Sapling Division: HorseloverFat’s Punica Granatum/Rosemary Officinalis Slab.

[HorseloverFat]

Yikes, how do you live there? I'm not going to complain about my weather anymore. Well, I probably will, but's it's not that bad.

You kind of.. adapt..

Things/life up here have/has a different.. rhythm.

I’m just starting to come to “gee, this isn’t SO bad” terms with it.

 

[leatherback]

mind

OK, that looks similar to mine; Your winter is a little colder though. Thank you for the website. Did not know that one

 

[HorseloverFat]

Getting.. settled.. kind of.

 

[LittleDingus]

How big is the slab? I was thinking of doing something similar for some western larch in the seedling division. I was thinking to layer some tiers to get more of a mountain slope effect. Similar to what you did, just with another tier or 3 getting progressively smaller on top

It's early yet, but is there anything you'd change about how you built this one?

I love the root draping, by the way

 

[HorseloverFat]

How big is the slab? I was thinking of doing something similar for some western larch in the seedling division. I was thinking to layer some tiers to get more of a mountain slope effect. Similar to what you did, just with another tier or 3 getting progressively smaller on top

It's early yet, but is there anything you'd change about how you built this one?

I love the root draping, by the way

It’s strange.. how it ENDED UP.... and the plan in my head LOOKED... are different ENTIRELY... the design developed and took on a life of it’s own as I kind of got “sucked in” to miniature landscape work.

The initial design was planned much different, even in arrangement... the “plan” was to only have one set of roots exposed, with that ROR i had pictured...

The deviations started when the rock from the ROR did not fit into the slabs “basin” at the correct angle/position... I had to adapt...

Then, as I “unearthed” the other Punicas.... the effect of the initial “potting soil” (when i started them in 2019, only repotted once) remnants in the “Shin” area of the tree Produced fewer, thicker less-ramified roots in that location.. but LOWER... “good roots” continued...

Hmm.. I wanted to USE those big ugly roots now... and they were set up PERFECTLY for wrapping around “x”... with feeder roots lower.. perfect for “the tuck”



Thank you for the question! But to answer it correctly.. the entire process was a “reaction”/adaption to unforeseen circumstances..

Oooh wait! i got it... I would’ve sketched it all out first... REMEMBER to incorporate enough negative and non-potentially congested space for my SECOND species.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Oh, sorry, Dingus!

The size is a little hard to calculate.. does this help?



(also a page back there is a thumbnail “slideshow” of the creation)

 

[LittleDingus]

Oh, sorry, Dingus!

The size is a little hard to calculate.. does this help?

Yes! Thanks! It's much smaller than I thought!

My son and I did some work on an HO scale train landscape for a few years. Mountain on one side with the train going through a tunnel, a stream resulting in a waterfall off the mountain then under the tracks and winding into a lake that drained off the table's edge. I learned a lot about scale construction working on that! The foundation was carved insulation foam we cut and stacked and shaved into the rough shape. Then plastered over to get a natural form and texture...a little bit of paint work to get the color right, etc...

Now I want to do something similar for a mountain side planting of alpine trees...but the materials are all different and unfamiliar to me I know the shapes I want and how to get them...but those materials won't hold up to the weather! The materials that will hold up to the weather bring a different set of forming and shaping skills/challenges! Keeps it fresh anyway

 

[HorseloverFat]

Yes! Thanks! It's much smaller than I thought!

My son and I did some work on an HO scale train landscape for a few years. Mountain on one side with the train going through a tunnel, a stream resulting in a waterfall off the mountain then under the tracks and winding into a lake that drained off the table's edge. I learned a lot about scale construction working on that! The foundation was carved insulation foam we cut and stacked and shaved into the rough shape. Then plastered over to get a natural form and texture...a little bit of paint work to get the color right, etc...

Now I want to do something similar for a mountain side planting of alpine trees...but the materials are all different and unfamiliar to me I know the shapes I want and how to get them...but those materials won't hold up to the weather! The materials that will hold up to the weather bring a different set of forming and shaping skills/challenges! Keeps it fresh anyway

May i recommend digging pots/slab shaped holes and filling in with a custom made concrete mix...

@Crawforde showed some of his, and frankly, i’m FASCINATED... and can’t wait for my igloo to thaw so I can try.


P.s. I LOVE the idea of figures, temples, trains.. ect.. no matter what anyone says.

 

[HorseloverFat]

It's much smaller than I thought!

Thank you! That means I’m on the right track!

 

[LittleDingus]

May i recommend digging pots/slab shaped holes and filling in with a custom made concrete mix...

@Crawforde showed some of his, and frankly, i’m FASCINATED... and can’t wait for my igloo to thaw so I can try.


P.s. I LOVE the idea of figures, temples, trains.. ect.. no matter what anyone says.

That's where I'm thinking to go...but it's backwards from that I'm used to!

What I've done in the past was start with something blocky but close in form then remove material from the positive image so what is left is the form you want. Pouring concrete is the opposite...start from a blocky form and remove the negative image so it can be filled with the concrete to become the positive image. That's much harder to visualize!

