Hypertufa Containers: Creating and Planting an Alpine Trough Garden

by Lori Chips

“A complete guide to designing, making and planting hypertufa troughs.”— North American Rock Garden Society

Hypertufa containers—also known as troughs—are rustic, striking, versatile, and perfect for small, Alpine plants. A mix of cement, perlite, peat, and water, they are simple and affordable to make at home. In  Hypertufa Containers , Lori Chips details everything you need to know to make your own troughs and successfully garden in them. This hardworking book includes step-by-step instructions and color photography for making hypertufa containers in a variety of shapes and sizes. Plant portraits include growing and cultivation information, along with potting tips.

 

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2018

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

I'm a fanatical gardener and spend a lot of time trying to figure out ways to improve our outdoor living space. Unfortunately I have to do so on a budget. Any techniques which look great and save cash on the ridiculously expensive heavy containers in the garden centres are perfect for me.

Hypertufa fits the bill. Author Lori Chips has written a clear, concise, and beautifully photographed book on sourcing and creating weatherproof hardscaping for the garden. The book contains instructions for choosing supplies, construction techniques, weathering containers and troubleshooting.

Roughly the first 25% of the content is given over to straight introduction to the material, tutorial for building and creating molds and working with hypertufa to create trough containers.

The next 25% covers soil mixes, garden siting, and other materials (real tufa stone, for example) for the alpine rock garden. This is a complete and well written guide to the special needs and cultivation requirements of alpine plants.

Another 20% is given over to plant selection and planting styles. There are so many lovely pictures of different cultivars and a lot of surprising juxtaposition which I wouldn't have otherwise expected (scabiosa sitting happily with lewisia and sempervivums all jostling one another side by side). One thing which struck me about most of the pictures in the book is how exuberantly healthy everything looks. The plants don't just seem to be existing, they're clearly thriving .

There's a fair amount of general garden wisdom and experience as well as style and cultivation advice which can be applied to a lot of other situations than just the selection and building of an alpine or other rock garden. The author is clearly experienced and writes clearly and with humor and insight.

The book also includes a good glossary, bibliography and links for further reading. I love books which turn me on to other books.

This is an unusual book. It's DIY manual, a really solid book on choosing and growing alpines, a pretty darned good look at planting styles and a picture book inviting a closer look at some often misunderstood and maligned plants.

Beautifully written and high quality useful instruction.

Four and a half stars.
Available in ebook and paperback format, anticipated release date: 1st Aug, 2018.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.

[Lynndell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read and review Hypertufa Containers by Lori Chips. Hypertufa containers or troughs are made from cement, peat moss, perlite and fiber mesh and they are frost-resistant and meant to bring miniature alpine plants up close for better viewing. Photos and detailed instructions and information give everything needed to create your own hypertufa containers. The only thing missing is your imagination and supplies! A list of categorized plants is included along with a glossary and zonal information. Helpful and creative-4 stars!

[Randal White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hypertufa containers are planting structures made of a mixture of cement, perlite, peat, and water. Easily constructed (although a bit messy), they are a good alternative to the purchase of heavy and expensive ceramic pots. And they are more visually appealing than plastic containers.
The author effectively explains how to build these pots. She gives many examples and photographs. I feel confident that I can do this process now.

[Trish Remley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have collected materials to make hypertufa in the last year and I had some vague instructions. So glad I came across this book by Lori Chips with very detailed instructions. Ready to go forward now. All the information on alpine plants was also appreciated and quite informative. Very nice photos.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great instructions for creating these planters. This may be a good retirement project. Includes info on soil composition and plants.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great how-to book on building garden structures.

[Gaby F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hypertufa containers are very attractive design elements for rock gardening. They look very organic, rugged and weathered,almost like natural stone without being as heavy. I have seen containers like this before, but never knew that there is a relatively easy way to make them myself. The only thing about making this containers is that the process is relatively messy and requires basic gardening equipment like a wheel barrow and a sieve for sifting material, things that long-time gardeners probably already have in their tool shed. In this book, Lori Chips, an experienced professional gardener, shows the reader various ways of creating hypertufa containers and gives numerous examples of plantings that go very well together with this type of containers. I especially like the idea of using hypertufa containers for displaying miniature landscapes planted with succulents . The possibilities are endless, but I would be already very happy with recreating a few of the beautiful designs showcased in this book and integrating them into my garden.

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book, one that will be dipped into quite often. Not only does it explain the principal of the original trough garden, but explains how to make a series of container, which will become your trough gardens. Suitable for not only alpine plants, but lots of other plants suitability are also explained as well as designing and planting your own original trough garden.
This book will grab you, and as a coffee table book, will be of interest to all who browse within its pages.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing artwork in the garden! This is a reference book for hypertufa containers. The tutorials are easy to understand with nice pictures. I loved the creatives ideas that Lori shared.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful guide for creating your own rock-like containers and growing pretty alpine and other rock garden plants. I don't think I'll ever have the skills to actually create a decent looking hypertufa container.