From Schoolyard to Garden

[Balatong]

I've been experimenting with hypertufa too.  Most of the tutorials online recommend starting out with a basic bowl.  From those instructions I did these:



The big one, without plants, can cost upwards of $100, but I made mine for less than $5! Cement is cheap!

Then I got tired of bowls.  I remembered we had 4 flat schoolyard balls in the garage (I'm not one to throw anything away!).  I decided to use one to cast a hypertufa planter:


Here's the finished project:


I like how the "X" got imprinted onto the planter - that was a nice surprise.

[missmoppet]

These are so neat.  I love the way you arranged them and the pot you made too.  I think my favorite is the plant arrangement with the bunny in it.  cute cute cute!

[cute_anarchy]

Those are just beautiful!  I especially love the red ball one, it turned out so interesting!

[Jinjeet Phoenix]

You did a fantastic first time job. I love how you planted them. Love the round bowl. Did you cast from the inside or outside of the ball? That's such a great idea and they came out lovely. Great rustic additions to any garden. (You can also use a metal brush to "roughen" up the outsides a bit while it's still in the curing stage.)
Can't wait to see more!

[LimeRiot]

These are gorgeous! I especially love the one you made from the schoolyard ball. What a unique look!

[CatherineIsabel]

Totes adorbs, I'd love to know exactly how you did the cast of the ball 

[Balatong]

Totes adorbs, I'd love to know exactly how you did the cast of the ball 

Thank you!  I made the mix with equal parts portland cement, peat moss and perlite, and poured the mix into the ball.  I'm sorry I don't have the exact measurements.  I pressed the mix against the interior, folded in about 1/3rd of the ball and then stuck an empty 4" plastic pot inside.  I weighed the pot down with some pebbles, then left the whole thing alone for a day.  I removed the pot, and I actually had to cut out the mold.  At this point, the cement was still soft enough for me to drill a hole through the bottom for drainage.  Then I set it outside to cure for a week before I put plants in it.

[Crafty.Canadian]

Awesome.  The ball one is a great idea.  So cool, .