troughs – earth & vessel

June 10, 2019June 10, 2019

Westcott Art Trail

This weekend!

Westcott Art Trail

Saturday, June 15th

10am- 5pm

Sunday, June 16th

noon-5pm

Handmade concrete and hypertufa spheres, troughs, pots, water basins, pedestals for your home and garden for sale. All work is made with Portland cement, sand, natural materials and
are fiber reinforced for exterior use.

All work is displayed throughout my garden for your viewing pleasure.

Melissa Montgomery
127 Victoria Place
Syracuse

If you are interested in taking a summer
workshop to make your own stone sphere, water basin, pot, please stop by for further information.

May 2, 2019May 22, 2019

Hypertufa Trough Workshop- FULL!

Hypertufa troughs were developed in England ...

… as an alternative to old stone troughs, which were used to feed and water livestock. Hypertufa provides excellent drainage; the textured surface attracts moss and lichens, and can highlight those special small plants that sometimes get lost in a garden.

The first photo is the trough I have outside my kitchen door planted with herbs for easy snipping.

In this workshop, you will mix, mold and sculpt hypertufa into your own unique and functional garden trough. This workshop is open to beginners as well as experienced sculptors. A hands-on opportunity to learn basic hand building techniques, tricks of the mix, shortcuts, mold usage, texturing and proper curing.

This is a two-morning workshop –

Date and Time: May 31 & June 1 (Fri &Sat) 10-1pm

Class size is limited to four

Cost per student: $125 fee

All materials are provided including: dust mask, rubber gloves, an earth&vessel booklet with recipes and supply resources.

All completed pieces are left wrapped in my studio for 14 days to cure

Please contact me for more details.

April 21, 2019April 23, 2019

Kiss the winter blues goodbye!

spring sale

Please join me for my First Spring Sale at the Delavan Center!

All new concrete and hypertufa work designed and handmade in my Delavan studio for your home and garden. Shop for spheres, pots, troughs, water basins and more.

Wine & Cheese Preview

Friday

May 3

4-7pm

Saturday

May 4

10-3pm

Please use the 501 West Fayette entrance- there is plenty of parking.

Questions?

Contact me

February 10, 2019March 4, 2019

Spring 2019 Workshops

I run a selection of hands-on workshops from my light and spacious studio in The Delavan Center in downtown Syracuse, NY two blocks west of Armory Square.

Click on the titles below for more info on each workshops:

3 Egg Shaped Hypertufa Pots

Concrete Sphere

Water Basin & Pedestal

Hypertufa Pot & Pedestal

All of my workshops are run as small, informal and friendly groups to ensure that everyone gets the attention they need in a relaxed and supportive environment.

I’ll share with you all the tips that I’ve gained through trial and error over the years, ensuring you leave the workshop with all the knowledge you need to continue your own adventures at home. Although, we will use some molds, everything you make will be one-of-a-kind, made by you.

Book online via Eventbrite or contact me to discuss booking your own private group or individual workshop here. I also run one-to-one workshops and private group bookings for businesses, hen parties & large group workshops including projects for schools and garden clubs.

February 10, 2019February 14, 2019

The Allure of Moss on Hypertufa

When planning a hike with my pup, I tend to gravitate towards Clark Reservation in Jamesville, NY. The woods and rocks are covered in moss throughout the year. With last week’s thaw, it was welcoming to see how green and lush the moss appeared despite the cold.

You may think, I am just using this post as a way to showcase my pup but actually not… I want to show you how beautiful moss on hypertufa troughs can be-

This is Clark’s Reservation without a pup. Still beautiful.

I recently finished these two new hypertufa troughs. My hypertufa recipe is a mix of portland cement, sand, vermiculite and PEAT MOSS! Because these are fresh out of a 14 day cure, they look quite brown but they will “grey up” in no time and if placed outside in the spring, it will just be a matter of time before they will begin to get a “green-ish” appearance.

Adding peat moss into the mix gives the trough/pot some porosity, lightens up the overall weight and, of course, naturally attracts moss and algae.

As you will notice on the hypertufa spheres, they are showing a green-ish cast. But, on the edges of the herb trough, the moss is established. This trough if left outside year round by my kitchen door so I can snip thyme and oregano in the dead of winter…sometimes I have to dig through the snow a bit!