though not the easiest project, it is quite doable. Obviously your creative skills will really come into play with a project like this!

Good luck. I really hope you are successful with this leaf fountain project … personally I think there’s nothing nicer than the sound of trickling water in my garden.

Hypertufa Rocks Project
Making Hypertufa Boulders for a Waterfall

I received an email from Carole M. asking me:

Could hypertufa be used to create boulders to be used on a waterfall on a pool? We built one that needs help. Thanks!

My reply:

Hi Carole:
Thank you for contacting me and if you are referring to using a hypertufa recipe (or even a concrete recipe) to make boulders for your waterfall … yes you certainly can use the appropriate recipe for this project.

I suggest you read over ALL the pages of hypertufa and concrete information I have on both my website and my blog pertaining to hypertufa and/or concrete projects. There are things you need to be very aware of if your finished project will be in contact with plants or pond fish.

**Let me caution you that whether it’s a ‘tufa or concrete rock you are making, the thing you really must do as a final step before you allow plants or fish to come into contact with water that is in constant contact with your rocks or boulders, is to leach the lime residue out of the rocks/boulders (or even a trough or planter for that matter) completely.

This important step cannot be over-emphasized as necessary to do! Read more about that here: Build a Hypertufa Garden Pond Waterfall.

In addition, I will make a shameless plug on my own behalf, and recommend you purchase my Hypertufa eBook, as there is more in-depth information there that will be helpful to you. You can find information about my eBook here: HypertufaBooks.com. The eBook will more than pay for itself after you’ve made your first boulder, for sure!

A hypertufa or concrete boulder project will be quite an undertainking for you, so I will advise strongly that you do a small “test” project, or couple of projects, using the recipe you decide upon. Get the hang of working with the recipe; the curing time, etc.

Here is a blog post you will find informative since you’re new to working with recipe mixtures containing Portland cement: The Number #1 Cause For Most Hypertufa and Concrete Recipe Failures.

Best of luck in tackling your hypertufa boulder project!

Concrete Pre-Mix Products vs. A “Make It From Scratch” Recipe

I received an email from “Stoner” asking me:

I have been using a regular pre bagged “sand mix” cement for my concrete leaves. Is there a benefit to using something that I mix together myself ? Thanks. Stoner

My reply:

Hi Stoner:

Well, not necessarily. I mean, if you are very successful with and happy with the results of using the premix … “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”  But of course, mixing your own ‘tufa or concrete recipe(s) allows you to tweak it, so that the recipe accomplishes what you want it to “do”.

Such as – maybe you want a really thin, yet very strong leaf casting. In this case, you might want to use an even finer sand than what comes in your premix, etc.

And then of course, you might want to add reinforcing fibers or a bonding agent, but of course that could be added into your premix.

I guess the point is, “it all depends” upon your desired outcome.

And perhaps mixing up your own might be a cost savings … don’t know what you’re paying for premix versus non-premix.

Good luck with all your projects!

Helpful Tips To Ensure More Successful Repairs

I received an email the other day from garden art friend Louisa G. who was kind enough to share some very helpful ideas pertaining to repairing broken garden art items (or anything else you might have around the house that needs to be stuck back together, for that matter).

Whether you are using a “super” type glue, epoxy glue, or even concrete or hypertufa to try and reattach a piece or pieces that got broken off a favorite decorative item, these tips just might help make your repair come out even better than you’d hoped for.

I think you’ll agree that often the challenge in doing a repair is trying to hold together the part(s) that need to be glued back on. Many times we cannot use fast-acting glues, and wait times for other type glues or adhesive’s (or ‘tufa or concrete’s) hardening/cure times may be 15 minutes on up to hours.

This is often the biggest challenge … how to keep the pieces stuck together AND how to achieve the most “invisible” repair possible.

I will agree it is frustrating to make a repair, only to find out the piece shifted ever so slightly, and though yes … you’ve been successful at sticking the item back together, it is now obvious that indeed there was damage that had occurred to it!

So … here’s Louisa’s great tips:

Here’s some easy ways I’ve found to keep odd-shaped pieces together while waiting for repairs to cure:

Obtain some NON DRYING modeling clay (something like Sculpey or other art clays that won’t dry out in a short time) and mold release to go with it. Sometimes (not always) mineral oil can be used. You would want to test this prior to going forward.

BEFORE GLUING: Put the repairs in position (you may need a helper to hold the pieces in place) and mold the clay – be generous – around your area of repair such that you can remove it easily. This may require more than one or two sections that will later be smooshed together.

Remove the clay and clean off any residue, then glue the repair as needed.

LIGHTLY apply the mold release agent and then place the prepared modeling clay around the repair – blend and smoosh separate sections of the modeling clay together GENTLY so that you don’t dislodge the repaired pieces. Wait for it to cure.

Other options:

–Spring clamps or C-clamps with toweling or other padding
–Rubber bands
–Bungee cords
–Binder clips (for smaller items)

There you have it!

Thanks Louisa for taking the time to share these tips with everyone!

To read my informative article about different methods to glue or wire broken pots back together, please go to Terra Cotta Repair Methods.