DIY: Hypertufa Fountain

Imagine this: You’re sitting on your patio, sipping a cool drink, and listening to the soothing sound of water trickling. Sounds pretty dreamy, right? I’ve always wanted one of those bougie limestone trough fountains by ya girl does NOT have thousands of disposable dollars laying around so LETS MAKE (A fake) ONE!

I went down a rabbit hole on Pinterest and found a creator that used a faux limestone planter from Lowe’s and hacked a pond pump with a copper pipe to make a fountain. Check out the post here. I couldn’t find the pot in stock so that naturally sent me down a doom scroll of google looking for ways to fake limestone. Thats when I landed on Hypertufa.

What’s hypertufa? It’s basically a super-strong, lightweight material made from cement, peat moss, and perlite. Think of it as the concrete of the garden world.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Pro Tip! Order online for curbside pick up so you don’t have to do the heavy lifting!

• Portland Cement, 
• 2- 8qt bags of peat moss
• 2- 8qt bags of Perlite (I used vermiculite cause I couldn’t find perlite)
• A big plastic tub (Shoulda used this one!) -Pro tip. Don’t use a metal trash can LOL
• A smaller plastic container
• A pond pump
• Flexible tubing
• 1/2 inch copper pipe (and a pipe cutter)
• Flex Seal -cause it leaks without it lol

Now, let’s get started:

1. Mix it up: Combine the cement, peat moss, and vermiculite in a bucket. I used a dollar store bucket to mix up 2 parts cement to one part each of peat moss and perlite/vermiculite. Its about a half bag of the cement and two bags each of the peat moss and perlite. USE GLOVES!! Don’t be like me.
   • Mix this in a wheelbarrow. Thank me later.
2. Add water: and mix until it’s about as thick as mud.
3. Shape it up: Press the muddy mixture into the big plastic tub. I added enough to make the base about 6 inchesAdd the smaller container in the center to create the fountain bowl and pack the mix around the sides. Pack it tight!
4. Let it dry: Leave it to dry for about 24-48 hours. The tutorials I read were mixed between leaving for 2 weeks and only a few days. I’m impatient as f*ck so I left it for 24 LOL.
5. Seal it up: Once it’s dry, use Flex Seal to waterproof the inside.  Maybe if I left it longer it wouldn’t have leaked… but ya live and ya learn.
6. Add the pump and tubing:  Cut a 2 inch-is section of tubing and place it over the pump nozzle and place it in the fountain.
7. Add the spout: Insert the copper pipe into the top of the tubing and put some rocks around it for stability.
8. Fill it up: Add water and enjoy your new garden centerpiece!

I didn’t like the dirty color it cured to so I grabbed a tub of ready made Stucco Patch and slathered it all overdo give it the soft white color of limestone.

If you’re looking for a video on the process, check out my INSTAGRAM. I have a highlight saved!

Remember: This is a DIY project, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Add your own personal touch to make it truly unique. And if things get a little messy, don’t worry. That’s just part of the fun!