To learn more about trough gardening, to order plants or to take a class in hypertufa trough-making, explore these resources: Oliver Nurseries in Fairfield, Conn.

WSJ: Trough Gardening: A Challenger to the Terrarium Craze?

I'm not alone, judging from the swarms of poker-faced gardeners I've spotted at some nurseries loading up their cars with almost laughably small plants, especially the alpines that flourish in hypertufa.

WSJ: Trough Gardening: A Challenger to the Terrarium Craze?

These days, authentic stone basins are scarcer than bustles, so trough- planting zealots have taken to making their own equally porous (and much lighter) containers out of hypertufa a mixture of portland cement, peat moss, perlite and fibermesh.

WSJ: Trough Gardening: A Challenger to the Terrarium Craze?