Waxing Camellias and other flowers

Dipping your favorite flowers in hot wax can preserve them for several weeks without water. Wax flowers are great for decorating ahead of time for parties and it’s a fun thing to do.

The best flowers to use are ones with sturdy petals and single or semi-double rows of petals. If a flower has too many petals the wax gets clogged up between the petals. Carnations and hybrid tea roses do not do very well. Because the wax is white, pink, yellow and white flowers do better than red.

Camellias & daffodils  are just a few of the flowers you can try. Make sure the flowers are fresh, dry and clean.

You might want to do this outside –the wax is messy and flammable and cover the table with old newspapers.

Small batch

• 2 boxes of gulf wax –(found in the canning section of your grocery store)

• 1 cup mineral oil (found in the pharmacy section)

• Digital meat thermometer

• 1 large tin coffee can and electric frypan or wax hand spa

• Deep bowl filled with ice cold water

Put wax and oil in a hand spa or make a double boiler with the electric Fry Pan, can or old pot.

Heat to 135 to 140 degrees. Careful this is flammable. 

Now you are ready to dip.

Hold the leaves back and just dip the flower with a side sweeping motion. Do not push the flower straight down or you will get an air pocket in the center of the flower. Dip quickly and shake off the extra wax, next dip the flower in the ice water, leave it in there for a few minutes until the wax cools.

Carefully lay the flower on the newspaper, and do some more.

Wax may be saved and used repeatedly – you might want to double this recipe

Kathy

Hypertufa Workshop

I will be at Hickory Knob State Park this week end for a Hypertufa and Sans-casting workshop.

Hypertufa Check list

Safety First

Dust mask,Eye protection ,Rubber or Nitrile gloves

Apron and old clothes, rubber boots

Supplies

Portland cement

Aggregates :Vermiculite, perlite, PermaTill, sand, sea glass, pea gravel, sea shells

Organics:  Sifted peat moss or Coco peat, potting soil

Optional: Concrete dye, concrete reinforcing fibers, liquid acrylic fortifier

Molds: Styrofoam coolers, Pizza Box, plastics bowls, flower pots, heart shaped candy box.  

Remember this is not rocket science.  Aggregates can be peat moss, coco peat, and perlite or vermiculite. I do not like perlite because it is white. The peat moss or cocoa peat must be sifted through ¼ inch hardware cloth to remove lumps and sticks. Hypertufa made with the classic proportions for mortar (1 part cement: 3 parts aggregate) has a composition of

·         3 parts Type I Portland cement

·         4 parts peat sifted

·         5 parts vermiculite or perlite

For pots 1 parts cement: 3 parts aggregate.   1 quart Cement, 1 ½ qt. Vermiculite 1 ½ qt. Peat 1 qt. water

For stepping stones & bird baths 1 parts cement: 2 parts aggregate 1 part water more or less

stressing the pot with a wire brush

To increase strength and longevity, polymer-fibers, liquid acrylic fortifier, and fiberglass fibers may be incorporated into the mixture. Add the fibers to a quart of water and mix thoroughly and add to the mix.  Other aggregate such as sand, pebbles, sea glass and crushed oyster shells can be add but they increase the pots weight. Powdered or liquid concrete dyes can be added to the water first to tint the hypertufa to resemble natural rock. Buff, red and brown are the best colors to use. Fibers that protrude from the pot after it is finished can be burned off with a lighter.

Day 2 -Distressing ( making pots look old or wore)  After you manage to get your pot out of the mold take a wire brush or file and go over the outside of your pot. This will expose the vermiculite and peat. If you do not do this your pot will look like concrete and not like aged stone. Use a tile cutting bit on the dremel

Carving and drilling holes. The pots are still soft enough to carve with power tools such as angle grinders, dremels and electric drills.  Handle with care it will be easy to break until cured.

Curing – Keep your pot damp covered with plastic in a cool place for about 2 weeks or longer. Occasionally re-wet your pot as it cures. Leave your pot sitting out for a month before planting. The slower concrete dries the stronger it will be.

Recommended reading: Making Concrete Garden Ornaments  and Creative Concrete Ornaments in the Garden by Sherri Warner Hunter. My Blog  http://cypressgardener.blogspot.com/

Making a Butterfly stepping stone with plywood and aluminium flashing 

Tufa tools for stressing 

Daisy Fleabane

Carolina Wildflower Daisy Fleabane

In late spring soft clouds of lavender pink flowers float above unkempt yards and roadsides. Closer inspections reveals a tiny daisy like flower. I have often wondered about the origins of the common name for Erigeron annuus. The flower looks like a daisy and it is in the Composite family with other daisies, but does it repeal fleas? I have never had anyone tell me that Daisy Fleabane does repel fleas, but then again I have never noticed any fleas near it.  This dainty little wildflower can be found throughout the U.S in poor but moist soils.  Around here, Daisy Fleabane is not found in dry sandy areas, but it is common around farm fields.  That is a good thing because the flowers are used by many native pollinators. If they come up in your lawn, please let them finish blooming before mowing.

 

Spring Rose Show

For the first time the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Show will be held on James Island because Cypress Gardens is still closed. 

Colorful modern hybrid teas, fragrant old garden roses and many others blooms will be on display during the 24rd Annual Charleston Rose Show on April 30 at the James Island Town Hall, 1238-B Camp Rd.

The show draws both novices and experts exhibiting 100’s of local grown roses of every color and form.

This year, there are over 25 exhibition categories from Noisette Roses, Shrub Roses and Hybrid Teas to Miniature roses. There will also be a Rose Photography Exhibition open only to members of Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society. Information about the society and how to grow beautiful roses will be available during the show.

Having membership in a rose society is not required to participate. Specimens entered must have been grown by the exhibitor in his or her own garden. Stems should be as long as possible and blooms should be open, vases will be provided.

Entries will be accepted 7-10 a.m., with judging set to begin at 10:15 a.m. The show will be open to the public noon-5 p.m.

Rules, judges and guidelines for judging are found on the society’s website at https://charlestonlowcountryrose.wordpress.com/ or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.