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I design and hand make planters, birdbaths, and fountains in a variety of styles and sizes using
hypertufa, an ancient European
technique.
Common in English gardens, hypertufa simulates tufa, a naturally occurring porous stones. Troughs and planters made with this
material are effective vessels for all types of growing plants and plants with sensitive drainage requirements such as alpine
plants.
Since the availability of natural tufa was limited, gardeners improvised and developed
hypertufa, a mix of sand, Portland
cement, and peatmoss. I use a variation of this mixture to create my line of landscape accessories.
The combination of sand, cement, and peatmoss instantly produces an aged surface. The finish garden accessory can vary in
appearance from a smooth rock-like surface to one which looks as if it has been hewn out of granite. When left outdoors, the
garden accessories can encourage the growth of moss and lichen which completes its ancient appearance.
In 1994, I entered my first show, Muskoka Arts & Crafts' Spring Members' Show, and received two awards for my work:
the Ted Williams' Memorial Award for the Most Innovative Work and an Honourable Mention for Mixed Media. The
following year, I received another award, the Award of Excellence for Mixed Media.
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