Yorkton and District Horticultural Society

You can create your mould from anything that will hold its shape for a few days.  Heavy cardboard can be cut and tied together to make planters that fit any location.  Old nursery pots make round containers.

Your moulds do not have to be perfectly shaped or smooth.  Irregularity actually contributes to the old weathered look.

It is best to line most moulds with plastic to ease the separating of the planter from the mould.  It also keeps cardboard moulds dry, thus extending their life.

Mix 2 parts peat moss with 1 part sand and 1 part Portland cement.  When the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, slowly add up to 1.5 parts water, until you get a paste-like consistency soft enough to work with, but firm enough to hold the shape that your hands pat it into when doing your mould.   Start in the bottom of the mould and work your way up the sides, patting and smoothing as you go to make the walls a continuous flow of cement.  Remember to create drainage holes in the bottom; it is much easier with wet cement than by drilling later.

Set the finished works somewhere relatively warm and dry for about three days and then remove the moulds.  After another couple of days, work the outside with a wire brush (this is a bit of a dirty process) to get the desired texture. With a little practice you will become quite creative in your texturizing. Let the new weathered containers thoroughly dry so they will be ready to plant in the spring as the container needs time to cure – making this an ideal winter project.

If you spend the winter at this, then you can reuse one mould to create several planters the same size and shape but your efforts with the wire brush and the accidental folds in the plastic will create unique pieces.

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