I think I understand what you would like to do.
Leaf casting - to get the fine detail - mix should be portland and sand. So make a leaf using that mix - then let the leaf dry
Then mix up some hypertufa place in a flat container and place the dry cement leaf face up in the hypertufa - and if you want to place stones or what ever around the leaf - just position in the wet hypertufa

I think that this is what you want?

Mike

I have wondered how this is done. I'm going to try it.

Thanks Mike for your reply-will try that. I have made several leaf casting with quick-crete vinyl patch,but have seen them with the stony texture around the top of the leaf, and could not figure out how to do it.

this is something I tried
I did not include the stones but it would be easy to add just about anything you like to the hypertufa mix

{{gwi:65829}}

thats really nice. What I am trying to do is cast a leaf on a mound of sand to get a bowl affect(which I have done) but have a stoney rough border around it, I think it could be done in one casting. Just can't figure it out. I have seen them and they look really cool!!! I will have to play around with it, but time is limited because we are real close to frost. I have some huge elephant ear leaves to play with!!

I'm not sure that I envision what you're describing but I have a few leafcastings that sound like what you're looking for. I made them by accident when I was forming a leafcasting over a mound of sand. The sand mound wasn't neat around the edges, there was a thin layer of sand on the work surface around the sand pile. When I applied the mortar mix to the leaf some of it oozed over the edge onto the loose sand. When I unmolded the leaf I had a casting that looked like it had been carved out of stone, it has rough ragged edges.
I like the look myself, I've intentionally made some since. I've also switched to using a coarser sand for leafcasting. It leaves a coarser, rougher edge.
Is that the look you're trying to achieve?
Good luck!

Yes, nmgirl that is sort of it!!! I want the leaf to be smooth texture, and over flow above the leaf to have a stoney texture. Someone told me to add alittle pea gravel to the mixture. I have seen it and it looks really great. I got to get busy with it, my leaf days are numbered. We will have frost soon. My elephant ear leaves are huge!!! Thanks for the reply!!!

mulchy, i'm not sure what you mean, but i have a few leaves i used plain concrete , instead of portland and sand, and when i de-leafed them, i rubbed with a wet towel, and the pebbles started to show through, kind of a different look. you could use the regular crete and just rub it off the edges.

Here is a link that might be useful: leaves

I found several of what you described on this website...not sure how they were made, but I bet if you just put stones around the edge of the leaf as you are putting on the cement mix, they would just stick to that. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Leaf Castings with Stones

I think adina72 is right. You would want a nice cement/sand mixture for the detail that it gives on the leaf, then just have the pebbles around the leaf as you cast it. I think if I were doing it I would have a nice plastic bag under my leaf as I molded it, then would spray the plastic around the leaf with an adhesive, position my rocks the way I want them and cover with more concrete. That way you would have a seamless move from leaf edge to pebbled border.

Glenda

HI--- Thanks for the reply, I liked the look of your leaf L. greetings!! Thanks for the link adina, that is what I have been wanting to do,...I will follow your advice gansn!!! My friend and I tried to get that look last month. we ended up with sand in the stones, we did not use a clear wrap under the stoney part...
It will have to be put on hold until our next leaf season. The elephant ear bulbs are all boxed for spring... i want to try rubarb leaves next year, they bowl so nice. What do you seal your leaves with? I have been using exterior spray and I end up touching up the paint and respraying every spring. thanks again for the replys!!!!!