You may not be able to grow the traditional garden during the winter, but you can bring it to life with brightly-colored ice sculptures to add beauty and interest to your garden in the midst of winter.
Options: Ice sculptures can be as detailed and elaborate as you desire, but complex isn’t always the best way to go. Simple geometric designs capture the sun and show off your garden in style. Think stars and stripes, hands reaching for the stars or crystal gazing balls to add charm to your winter garden.
Molds: Before you begin the process of making ice sculptures, find the right molds for the job. Molds include buckets, bins and bowls – but aren’t limited to traditional objects. Anything that can hold water and withstand freezing is suitable for ice molds. Think rubber gloves, waterproof bags and that old pair of rain boots. Browse the baking aisle for unique ice molds. Fluted pans, bundt pans and salad molds make good choices. Silicone molds are easiest to work with, as they do not require any melting.
Coloring: Coloring the ice is as easy as adding a few drops of brightly-colored food coloring to the water for small molds. For larger molds, try 1/8 cup of tempera paint to a 5-gallon bucket of water. Experiment with more or less paint to get the shade you desire. Mixing the colorant in warm water reduces bubbles resulting in a clear finish to the product – but if you prefer the texture of bubbles, go ahead and mix it with cold water.
Freezing the molds: Small molds can be frozen in the freezer, but large molds perform best if allowed to freeze outside. Fill the molds to within an inch or two from the top to allow room for expansion as the ice forms. The best time to fill and freeze your molds in when temperatures are expected to remain well below freezing for several days and nights. Most mold freeze solid overnight, but larger molds may require an additional night to insure that the middle is frozen solid.
Unmolding: Silicone molds can be removed easily with your hands, but other molds may require a bit more work. The safest way to force the ice out of the mold is to turn the mold over and run hot water over the outside. This quickly melts the outer layer of ice so that it slips free of the mold. Don’t forget to hold one hand under the ice to catch it when it slips free!
Assembling the Sculpture: Connecting the frozen ice blocks to build a multifaceted-sculpture is easier than you may think. Spray the area where you want to attach the second ice block with plain water from a spray bottle. Press the section of ice onto the main structure and hold in place for a few seconds. As the water freezes, it works as glue to hold the sections of your ice sculpture together.
Storing ice: Sometimes it is necessary to store completed ice blocks for a few days while you work on other sections of the sculpture. Place a tarp in a shaded location and layer the ice pieces on the tarp. Fold the tarp over the ice to protect it from debris or inquisitive animals. If warm weather threatens to melt your completed blocks, cover the tarp with a layer of snow to provide insulation and prevent melting.
Tips for Success
Spray the outside of ice sculptures with colored water to add designs. Make perfect spheres by filling bowls with water and then “gluing’ the two sections together. Add decorative items such as costume jewelry, beads, shells, plastic flowers or small toys to the mold to add texture and interest to your sculpture. Display your ice sculpture in the center of the garden and decorate with wreaths, garlands or a miniature Christmas tree for a holiday theme. Spray the outside of the sculpture with water and sprinkle on glitter and press glow-in-the-dark stars in place to create a nighttime sculpture.
More work by this author:
Decorate a Maine Winter Garden with Garlands and Wreaths
Make Ice Lanterns to Light Up Your Garden
Moon Gardens: Designing and Planting