Frugal Green Tips

This composition is called the Power Point Observatory and Light House.
It has been achieved by composite construction and it is part of a larger whimsical garden theme.

Part 1:  How to make:  The Cone Head

• The square bottom of a basic orange safety cone was cut off.  This safety cone could have been lifted off our highways but it was purchased instead at Home Depot for $ 10.00.
  Studies of the cones at Home depot proved that the dimensions of the cone would have worked well in the grand scheme of things.
  
  
• The base of the cone was cut off carefully so that eventually the conical form would stand up as straight as possible.  The texture of the cone shown was achieved by spraying a lot of the release agent which consisted of a butter flavor cooking spray and the spraying was not a fine mist but rather sporadic and chunky.
• A doubled up plastic bag was wrapped around the smaller hole and fastened with rubber bands.
• The cone was placed in a deep container, small hole down, and towels used on the side to hold the cone up straight while the concrete was poured.
  A slender classic white plastic waste basket worked fine.
• The cone was filled with ready mix concrete.  When almost to the top of the base, a flat bowl was placed on the top of the safety cone base to just about cover the big opening.
  The flat bowl placed around the cone base fit just right and when the cone was eventually flipped with wet concrete, it helped stop the migration of water.
• Holding the bottom of the waste basket with one hand and holding the bowl over the bigger opening over the cone with the other hand, the cone full of concrete was flipped.  Then the waste basket as well as the plastic over the small hole was removed.
• The square bottom of the cone that was cut off earlier, with teeth up, was pushed down from the top over the cone all the way down to the flat bowl.
  The idea was to hold the cone from migrating upward.

I was able to find a thick and tough Tupperware lid from the old days which was used at the base of the cone.  This prevented the concrete at the bottom from running everywhere.  Small bungee cords were wrapped around the base of the cone in and out of the teeth of the loose cutout square base and were hooked to the Tupperware lid.

• When secured, more concrete was poured from the top into the small hole.  As the cone was shaken gently to let the concrete inside stack, the cone migrated upward releasing some concrete at the bottom on the bowl.  More concrete was gently poured through the small hole at the top but the concrete sunk again. It was a give and take situation but the cone was topped off in the end.  The total migration of the plastic cone upward was probably about an inch at the base but that was ok because it was to be used to anchor the cone to the next piece of the project.
  
• A large marble was inserted on the top and tapped down gently until it submerged about a hair beyond the equator.  This was to be the light of the light house.
• Since the cone had very minimal surface area from which to release its moisture, it was left to cure for 2 days.
• With a lid remover for one gallon paint cans, the bottom was pried gently all the way around.  The cone slid off easily once the seal at the bottom was released.
  The concrete cone head was left in the sun to dry but misted with water every couple of hours.
  The making of the cone head sounds like a big job but it is all about planning your moves.

Part 2:  How to make: The Light House

• The concrete cone was placed in a flower pot saucer but before that the base was soaked with water for a little bit.
• This prevented the cone from rapidly absorbing too rapidly the water from the concrete that was to be poured.  Attention was also paid so that the saucer and the concrete cone were level.
• The saucer had previously been sprayed with a release agent.
• A bit of concrete was poured under the cone and then all around its base.  Given the situation, the round cap of a detergent jug leveled and compacted the concrete around the saucer in a flash.
• With a credit type card, indentations all the way around the cone were made to resemble water.
• With a trowel more concrete was delivered around the base of the cone to symbolize rubble.
• Marbles were placed as desired and tapped gently down a hair above their equator.
  
• The composition was left to dry and the saucer mold removed 24 hours later while paying great attention to corner edges. Depending on the job you might want to use binding compounds to ease the adherence of dry to wet concrete.
  

Variant:
The cone heads by themselves with crystal balls embedded at the tip would capture incredible reflections and make very interesting unique garden sculptures when dispersed tastefully in the garden.
The sun’s rays will penetrate the crystal balls making them look like they are on fire and their light would seem to be coming from down deep within the cones.  Guaranteed!
Safety cones come in different sizes and proportions.  Some, like the ones on the highway, are really pointed and part of the tip with the small hole might have to be tailored.

As the name might imply, this is a byproduct of a Tupperware mold.  In this case a bowl.
It can be used by itself or with another piece making it an artistic garden composition.

