There are some tiny plant jewels we all enjoy but have a hard time finding suitable sites where they can be shown to perfection, and where they are protected from more ambitious neighbors. Sometimes small plants do not show up well unless they are purchased in numbers and perhaps we do not want to spend that much money. There is an answer to the problem of displaying and growing mini plants.
Hypertufa troughs are almost the perfect solution. Made of the light weight materials perlite, peat moss and Portland cement, they have the appearance of stone but none of the weight associated with that heavy medium. The easily portable troughs react to weather and location the same as natural stone, soon aging over to gray. After a year or two, if in the shade, moss will begin to grow further enhancing the appearance and adding an aged look. My troughs have been in place in my shade garden for some years now, remaining in the garden all twelve months of the year. JoAn has had numerous troughs in her sun gardens aging with the local weather, only moving inside the ones having tender plants.
Troughs need to be on bricks or stones to keep them from direct contact with the soil. If allowed to sit on the soil they will wick up moisture. During freeze and thaw cycles the tough walls will break down and come apart. I like to have my troughs on stone since my paths are lined with limestone and they fit into that look and feel. JoAn usually has bricks under her troughs where they do not show, or they sit elevated on large stone to display her small hens and chicks.
For a potting medium to go in the troughs we use our own mix of two thirds potting soil and one third granite chicken grit with a touch of slow release fertilizer generally covers most of our plants needs. This is a fast draining mix that maintains some moisture, and helps keep roots cool in the raised troughs.
Both my wife and I have our favorite plants for hypertufa troughs and we continually expand the list. My mini hosta do very well in the troughs, along with small ferns. Tiny corms and tubers such as trout-lilies also do well coming up through smaller ground-cover type plants that will spill over the edges as they mature. I must admit that I am finding myself thinking of using tender showy foliage plants in troughs to move about in the garden to shift focus as the season progress. JoAn enjoys her collections of hens and chicks, sedums, and dwarf conifers.
You can make your own hypertufa trough by contacting JoAn. This year, in the month of September, she will again be giving lessons in the construction and use of hypertufa troughs. Please sign up now for the limited number of classes available here at the nursery. You can find more information on this web site under the “JoAn” section on the home page.