Grocery Store Vegetable Tray Planting Container

When the garden is not producing, I like to pick up those grocery store trays of prepared vegetables. They’re fresh, already cleaned and usually in good condition.  It wasn’t too long before I realized the plastic vac-formed dish in which they are sold, would make a perfect mold for casting in hypertufa.  The sections work well for inter-planting a variety of sedums and other easy to care for plants.  You can even use the plastic bowl that holds the ranch dip for the raised center container. 

What You Need:

Multi-sectioned veggie tray from grocery store and a smaller plastic dip container

Vegetable baking spray or oil

Plastic mixing bucket

Mud gloves

Plastic mixing bucket

Sand topping mix concrete mix or hypertufa

What You Do:

1. Coat outside of vegetable container and plastic dip bowl with vegetable spray or oil.

2.  Mix up a batch of hypertufa or use the sand mix concrete mixed with water to a clay-like consistency.  Remember, if you use sand mix, the containers will be heavier than if cast with hypertufa.

3.  Pat a ¾” thick layer of the casting medium over the entire inside of both containers.  You can form a smooth rounded edge or make an ornamented edge resembling a pie crust edge.

4. Allow to harden overnight and carefully remove the plastic molds, gently smoothing edges with gloved hands. 

5. Cure the containers outside for a week before planting with mixed sedums, thyme, moss rose and ice plant. Fill the center section with soil and place the smaller container on top for greater height in the middle.