Rockery Rocks

[JimmyB]

Its time to add some landscape to my layout, and I need some rocks, though garden centres are not badly priced, I feel I will need about 1 tonne, and loading these into the wife's car is not an option, so advice where I can buy that will deliver, and anything else that maybe useful on the subject .
Once the advice is given please feel free to allow thread drift as far as you feel suitable

 

[PhilP]

Any garden centre worth the name should deliver..
I would also look at builders merchants, and even the garden departments of the DIY sheds.. - If only for price comparisons..

 

[Deleted member 4232]

Moved

 

[Paul M]

A friend of mine makes his the same as John's, but makes an impression in sand or earth as a mould before filling up with the cement mixture.

 

[dunnyrail]

Last year I did a remodel of part of my Concrete Mountains. Somewhere there will be a thread about it. I did the work October / November last year.

Problem with using rocks are that you will need a massive amount to make any real difference. A Ton is nothing as things go. We used a fair few to make a scenic section on the Ruschbahn, I built a big set of Plant Holders using Breeze Blocks, mounted the Rocks on the top then disguised all the Breeze with Concrete the same way that I do to make Mountains. Looked very good but a lot of work to get it 8 feet high!

JohnS's thinking is sound. Much along the lines as I have been doing for a long time after I discovered the technique when visiting Florida and the way they build hills and mountains.

 

[Sarah Winfield]

It might be worth contacting local gardeners, that is those that do it as a small business. I spotted a flatbed lorry yesterday with a whole load of rocks. I doubt they were being ditched but probably stored for the next job.

SW

 

[JimmyB]

John, I thought about Tufa, until I tried to buy some, its not artificial (which is what I also thought) but:

Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of ambient temperature water. ... Tufa, which is calcareous, should not be confused with tuff, a porous volcanic rock with a similar etymology that is sometimes also called "tufa".

 

[Martino]

Hi Jimmy
What you’re looking for is hypatufa. (Hypertufa - Wikipedia), which you make from Portland cement, peat and sand/ perlite.

Many ‘how to’ videos on YouTube.

 

[a98087]

It might be worth contacting any local stone masons? Have a friend who built the impressive cathedral mountain railway ( youtube it) and he got some off the worn and damaged stones from the cathedral rebuilt and made some huge mountains.

I’ve got all my stone from freecycle, but was able to collect easily

Also maybe consider a cement mixer, get one 2nd hand and then resell afterwards to get most all of your money back, it makes things a lot easier, as mixing mortar by hand isn’t that fun!!

Dan

 

[Zerogee]

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If of the DIY inclination, mix and make your own, Portland Cement, Peat and Perlite, chicken wire, plastic bags to stuff in the holes of the chicken wire moulded to rock shape, plenty of tips on the t'inernet, Google search for pictures of Tufa Rock & Rockeries, and if you want the aged look, give them a good wash over with Liquid Cow Dung, then let Mother Nature take over.

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As other have said, this mix is called Hypatufa. If the idea of the Liquid Cow Dung wash doesn't take your fancy, you can achieve similar results with live yoghurt - I recommend you don't mix the two up at breakfast though......

Jon.

 

[Rhinochugger]

As other have said, this mix is called Hypatufa. If the idea of the Liquid Cow Dung wash doesn't take your fancy, you can achieve similar results with live yoghurt - I recommend you don't mix the two up at breakfast though......

Jon.

Titter ye not - many years ago, we repaired some of the render on part of Horsley Towers (a genuine fake once owned by Tommy Sopwith) and we used fresh cow carp to assist in blending the new with the old