Sea Foam

[Gern]

I got nothing against your horticultural efforts guys, but why?

I didn't touch my garden for about 5 years (didn't even walk into it) and my plants grew to about 12 foot tall! In fact I got some sort of ivy which climbed nearly 30 foot in my apple tree. All that fuss and palaver for summat that happens quite naturally without our interference.

On a more serious note, there are lots of tiny, tiny plants , I'm thinking mosses and lichens, which can grow in some really inhospitable places. As modellers we're always looking for realism - so what about a base with real plants?

Is it possible to make one say about 300 mm (1 foot in old money) square that only needs to be left in the light and needs watering only every few months? That way, you could have a base to use for a variety of models which looks far more realistic than flock and scatter and lasts for many years. I know Ron uses a lot of green stuff he finds in his garden, and it looks really good, but a lot of this will die (even if treated) and then the dio is spoiled.

It's no good me attempting this, I don't have the knowledge or patience, but maybe one of you gardening types ........

[spanner570]

J.R - Great idea, good fun and potentially impressive results.

Dave - Nice idea and quite correct about the stuff dying, but I just pick it off the model and glue down some fresh greenery. Or if it's not too bad I just give the thing a coat of Dk. Green acrylics.
I regularly shin up the ladder and pick moss and lichen off one of our flat roofs and between the slates. They happily grow up there by the bucket full. Luckily our neighbours are way down the lane, so they can't moan about the roof!

Here's my supply doing very nicely thank you....:thumb2:

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Riverside reeds?
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1/35 - 1/72 Conifers/Larch coming along nicely......
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This is from last year, all dried off. At the moment this years growth are loaded with little white flowers and found along hedge rows. Sorry, I don't know the name. (Not Cowslip)
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So don't forget to keep a lookout on your travels.

Growing your own diorama stuff from seed or foraging - All good fun isn't it?

Ron

[Gern]

I regularly shin up the ladder and pick moss and lichen off one of our flat roofs and between the slates.
Ron

So now I got to get a ladder!

The things we modellers do .......

[Jim R]

Hi fellow gardeners
The warm sunny weather suits sea foam. Transplanted the rest. Some have pink bits like John said they would.
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Humphry 'Jim' Repton

Do they just grow or do you have to prune them in any way?

[spanner570]

Looking good Jim.
That lawn of yours looks superb too, mine looks 99% dead and all shrivelled up.......

The wife has just looked over my shoulder, read the above line and made a rather hurtful and extremely personal comment!

[Jim R]

Hi Ron
The lawn is artificial - just needs a quick hoover every so often.
Jim

[JR]

Hi fellow gardeners
The warm sunny weather suits sea foam. Transplanted the rest. Some have pink bits like John said they would.
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Humphry 'Jim' Repton

Do they just grow or do you have to prune them in any way?

Jim .
Morning.
No do nothing ! Unless you want to experiment with pinching out a side tip, or even the main . It would acheived I would think more growth at that point as in pinching out a fushia. Maybe worth a trial .
Ivan

[JR]

Tales from the potting shed.
A few updates on growth. The first shot was taken on the 7 th
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You can clearly see the flower buds developing .
Today the 9th.
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Side growth is coming, still watering from the base, occasionally they get wet by mistake, but in this heat it doesn't appear to harm them.There are 2 plants in this pot.

Ivan

[Jim R]

Hi fellow Sea Foamers
Yours are coming on a treat now John. As you say the hot weather is probably to their liking. I have pinched the growing tip from 4 of my plants to see what happens. It may encourage a more bushy plant.
Monty 'Jim' Don

[Fernando N]

Evening green fingered friends, received the seeds yesterday:
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Don't be startled by the price, it's 10grams roughly 75.000 seeds...
As usually plants tend to meet their end quite quickly in my home, I thought I might need a couple tries before success with these.:tongue-out3:
First time to grow from seeds too, so fingers crossed.
Had some time today to plant a couple dozen in some compost:
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Now we wait...

[Jim R]

Hi Fernando
Good luck. I am certainly no gardener like John. I have an artificial lawn!!
Jim

[JR]

I'd be better off with one. Our front lawn remains look like the scrub land in the Dust Bowl !
Fernando,
Good luck, I'll say it again don't over water, when the compost is touch dry, just a little water from the base.. The trick is to keep them dry on the top surface, and let the water be drawn up .
Ivan Thrower

[Si Benson]

Good luck Fernando,
John and Jim have some great looking, healthy plants.


Just took a snap of mine....
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Keeping them barely watered with plenty of sunshine :thumb2:

I did a second batch a couple of weeks ago....a few casualties but on the grow:smiling4:
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Si

[Jim R]

Hi fellow gardeners
Still growing fine. As Si says ...
"Keeping them barely watered with plenty of sunshine"
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How long to harvest time?
Jim

[JR]

That's a nice Si.
Strong looking plants in the pots.
What happened in the right of the tray, did they damp off ! the ones to the left have survived and are growing on well .
Once they are over that stage and have a second potting on all gets easier.
Sorry Jim , posts crossed.
My that's some production you've got going there, going to be enough to keep you in vegetation and trees for years !
John .