SOUTHWOOD GARDEN CLUB VISTS THE SUMMER'S GARDEN

Mary Ann brought her Southwood Garden Club for a visit to the garden. It was a beautiful sunny day to meander through the flowers and vegetables.

HYPERTUFA STUDIO 4

The fireworks from 4th of July celebrations survived the rain of the holiday weekend. We experienced heavy rains once again for our first Hypertufa Studio in July. The weather didn't bother these busy beavers who made some great planters and ornaments for their gardens.

Sculpting Grots, a Danish terms for garden gnome, is always a popular project. Diane is thinking of bringing her Girl Scout troop to the studio to make them. Creating their own Grot is a wonderful activity for kids. The uglier you can make them, the better!

In fact, Judy's granddaughters joined her for the studio and they proved to be very creative helpers. Here, one of them sculpts her grandmother's Grot.

Sculpting Demonstration

Garden stone display for the week

Connie made a really stunning leaf platter and decorated the bottom using an old rosette iron. She used used wine corks as legs for her platter.

HYPERTUFA STUDIO 3

It was a HOT weekend and these happy tuffa-makers did a fine job in the face of temperature and humidity challenges. Hypertufa takes longer to set during periods of high humidity and thus our masterpieces where not ready for us to finish them up on the second day of the studio. That was the bad news, the good news is that nothing actually broke and everyone will get their finished pieces...it will just take a few more days!

Caroline and Chris were very excited to pick up their leaf-patterned planter. It measures 12" deep and 4 feet long and is certain to be a focal point in their garden. They are going to plant it up with a mixture of kitchen herbs.

This is a first for me-a banjo stepping stone. Jan is a pro-tufa maker and joined us again this week. She is full of creative ideas and has plenty of fun in the process. She came ready to work with her hair tied up with a bandana in such a clever way that Laurie had her show her how to tie it.

Jan's bandana

Carolyn did a great job of creating a horse similar

to the classic Chinese horse for her garden.

HYPERTUFA STUDIO 2

This eager group proved to be very able and creative in making their hypertufa masterpieces.

Staci and Ginny begin the job of removing material from their hypertufa blocks to create their own unique "GROTS", a Danish term for garden gnome.

It's an ugly sounding name but it really fits!

Diana is Ginny's sister. They are both nurses and brought leftover operating room plastic bowls that can be repurposed as molds for hypertufa. Lots of gloves and plastic sheets too-great creative recycling! Here Diana pulls off the leaves used to cast her platter. She adorned the front of her box planter with a beautiful tile from her collection.

Sandy used coins from her travels around the world in a spiral pattern on her stepping stone.

Broken china adds a great deal of interest to Staci's stone...

...and Connie used a string of shiny beads to create a border on her stone.

Isn't this a creative way to reuse this old saw blade? David is a wood worker

and is going to get even more use out of this one!

Finished stones laid out for display.

FIRST HYPERTUFA STUDIO OF THE SEASON

What a weekend! We had an exciting first hypertufa session and a wonderful bunch of enthusiasts. But oh the weather- first it rained, then it poured, then the sun came out, then it poured again...by the time we gathered for our group photo, the sun was shining brightly.

Jenny fashioned the edge of her hypertufa planter like a castle tower.

Merrill was a meticulous worker- she even gave her garden gnome

wire hair that actually had a part in it!

The first day we mixed up the hypertufa and concrete and cast our pieces.

The next day we put the componenets together into finished items.

Isn't this a smart bunch of brand new hand sculpted stepping stones?

Mixing up a batch of hyperttufa is definitely a good workout.

Jenny uses a brick to smooth the edges of her stepping stone.

Carol and Don wanted to keep their stones simple and

used texture and shape to make them interesting.

Barb, Cindy and Sue-three girlfriends working in a row.

LIFE IS A BOWL OF CHERRIES

Laurie has been busy picking these plump red tart pie cherries from our Dwarf North Star cherry tree. With all the rain this year, they are especially juicy.

You can't beat the flavor of a homemade cherry pie but it is one of the pies that requires the most work because each cherry has to be pitted!

HOLLYHOCK DAYS OF MAY GIVE WAY TO SUMMER

Davey Jackson, Blaze Capper, Tori Ross, Sarah Ross

Laurie and I took the studio assistants out to dinner to celebrate their hard work this spring season. We thank you, our fine customers, for visiting Hollyhock Days and wish you a carefree and happy summer at home and in your gardens.