NARGS Emerald Chapter

Basic Trough Mix for Hypertufa:

• 1.5 parts fine peat (may substitute coconut fiber)
• 1.5 parts perlite (may substitute sand or cinder)
• 1 part Portland cement, regular (don’t use concrete)

Directions:
To prepare peat, sift it through a screen or mesh. For coconut fiber soak in water until the bale falls apart. Put 1.5 buckets of peat or coconut fiber into a wheelbarrow or other large container. Make sure all lumps are separated. Add perlite, sand or cinder and mix thoroughly. Add 1 bucket of Portland cement. It’s a good idea to have a dust mask on for this and gloves so you don’t get the cement on your bare hands. Add water slowly and mix until it is stiff and holds together, and has a consistency about like cookie dough or cottage cheese. You should be able to squeeze a handful and just barely get a drop of water out.

part of Siskiyou chapter member Kathy Allen's amazing collection of troughs

Mold into a plastic-lined box or other container, making walls and bottom 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick. Punch drain holes in the bottom with your finger or a tool. When firm, one or two days later, remove from box and plastic, carve to your satisfaction, and, if desired, moisten and then coat outside with dry Portland Cement to create a smooth appearance. Trough may be planted as early as one week.

For a more freeform shape, make a mold by digging a bowl shape in hard-packed wet sand or by making a mound of wet sand using bricks or hard objects underneath if necessary to build it up. Put your hypertufa directly in or on your sand mold, taking care to make sure your wall thickness is adequate.

Basic Trough Soil Mix:

• 2 parts Sand
• 1 part Peat
• 2 parts Pumice

Mix. Add granite grit or red pumice rock for a courser mix, leaf mold or more peat for a softer, more acid mix. Cover planted trough with a mulch of granite grit, small gravel, or cinder

Selaginella scopulorum, a spikemoss native to Oregon

At our March 9th meeting, Judith Jones spoke to us about her favorite topic—and one of mine—ferns. She showed us photos of many of the wonderful rock ferns, hard to find but worth seeking out, as well as larger ferns suited for the woodland garden. Lately Judith has been growing spikemosses (Selaginella sp.). These look very much like mosses, hence the name, but they are actually vascular plants. Many grow on sunny rock outcrops and are quite suitable for rock gardens. She brought loads of wonderful ferns and a few spikemosses with her for sale. Quite a few now have new homes in Oregon!

Judith is one of the experts on ferns in the Pacific Northwest. We were very lucky to be able to get Judith to speak to us on her way back to Washington after Western Winter Study Weekend. For more about her and her lovely ferns, visit her Fancy Fronds Nursery website at http://www.fancyfronds.com.

The Siskiyou Chapter hosted this year’s Western Winter Study Weekend March 5–7 in Medford. Members of our chapter who attended included Holly Helton, Robin Hansen, Tasha King, Paula and Ted Hewitt, Loren Russell, and Tanya Harvey. It was great to catch up with other NARGS members, some of whom we only see at these events.

Robin with her terrific door prize

The speakers entertained us with talks about buildings rock gardens, rock garden plants, and mountain areas here and abroad. Many wonderful door prizes were handed out. Our own treasurer, Robin Hansen, won an extra special door prize—a $200 gift certificate to Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery!

The Siskiyou Chapter members’ gardens are always a highlight when they host. Their climate just seems to bring out the best in rock garden plants. The weather was perfect for garden tours on Sunday, and there were many gardens to see. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to come home from the weekend with new treasures to plant in my rock garden from the plant sale.

Thanks so much to all the Siskiyou Chapter folks who did such a wonderful job putting on the conference.