October's Garden Palette

In my October garden, the trees  and shrubs have begun their autumn dance of transition from jades and olives to golds and tangerines and garnets.

Sometimes there is only a branch that has begun the dance to burnt orange among the lime-colored surroundings.

Before this leaf reaches russet, it offers a deep violet.

The finale has come in toasted umber, and it is time to sleep.

A passing hummingbird came by for her last dance in my garden for the year. Her milky white breast fluffs as she grooms herself on a high branch.

With her painted iridescence, she visited flowers that were fading and beginning to close and turn ruddy.

The hydrangeas continue their metamorphosis into shades of fading blush...

to muddy silver...

to crispy ecru.

A few of the blooms of summer burst through for one last show of boldness in scarlet, amethyst, and fuchsia.

Other blooms have reached a state of slumber, turning honeyed gold with edges of cocoa sand.

Autumn chrysanthemums open with gem-colored claret and flaxen sunshine.

What are some of the colors in your October garden pallette?

I am linking up with Carolyn at This Grandmother's Garden for Autumn Walk Challenge and with Carol at May Dream Gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.
©Michelle A. Potter

Two Girls and Tufa

About a month ago, my friend, Mary, and I met at her house and made hypertufa containers. She had taken a class on how to create these interesting containers and invited me over to make some together. This was my first time making hypertufa, and I was excited to see how it was done.

Materials and Supplies

Portland cement
Peat moss
Perlite
Wheelbarrow
Tarps
Gloves
Apron or old clothing
Mask (if you are sensitive to cement dust)
Hypertufa forms (styrofoam, plastic, cardboard, wood)

First, she set out a wheelbarrow on a large tarp for us to mix the ingredients.

There are several recipes for making hypertufa, but we decided on the following recipe:

  

1 part Portland cement

1 1/2 parts peat moss

1 1/2 parts perlite

This recipe gives the hypertufa a granite appearance and is a bit lighter than some of the other recipes.

We thoroughly mixed all the ingredients in the wheelbarrow adding water slowly until the mixture was the consistency of oatmeal or peanut butter. The mix should hold together, be soft and malleable as putty, but not runny. We let the mixture sit for ten minutes to let the Portland cement react to the water.

We each made two hypertufa containers, one square and one round. The choice of containers was based on what forms we had available. Mary had large square styrofoam boxes from two Turduckens she had bought and used. As we found out, these were perfect forms for the hypertufa. They were strong and sturdy, and they had a top to cover the form.

We also used some inexpensive round plastic containers as forms.

The best forms to use are plastic, styrofoam, or cardboard because these are easy to remove from the dried hypertufa trough or container. Wood forms can be made to any form you desire, however be sure to line the wood with plastic for easy removal of the hypertufa container.

We carried the mix in buckets and plastic containers to our work area and began pouring it in our forms. The mixture must be packed tightly in the form to prevent air pockets. Sometimes it is helpful to use something to push against the side of the form.

We made a hole inside the form for planting and packed the mix very firmly.

The result is a very tightly packed trough.

We, then, covered the styrofoam boxes and put all the forms in separate trash bags. The trash bags seal in the moisture and allow the hypertufa to cure more slowly which makes for a stronger container. It is best not to move the forms because the hypertufa can be easily damaged at this stage. Because I had to bring my hypertufa home, we were very careful loading them into my car.

These must cure for about 36 to 48 hours in the trash bags. Remove the trash bags and the styrofoam tops. Now, the hypertufa must cure for about seven days uncovered and in the forms. Keep the hypertufa in a shady area away from rain to allow it to fully cure.

Remove the forms slowly and carefully. The hypertufa should be strong at this stage, but it is not fully cured. If you must use a knife or scissors to remove the form from the hypertufa, be careful not to damage the hypertufa container. For me, the styrofoam form came off fairly easily once I was able to pry the top corner away from the hypertufa container. The plastic was a bit harder to get the first cut, but once I did the plastic peeled right off. At this stage, the hypertufa is at a soft enough consistency to smooth corners or edges. Take a rasp or large screwdriver and gently smooth any corners or edges. Leave the hypertufa containers in a protected and shady spot away from rain for about three to four weeks to fully cure.

These planters are naturally porous and generally do not need any drainage holes for planting. I used the square one for planting pansies:

...and the other as a decorative addition to the herb garden. The water drains out over time.

Many people plant succulents or carve shapes and designs into the sides of the hypertufa and use them as decorative features in the garden. Next year, I may try some other recipes and other forms of hypertufa. Thank you, Mary, for the invitation and the lesson.



Note: The Sage Butterfly is featured in the Best of the Web series by Be @ Home. The Be @ Home blog offers ideas and tips on home and garden decorating and cooking. Some of their most interesting posts include Entertain in Your Own Backyard and Decorating With Garden Fairies.
©Michelle A. Potter

Repose - Saying Goodbye

Donna at Garden Walk Garden Talk has offered the word, repose, for Word for Wednesday. Repose is such an appropriate word for this time of year when the garden is slowly moving towards its rest period. We, as gardeners, are winding down our weeding, planting, and garden maintenance. Although I like the flurry of activity in the garden during the spring and summer, I welcome the shift to a slower rhythm once autumn arrives.

Although autumn is a time when things slow down, it is also a time for goodbyes. Nests have been abandoned and saved for next year's nestlings.

Hummingbirds make their annual migration south and say goodbye until next spring. With the cooler weather, they even seem to find time for repose.

These delicate, yet robust, creatures bring me such joy in the garden. I will miss their elegant beauty, that puff of their wings as they sprint by my ear, and that high-pitched and quick chirp they make as they dance around the blooms and the feeders.

Even the butterflies say goodbye as they search for sheltered spots for a chrysalis or they migrate south as the Monarch. Because I could not sufficiently support the Monarch when my butterfly milkweed plant was damaged in the hurricane, I was not sure I would even see any this year. How elated I was when one showed up to give me an autumn goodbye kiss.

A falling leaf landed on a branch of leaves to offer another form of repose.

Repose = restfulness, calm, leisure, peace, quiet, restoration...

Another goodbye to the Hope Grows Day meme. Hanni at Sweet Bean Gardening has turned Hope Grows Day into Hope Grew. She has decided to end this meme's run. Thank you, Hanni, for hosting Hope Grows Day. I will miss thinking about my garden hopes month after month. My hope for October is that the serenity and repose of autumn continues throughout the season.

©Michelle A. Potter