There is a tile in the middle of the saucer under the tupperoid.

If the tupperoid is removed, the saucer can still be interesting by itself.

Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.

Also referred to as the Bald Pyramid within a small circle of friends, this is another variation of the Helical Pyramid.

This time an old slide projector lens was used. This pyramid also belongs to the sweating fountain type since the depression of the saucer will hold some water even when the saucer becomes totally dry.
The pyramid will remain wet, drying eventually from the top down.

It is called the Oculus Pyramid because, like the Pantheon in Rome, the structure is wet on the outside and dry below the oculus.

Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.

Problem:
A flower bed with a natural slope and tendency to shed to the left with heavy rains and watering, thus creating ponding over the walkway.

Solution:
A low stepped retaining garden wall made of concrete shells with an enclosure to trap, manage and celebrate the water that otherwise would be a nuisance.
Groundcover will control erosion and keep the concrete shells cleaner from dirt.

The garden wall as it formed and things fell into place, suggested a whimsical composition titled Bay of Pirates. It was a procedure of patience and lots of tinkering.
Eventually it became suddenly obvious when the overall composition was complete the way it was.
Done!

The fable goes like this:

Water sheds to the left reaching the Bay of Pirates where it is contained. When the dirt is hosed wet just right during dry weather, a steel rake can provide a texture resembling water, sort of like Japanese dry gardening.

When the Bay overflows it does so into the Golden Pond which has been made with a 24” concrete saucer. The saucer has a drain hole and a solar light.
Erosion is the sole contributor to naming it Golden Pond.
Above it all sitting on a large 24” concrete saucer is The Power Point Observatory and Light House.
Across the walkway eventually there might be Frog Mountain, a 3 foot concrete volcano with a toad sitting on a carpet of baby tears in the caldera.

The volcano and Golden Pond will anchor the entry to a small area dominated by a lemon tree. This is Lemon Land.Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.

Concrete at the price of $2.69 x 60lb bag would make the price of a concrete shell about $.34 if not less. All the shells together cost about $34.00. The total composition not counting tiles and marbles, the solar lamp post and the bird nest would be about $37.00.

This decorative concrete ornament is meant to hang and sway from a tree branch. It is about 12”x8”x1”+-
It took about half hour to make at a negligible cost.
The front has a rubble look with marbles embedded to catch the light.
The back of the ornament is slightly concave and in this case it holds a head made spontaneously.
This concave area is ideal for religious icons and statuettes.

1. Fill a plastic bag with desired amount of sand.
2. Place on flat surface with the extra plastic down under the sand bag.
3. Shape your form in oval, round, square or free form fashion.
Think of width and depth.
Notice the interesting texture above the head in the picture. It is from the creases of the plastic bag.
4. Pour the concrete over the sand bag tapping and shaping gently.
5. Tap with the trowel marbles, pebbles or anything else. Embed a hook at the end of the composition.
Let slow dry for a day in shaded area.
6. Flip and remove from the sand bag. Set the composition on top of the bag for protection and with a spray bottle spray water for adhesion where you’ll be placing the head.
7. Mix the concrete and shape a head.
Let dry.

Bungee cords are wonderful in the garden. The ones where the hook and the cord are separate pieces will allow adjusting of the hook so that the art work faces the desired direction.

This experimental garden sculpture was made from a 24” flower pot saucer.
The center piece with the marbles was made previously.

• After applying the releasing agent, the concrete was poured gently in the saucer with occasional vibration to rid of air bubbles.  It was leveled with a trowel and concentric lines made with a plastic card.
• The bottom of the previously made center with the marbles was first sprayed with water for adhesion and not to suck up the water from the wet concrete, then placed on top of the saucer at the center.
•Some concrete was then applied all around the center piece as rubble and to anchor the center to the saucer.
• Marbles at the edges were then tapped in with the handle of the trowel but since the concrete was rapidly drying, the marbles had a hard time sinking.  Some plain cement was placed around the marbles to float evenly.

• The darker color of concrete around the peripheral marbles was due to the cement that was sifted from the concrete bag.  The darker color is baffling but it can be handy as an accent.
• 24 hours later the concrete was taken out of the form.

Concrete at the price of $2.69 x 60lb bag would make the price of this composition about $.90.
Refer to the ‘concrete for the home’ category for tips on concrete, tools and molds.