Mosaic Raised Bed

Clay Plastered Organoponico

A stunning terracotta adobe appearance can be created by plastering the beds with a mixture of clay, sand and cement, but make sure you do it early in the morning so you have time to buff the surface later in the day with a wet cloth or sponge as the plaster dries, this will give you a lovely smooth finish.

I find a good mix is 1 part Yellow Clay dust or a wet clay slurry that has no big lumps in it, 2 parts plaster`s Sand or any Fine Sand , 1 part Cement

Mix well in a wheelbarrow with a spade or use a plasterers drill.

Do not go to light on cement or the plaster will dissolve and wash off.

On the other hand if the cement content is too high it will over power the earth tones of the clay, in which case I would recommend you apply the iron sulphate stain to add colour to the surface.

It is all very unpredictable but easily corrected if you get it wrong.

Iron Sulphate Stain

If you want to have a natural earthy look without the trouble of sourcing and processing clay, you can just apply a sand/cement plaster to the wall, then when it is dry, stain it with Ferrous [Iron] Sulphate.

I use 3 part sand to 1 part cement plaster applied as a thin film, only a few millimetres thick over the walls using a trowel on the sides and rubber dishwashing gloves massage the plaster on to the top and edges of the wall. Wait till it starts to dry then start buffing it, first with the gloves then latter with a damp dish cloth, keep doing this until you have a lovely smooth finish by revisiting it with the wet cloth as it dries.

Creating a Faux Tuscan appearance

Two cups of Iron Sulphate is mixed with 1/2 bucket of water and is applied with a halfbrush i.e. a brush from a brush and pan.This will give a deep rich intense colour to the walls. You can buy the Iron Sulphate from a garden centre for $6 for 800gm [ Tui Brand ] and it is used for the control of moss and clover on lawns. Both Yates and Tui Brands are good but I prefer Tui

To reduce the intensity of the stain, just do not apply so much of the solution. The recipe above was enough for me to apply several coats to a standard 7m long bed. Cost of stain less than $3. Just keep going till the solution is all used up.

I would recommend doing a clay/sand/cement plaster first, followed by the lighter application rate of only one cup per half bucket of water if you want to acheive the most natural appearance.