Miniature tufa garden

[Lawrence]

I'm hoping to make a miniature tufa garden, suitable for AGS /SRGC shows. Would readers recommend a single piece of tufa, as per my photograph, or multiple pieces of tufa to create more crevices? Would a single piece need cementing to the base of the pot?. also the best method of watering the plants in the tufa, do you water from the top and the water percolate downwards or water individual plants?

[ranunculus]

Both methods work very well, Lawrence, but you can create more useful habitats with multiple pieces of tufa, though these may require cementing together to build up the required height within the garden. A single piece of tufa (as illustrated in your images) will require drilling to create the necessary planting pockets and these pockets will always work better when smaller plants or seedlings are introduced.  The cracks and crevices of a multiple piece garden can take slightly more mature plants.
I know most miniature gardeners simply leave their creations outside in all kinds of weather so watering occurs naturally.

[Jan Tholhuijsen]

Here two of my mini tuf (garden). On the pole I made in spring 2016. On the scale this spring. In warm weather, spray water every day, just with the nice sprayer.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I've opted for the "several tufa stones" construction Lawrence.  Now 6 years old, it's planted with many Saxes on the shaded side and several diverent species on the sunny side.

[ian mcdonald]

In the 1980s I found quite a number of pieces of Tufa on a friends farm. I tried to earn him some pocket money by selling the pieces but the demand was poor. They would have been an ideal size for miniature displays but people wanted them delivered. This would have made the charge too much, including transport.

[David Nicholson]

Lovely jobs Luc and Jan. Wish I could get hold of some tufa that size.........delivered of course

[Chris Johnson]

Very nice compositions, Luc.