Hi Guys and Gals
For the past Year and a half I have been collecting supplies to build a modest tufa bed. Well this last week I finely got it completed. Thought I'd share a few shots of my acquisition.
It measures 11' wide across the front by 8' deep (front to back) the tallest point is 2' high. It's shape forms, roughly a half circle. The tufa used comes from ancient weathered hot spring formations. Many of the pieces are incrusted with colonies of lichens and desert mosses. I used decomposed granite for the fill heavily laced with 1/2 inch pumice, 3/4> altered andesite chips and small amounts of hummus and volcanic clay.
Since I live in a very dry climate I installed irrigation. I run two 1/2 inch feed lines under the mound, front to back, each with a ball valve so I can control the amount and type of irrigation I feel is required. One of these lines feeds 1/4 inch soaker tubing buried 6 to eight-8 inches deep throughout the mound. The other line feeds a pop up mini-sprinkler and can support drip fittings if required. Since water is a finite resource, that I pay dearly for, I excavated a shallow sloping swale under the bed. It is covered in a waterproof membrane, a layer of 1/2inch pumice and weed fabric (to prevent infiltration of silt). The swale drains behind the front center boulders into a small bog at the base of the front.
Front
Back
Left side
Right side