Playing with Concrete at Rare Plant Research

If you've ever visited Rare Plant Research or remember my previous visits you know that Burl Mostl, it's creator and owner has a way with concrete (more correctly, a Portland cement/polymer blend.) While the plants and gorgeous setting are draw enough, another reason I like to go to the open house is to see what new creations Burl has come up with.

I wonder if Burl liked making mud pies as a kid?  Blow up a beach ball, mix up a bit of mud...

A little hardware fabric and voila... (notice the blankets in this images.)

Throw one of those blankets in concrete and toss it over a five gallon bucket and you get this.

Loved this one with the rusty metal stand.  Bet it was made on an exercise ball. 

Add a collar to a sphere and you've got an ancient jar. 

Looks even better next to an "ancient" urbanite wall.  

This one was already sold.  Rats.  Reminds me of a Leonard Cohen lyric:  

"Ring the bells that still can ring,  

Forget your perfect offering,  

There is a crack in everything, 

That's how the light gets in." 

Here's one of last year's creations holding Jabba the Hutt.  It's actually the caudex of  Ipomea platensis. I was very tempted by this combination but it's one of those things that to look its best would require uncluttered space of which I've very little.  

Another  cool thing about Burl's creations is that they're  inexpensive.  There was a second sphere that rode home with me as well.  

Stay tuned for more magic from this year's  Rare Plant Research open house.