Aging Pots and Statues
You've bought a brand new concrete gargoyle, angel or gnome for
your garden but you don't want that I-just-bought-look. Or perhaps
you have some terra cotta pots growing henbane that you want to
look suitably old. The easiest way to age your garden statuary and
pots is by encouraging moss to grow on them. It's a simple technique
with several effective variations. You moisten the pot or statue,
then paint it with a mixture which will provide nutrients for the
moss to grow. These include:
1 cup buttermilk plus 1/2 tspn. sugar
yogurt (live culture)
sour milk
3 parts beer to 1 part sugar
liquid plant food
Collect some moss from a nearby locale, and you can either add the
moss to the mixture and chop it up in a blender, then paint it on,
or once you've coated the pot or statue with one of the above
materials, take a piece of moss and rub it all over the surface of
the object. Keep the object in a moist, dark place and mist it daily
to encourage the moss to grow.
Note: this will not work for metal statues or containers. You'll
need to use chemicals to age those objects. The chemicals for aging
metal, come in kits, and can be bought at craft stores.
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