I could cast a mold...that is, build the positive image the way I want and pour silicone or some other process to make the mold to pour the concrete into, but that's a lot of work too!

I might try something like sculptcrete which is also something I've never used

I shouldn't need anything for a few years yet...I think this summer will be some play time to learn/see what's feasible

 

[HorseloverFat]

That's where I'm thinking to go...but it's backwards from that I'm used to!

What I've done in the past was start with something blocky but close in form then remove material from the positive image so what is left is the form you want. Pouring concrete is the opposite...start from a blocky form and remove the negative image so it can be filled with the concrete to become the positive image. That's much harder to visualize!

I could cast a mold...that is, build the positive image the way I want and pour silicone or some other process to make the mold to pour the concrete into, but that's a lot of work too!

I might try something like sculptcrete which is also something I've never used

I shouldn't need anything for a few years yet...I think this summer will be some play time to learn/see what's feasible

I would, if I was you, also explore trying to maybe make a large clay slab.. let it dry under medium low-heat 185-ish til it’s SOLID...

Then sculpt and chisel... set on fire... repeat.

 

[Forsoothe!]

That's called the Chinese method... as it was 6,000 years ago.

 

[HorseloverFat]

That's called the Chinese method... as it was 6,000 years ago.

I actually recently (recently for me is like in the past 6 years) watched a video of a basement pool being constructed in this manner... really neat stuff.

 

[Kanorin]

That's where I'm thinking to go...but it's backwards from that I'm used to!

What I've done in the past was start with something blocky but close in form then remove material from the positive image so what is left is the form you want. Pouring concrete is the opposite...start from a blocky form and remove the negative image so it can be filled with the concrete to become the positive image. That's much harder to visualize!

I could cast a mold...that is, build the positive image the way I want and pour silicone or some other process to make the mold to pour the concrete into, but that's a lot of work too!

I might try something like sculptcrete which is also something I've never used

I shouldn't need anything for a few years yet...I think this summer will be some play time to learn/see what's feasible

You could use the same styrofoam insulation chisel technique and then coat it with 2 coats of dry-lok or a single thin coat of cement plus a coat of dry-lok. You can color the drylok with cement dye as you are putting it on. I used this technique to make a custom rocky background which was inserted into a large fish tank. It stayed intact for about 6 years completely submerged.

 

[LittleDingus]

You could use the same styrofoam insulation chisel technique and then coat it with 2 coats of dry-lok or a single thin coat of cement plus a coat of dry-lok. You can color the drylok with cement dye as you are putting it on. I used this technique to make a custom rocky background which was inserted into a large fish tank. It stayed intact for about 6 years completely submerged.

I've done exactly that for a wall in a snake cage. Made a couple hollows for small plants and some rock outcrops for the snake to climb on, etc... It didn't feel sturdy enough for bonsai use so I've been reluctant to try it.

I did think about a layer of chicken wire over the top to hold a layer of concrete thick enough to hold its own shape. Then it might be OK if the foam degrades...or maybe I just coat the entire thing and the foam stays locked inside.

Lots of ways to potentially slay the beast! I've got a little paralysis of choice...I'm not really interested in trying them all!

Sorry to hijack your thread @HorseloverFat ! When I start something I'll document it down in the pots subforum...

 

[HorseloverFat]

I've done exactly that for a wall in a snake cage. Made a couple hollows for small plants and some rock outcrops for the snake to climb on, etc... It didn't feel sturdy enough for bonsai use so I've been reluctant to try it.

I did think about a layer of chicken wire over the top to hold a layer of concrete thick enough to hold its own shape. Then it might be OK if the foam degrades...or maybe I just coat the entire thing and the foam stays locked inside.

Lots of ways to potentially slay the beast! I've got a little paralysis of choice...I'm not really interested in trying them all!

Sorry to hijack your thread @HorseloverFat ! When I start something I'll document it down in the pots subforum...

Aw shucks.. don’t be sorry, be yourself!

I LOVE open discussion... and partly “come here” for the community.

I wish people would hijack my threads MORE!!

But having said that.. I do not even feel you to be hijacking... It’s my thread.. I don’t mind other’s “takin’ it for a spin.”

 

[LittleDingus]

Aw shucks.. don’t be sorry, be yourself!

I LOVE open discussion... and partly “come here” for the community.

I wish people would hijack my threads MORE!!

But having said that.. I do not even feel you to be hijacking... It’s my thread.. I don’t mind other’s “takin’ it for a spin.”

I wish more forums allowed threads to have threads. I find that less awkward when the conversation splits. Kinda like me and uncle Ned moving off into another room to talk trash so Judy and aunt Clarice can continue to talk about the things that matter

 

[leatherback]

me and uncle Ned moving off into another room to talk trash so Judy and aunt Clarice can continue to talk about the things that matter

For sure you have that the wrong way around!

 

[Crawforde]

Yea.
a little wandering and wondering is how we end up at the cool stuff.
or sometimes I end up looking stupid.
either way, it’s fun.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Yea.
a little wandering and wondering is how we end up at the cool stuff.
or sometimes I end up looking stupid.
either way, it’s fun.

Sometimes looking stupid ends up being THE MOST fun!