I post this frequently (Remember please, it's a copy/paste from a thread I replied to a while ago): Peat - Renewable or Not? - Does it Matter? Chicken Little would be aghast at your inference!! In my estimation, it doesn't matter much if it's renewable or not, and I refuse to be made to feel guilty about using any form of peat. Here is a reply I often leave when the non-renewable thing comes up: "Sorry, but I'm not buying the non-renewable lament. In Canada alone, there are more than 270 million acres of harvestable peat bogs. If we make the conservative guess that the harvestable portions of these bogs are 10 feet deep, that means there are probably more than 900 billion cu. ft. available for harvest, just in Canada! That doesn't even take into consideration what's available in Europe, Asia, or places like New Zealand where they also mine peat. Canada currently has mining/harvesting operations underway on approximately 40 thousand acres or about .014% (that reads 14 one thousandths of 1 percent)." Check the math - it's accurate and conservative. It's more likely that the next ice age will be upon us and glaciers will have covered what's available before we even use a noticeable percentage. Renewable/non-renewable = moot. Al

Thanks to you both ...I got all excited, and tried a few yesterday..I've just took the molds off and they look great...except the color is a green look.. I used the 1 11 ratio of perlite, peatmoss, and Portland, also cut up a few pcs. Of straw I hope it holds...for molds I had just come home from town and had purchased a lg. tea from McD's I used the cup and I had. A little sand bucket so I lined the bucket with bubble wrap..it's cute and so is the cup one..I think I'm gonna go buy some plastic wine goblets and try them for I really want a tall skinny shrooms...can't seem to find the right size..but soon as warm weather comes I'm gonna make some in deep sand and try that..I love little critters ..can't wait for warmer weather got so many ideals..again I enjoy reading all the forums on here..

When I was a kid[many years ago]I used to make mudpies. Loved to play in the dirt,climb rocks,ride wild horses.Was sort of a tomboy,no girls in my neighborhood. In jr. highschool they used to call me witch.Don't know why. Now it seems I'm doing a second childhood, playing in the mud.I like these results much better.My favorite project is, like sarasaid,the one I'm currently working. This one is a water feature.It is a sphere[two bowls,mortared together.with a cut out].Mounted on a pedestal cast from the same bowl mold.The pedestal has 4 semicircles cut out so it has legs, these legs have been fortilied to provide the strength to support the sphere. It will be painted black inside,hold water,with glass 'rocks' at the bottom and a floating candle in it. I have great hopes for it. Don't know if I should paint the outside or not. I'm still trying to learn my son's camera so I can't post pictures, maybe one day I can.

Hi, Marly! How've you been? Your Birdfeeder is wonderful! That's one of the best looking 'tufa mushrooms I've seen. Your 'birdbath' makes the perfect mushroom cap, and you've worked magic with those colors. I also really like the wet look you got using the epoxy/resin. Was the resin difficult to work with? Could you tell us more about how you made your stem, Marly? Did you form it on the outside of your mold, cast it solid, or do it more like a lantern light box? Curious about how you carved the entrance holes. It's so cool that the birds are already feeding in it! Eva