Alex DeRuiter
Chumono
So I got a message out of the blue (well, somewhat out of the blue) from Smoke (Al) in regards to a thread I posted about a ROR Trident maple.
Long story short, Al was extremely generous and offered to send me a rock of my choice from his collection. First and foremost, I would like to thank Al once again for his kindness. This is the first rock I will ever use for a root-over-rock project. I have high expectations of myself and plan to create a beautiful composition with this rock. I'd also like to mention that from my experience generosity like this does not come often, and those who do share should realize how much of an impact they can have. Al, if you end up reading this (I hope it's not embarassing and I hope I don't sound creepy...lol), I sincerely appreciate your gift. All this over a rock, huh? ;-p
Currently I'm trying to match a tree to it, but first it's important (this is me speculating) to find the best side of the rock. This, of course, may change based on the tree I use...but it will give me an idea. I have a couple Trident maples that I would like to plant on rocks, but they're getting a little thick and I'm not sure I this is a feasible idea any longer. However, I'll know more when nature allows me to take a good look at the root systems of these two trees. I also have a couple Japanese and Chinese quinces, and one particular ficus Burtt-davyi that I think might make for a neat informal upright on a rock.....
One question I have (or at least one I can think of right now) is about muck. Someone at a local shop suggested an even mix of akadama powder, coco (similar to sphagnum moss, from what I was told), regular soil (in this case some Alaskan something-or-other soil gifted to me by the person who gave me the concoction), and some clay from my garden. Does this sound about right?
Wish me luck!
Long story short, Al was extremely generous and offered to send me a rock of my choice from his collection. First and foremost, I would like to thank Al once again for his kindness. This is the first rock I will ever use for a root-over-rock project. I have high expectations of myself and plan to create a beautiful composition with this rock. I'd also like to mention that from my experience generosity like this does not come often, and those who do share should realize how much of an impact they can have. Al, if you end up reading this (I hope it's not embarassing and I hope I don't sound creepy...lol), I sincerely appreciate your gift. All this over a rock, huh? ;-p
Currently I'm trying to match a tree to it, but first it's important (this is me speculating) to find the best side of the rock. This, of course, may change based on the tree I use...but it will give me an idea. I have a couple Trident maples that I would like to plant on rocks, but they're getting a little thick and I'm not sure I this is a feasible idea any longer. However, I'll know more when nature allows me to take a good look at the root systems of these two trees. I also have a couple Japanese and Chinese quinces, and one particular ficus Burtt-davyi that I think might make for a neat informal upright on a rock.....
One question I have (or at least one I can think of right now) is about muck. Someone at a local shop suggested an even mix of akadama powder, coco (similar to sphagnum moss, from what I was told), regular soil (in this case some Alaskan something-or-other soil gifted to me by the person who gave me the concoction), and some clay from my garden. Does this sound about right?
Wish me luck!