Do You Hypertufa?

Anne Thompson (author of this blog post) wants you to know that this is the question asked by Paulding County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers, who are inviting you to create your very own unique pot at our workshop Monday, June 10th, 6pm at the Paulding County Extension Office, 530 W. Memorial Drive, Dallas, Ga. 

Do I hypertufa?  I’d love to answer that question if I only knew WHAT a hypertufa is!  Could it be something from algebra class that made my eyes glaze over, or yet one more ailment to contend with for “someone my age”?  Or it COULD be one of Dr. Seuss’s wacky musical instruments from How the Grinch Stole Christmas-a Whoville tuba??  With my limited internet search skills, I found I’m all wrong; it is an artificial stone that is used to make things with, and its fun to do!  It’s a mix of peat moss, perlite (or sand), cement and water and you can make wonderful things with it, though most make gardening pots or troughs. 

Where did it come from?  Some sources say in the 1800s someone in England created a mix of items they most likely had on hand or could buy inexpensively to replace stone livestock watering troughs that were too heavy to move around.  Others say it was first mentioned by English nurseryman Clarence Elliott for use with his alpine plantings.  Whatever the original source, it has made a comeback in the recent years as more and more of us are becoming interested in creating “organic” things to surround us in our homes and gardens.  The name comes from tufa, which is a variety of limestone.

So why don’t you come join me to play in the mud, I mean peat moss and such to see what we can create?  The cost for materials is $15; you’ll need to register and pay by June 6th.  For information, call 770-443-7616 or print and mail the registration form to our office.  There are some items that are helpful to bring with you:   tub or dishpan to mix the concrete mixture, rubber gloves, apron ( it gets messy), small hand trowel, container, small tub or small bowl to use as a mold to create your pot,  and a dust mask. 

The author of this article, Anne Thompson, is a Paulding County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer.  As representative of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, Master Gardener Extension Volunteers are trained experts, who answer questions about home horticulture, sustainable landscaping, and environmentally friendly gardening practices using unbiased, research-based information from the University of Georgia.  For more information on gardening in Paulding, contact a Master Gardener of the County Extension Agent at the Paulding County Cooperative Extension Office at 770-443-7616 or check us out online at www.ugaextension.com/paulding.