Today I dug out some local weeds that I had set aside two years ago and clipped off the florettes. I sprayed them brown, then sprayed them with 3-M glue, sprinkled on ground foam, and then oversprayed with a cheap hairspray. They actually looked quite good all bunched up like a tiny copse on the foam sheet into which I had stuck them to do the job. Spread out quite a bit, they don’t seem so good. I’ll get more this fall and hopefully improve it.
looks good! [tup]
I have some similar weeds around my house. I better get working!
I think they look great ! Good job ! Don’t know the locale you are attempting to model but they remind me a lot of acacias in southern California and in sourthern Africa, of all places. I use pepper grass to make aspens for my layout … there’s a lot of good stuff out there in the weed patch (sorry, dear … the garden).
Jim
Large trees from sedum tend to look like trees on the Serengeti. I’ve seen where people combine a couple ‘stalks’ to have a fuller appearance. I think they used florists tape. I ended up using smaller chunks to make shorter trees. As Selector said, they tend to look better in clumps than standing alone. When I build my next layout I’ll be using scenic express trees for singles, and sedum for a fuller canopy. Here is a picture of my sedum trees.
Great trees and great start. Florists tape is the magic ingrediant. Also, just a tiny bit of micro fiber will fill in the gaps and make the small branches for the “leaves” to stick on. A VERY small amount is the key. Also Nock leaf material will add to the variation a forest or city block needs. Also this fall, when picking weeds, get some Astilbe flowers. Some will make great Christmas trees. With a little Static grass, they look a little better.
I use a goldenrod for trees. They grow PROFUSELY around my property. I snip the heads off in the fall after it loses the flower,let them dry out then shape the heads into tree-like forms. Hit them with geen paint and various colors of fine ground foam:
Here’s another woods area:
Terry
I make my trees from a plant called “Forget-Me-Knots”…In the late fall after the plant turns to seed and the plant looks tree like. I cut to different hights and layout by size. I use cheap hair spay on the tops and sprinkle a green ground foam mix on. You can build thicker trees (“building on”) by adding more branches. Just take smaller ones, use a pin poke a hole into a bigger trunk & add white glue. Also I like to plant them in odd numbers ( 1-3-5-7-ect) seems to look more natural.
I’m a big fan of SuperTrees with Noch leaves. Easy to do and great results.
Yes, the key to using sedum is to break apart the stalks and re-combine them to create multiple layers of canopy. Here’s what I do…
I start with a typical stalk, which has an umbrella looking crown. I split off parts of it, and glue them together at the base.
This creates a heavier looking trunk, as well as adding dimension to the crown. I use a plastic pinch clothes pin to hold it together while the glue sets. Using this method, I can quickly assemble about 50 trees in a sitting.
Before I set the armature aside, I dunk it in a diluted mix of acrylic matte medium. This helps secure the seed pods, and helps reinforce the brittle branches. These are then set aside over night to dry. I use a basket such as spring flowers come in as a drying rack.
Once they’re dry, I spray them with a combination of grey primer and flat black to get a bark effect, and some highlights and shadows.
Then it’s back to the dunking booth for another wash of acrylic matte medium, and a sprinkling of groud foam to coat the seed pods.
They’re set aside again to dry, and the next night they’re ready to install.
I just harvested this winter’s c
Thanks, Everyone, for replying to me. [:)] I have learned some things, and your images have helped me to see what needs to be done. I guess this will have to wait until I can collect more of the plant…if I can remember where I got them. Means I’ll just have to be more vigilant this summer when travelling around the Island.
Florist’s tape and combining them to make them more full. (…forehead slap…) Makes sense because when their several heights and proximity were on the one small sheet of styrofoam, they really did look quite impressive if I say so myself.
I think I may order a Scenic Express kit just to get some nice looking ones aboard that will give me both incentive and a strong reference point to strive for.
I really appreciate all of your contributions…it helps a lot.
-Crandell
P.S. Jarrell isn’t off the hook.