Karen :My grandson showed up with planters and plants for Mothers Day. They were planted with Echeveria and Aloe. Alas the surprise frost killed the plants so I have the planters. I believe they are a mix of concrete and other organic material. They are definitely molded or formed in a press-mold of some sort.

Bev. I'm in process of planing now. I live in Z6 so it will be April before I buy plants.

Thanks, Jo Ann. They do look like hypertufa. I just didn't know that they were sold commercially. I'd love to find some. Making my own seems like a lot of work and quite messy. My sister made hers in a wheel barrow. If I ever try it, I'm going to use our small cement mixer!

Lynn,

Unfortunately publishing is a bit slow, although much better than the Gool Ol' Days when everything went by snail mail. I will have publication dates for the book fairly shortly as it will go in the Schiffer press catalogs.

Back to sorting photos or should I say IMAGES. These aren't photos except for the scanned ones!

Kevin

Karen: I believe the people who make hypertufa found the peatmoss didn't hold up over time.
These cement and (???) look more durable.. I have other cement tufas that are made locally and sold at the Garden center where I bought them.

I also have some that are quite different that I bought from the woman who makes them.

Thanks, Jo Ann, that's good to know. I saved old recipes for it from years ago, so if I make it, I'll have to find the more current recipes. I do love the rustic look with the semps.

Karen, Me too. I made tufas and covered them for winter. They dissolved by the second season. The recipes nowadays seems more durable.

Wow, that's not good considering all the work that went into them. I'll have to ask my sister how her troughs fared.

My sister said her hypertufa troughs that she made have held up just fine outdoors in the Washington weather. No dissolving at all. It's been about 10 years since she made them.

Pardon my profanity laced tirade, but... &*$@%# Winter!
I can hardly wait for the lovely ice storm that's suppose to arrive shortly. Oh, joy!

I ran out between coughing fits and ducked under the plastic hoop house to see my plants. I miss them!


Lord Morton

Butterpat


Gosine


Tesoro

Back to the recliner

Lots of snow here, waiting for the freezing rain pellets that are suppose to arrive any time now.
All of my semps are buried right now.
Love your photos Julia.

Thanks for the sacrifice to share your semps with us, Julia. Hope you get feeling better!

Keep warm, Lynn!

Tim, it must have been hard to take the "cold planet" garden photo holding hot toddy in your other hand?...

My semps are becoming fodder for those critters too lazy to dig thru the snow for greenery? I had to ride in the car while hubby drove me into town to get more bird netting during this too-cold weather. HE wanted the bird netting...I was just going to do the Tuff Love thing with the semps but he started bringing in pots into the house to make me look at the damage...

webesemps said:
Tim, it must have been hard to take the "cold planet" garden photo holding hot toddy in your other hand?...

You can bet some sort of bottle will come out tonight. But a Hot Toddy? Or a Hot Buttered Rum? I see the recipes call for 1 oz of rum... one measly ounce. I doubt that would get the job done. I think I'll need the whole pitcher.

Oh no, Bev what a wonderful husband you have. Did you make it back home safe with the new netting?

Tim you crack me up.

Yes, Got the bird netting and a relieved hubby, Lynn.

Tim, no downing of pitchers filled with happy juice 'til you've done all your chores!

okay here is one prodigious snow pic --I have more but too tired now
the noid semps in the tree roots that I posted before are around the base of that big tree there in the middle so it almost qualifies

from the other morning, minus 9F
view down the neighborhood sidewalk after all of my snow relocation efforts--something about a lot of elderly folks up here and another damn blizzard, and Asa brought me a snow blower over the mountain pass during the blizzard because I just couldn't manage this crap with my mom's little shovel anymore
it's been ridiculously cold for a few days
and now it is thankfully starting to warm a little... however, it is snowing again

one more


it'll be a while 'til we actually see the ground again I'm afraid
so grateful to see y'alls' winter color for sure

Thrilled that your hubby went for the net Bev! too funny
The marauding critters can't even get to the sempies here this year

Julia those are gorgeous colors.
Jo Ann, I used to make a LOT of hyper tuffa pots. If they are "disolving" it probably means that the mix needs more portland cement.
The cold and snow seems to be making it difficult for the wild creatures. I have many "little brown birds" eating the duck food and the ducks are eating twice as much commercial food as the ground is frozen and they cannot forage for bugs and weeds.
Have one for me Tim. I am hearing that the deep freeze may be over starting tomorrow at least for a while. It will be OK with me if tomorrow is the end of this serious cold for this season!

Wow, Dirt that is some major snow. Another wonderful husband to the rescue. Good work Asa, bringing the snow blower.
Hang in there Dirt.

Jo Ann we are starting to thaw out here. It's raining and things are starting to melt.

That is some serious snow! I think you need a plow.

Tim and Lynn, hope the ice storm didn't last too long or cause too much damage.

Julia, your plants sure look great for this time of year!

Bev, what kind of critters are eating your plants? That's a bummer. Hope the netting works. We have voles in the winter that terrorize mine. Never see the critters in the summer, but see their tunnels in the snow all winter. It's always scary to see if they did any damage when the snow melts.

Wow Dirt, that is a LOT of snow! At least your plants are well protected.

I've made lots of hypertufa pots too. I've never had problems with them dissolving, but have had them crack with all the freezing and thawing that goes on in the spring.

Stay warm everyone!