A humble first attempt at Penjing (...kind of)

Miss My ....

In the title....
"(.....kind of)".

Says you already have a few ideas of how to make the next one better!

Care to expand on some of YOUR ideas for the next one?

I have found much joy this year by putting things like this together...
In more or less just fits of boredom!
And each result is more pleasing than the last!

Thought of a small olive on one? Maybe as an accent for a larger tree?

I think one olive hanging from a grumpy little tree on a tile would tell a wonderful Greek tale!

Sorce

Bolero said:

I think it's showing your excellent Creativity...

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Yes, and as others say, the idea of the tile is excellent. It relates to countries where the weather is mild enough for crassula to grow outside, like some I saw as street platations in Lisboa, Portugal. The colour of the calcareous stone also fit perfectly in the design.

Not so enthusisatic about the use of bamboo though: a piece of deadwood from juniper or another native plant instead?

sorce said:

Thought of a small olive on one? Maybe as an accent for a larger tree?

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Good idea!

Pachycaul said:

OK, since the crowd is chipping in, and why wouldn't we, we're a chippy lot.

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Chipping in, this is what I asked for and thanks a lot to everyone for their time to respond and offer their critic/suggestions.
Much obliged for each and every comment from everyone!

My original idea was to have the tile "footed" on pieces of itself, so I had broken half of a tile in small pieces so that I could have “feet” of the same material.
But when applied this idea into effect it didn’t work (at least for my liking)
The smashed pieces of tile show some of their sides around their perimeter with the original fresh color of clay, not the weathered color of the surface of the tile.
So, I rejected this idea (due to my incompetence…?)

Pachycaul said:

... ...That was your Muse driving the bus, and insisting on more gas pedal and less brakes... ...feet of clay is not always a bad thing. It fits with humility, like approaching the Muse.

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Now, you are speaking my language !
I like your way of thinking very much!
I like going philosophical!
So this is for you : first three verses of Homer’s “Odyssey”

῎Ανδρα μοι ἔννεπε, Μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ
πλάγχθη, ἐπεὶ Τροίης ἱερὸν πτολίεθρον ἔπερσε·
πολλῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω,...


Tell me, Oh Muse, of that man of many resources, who wandered far and wide,
after sacking the holy citadel of Troy.
Many the men whose cities he saw, whose minds/ways he learned.

rockm said:

excellent idea with the tile... ...
I have only a couple of quibbles with your excellent work. I would have used thinner wood strips on the bottom of the tile to stabilize it and allow drainage through the newly drilled holes. I would also have used an evergreen or an olive tree as the primary plant in it. Something a bit more rugged...
I would not try to embellish the tile with "full-on Greek" touches. It speaks for itself in a universal voice, with simple, subtle, unobtrusive beauty.

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Thank you, too!
You know, I was absolutely certain that members would comment regarding the adhesive glue which is showing between bamboo and the tile.
I was awaiting comments on poor workmanship because the sight is really obtrusive, at least for me…
Anyway, for my next project with a ceramic tile I have in mind to try slivering some calcareous stone (same kind with those used in the composition) in smaller pieces as flat as possible and make some better “feet” for the tile
Like @sorce recommended an olive planted on a tile is a project high on my list in my mind!

AlainK said:

Yes, and as others say, the idea of the tile is excellent. It relates to countries where the weather is mild enough for crassula to grow outside, like some I saw as street platations in Lisboa, Portugal. The colour of the calcareous stone also fit perfectly in the design... ...

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Alain, thank you for the comment on the colour of the stone, because this was the exact reason to choose this specific stone.

Crassula has good attributes for penjing desing.
The stem is stout and gnarled and gives the impression of great age very soon and is an excellent choice for rock gardens.
Branches regularly fall off wild jade plants and these branches may root and form new plants. So this is the idea behind the raft form.
And last but not least Crassula is known by one other name “the friendship tree” which I like very much! So this Crassula is offered to all my BNut friends!

my nellie said:

῎Ανδρα μοι ἔννεπε, Μοῦσα, πολύτροπον, ὃς μάλα πολλὰ
πλάγχθη, ἐπεὶ Τροίης ἱερὸν πτολίεθρον ἔπερσε·
πολλῶν δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων ἴδεν ἄστεα καὶ νόον ἔγνω,...

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Hmm....that's all Greek to me @my.nellie- thanks for the translation though. Very perceptive of you to not like the fresh edge of the broken pieces. That's what I meant by "full-on Greek," a pot composed entirely of tile. My thinking on tile as a footing was narrow strips that run the entire length of the container. If you could get access to a saw that could slab off a thin strip from the outside of each side of another tile, the freshly cut edge could be hidden as a gluing surface. Your ideas are very good, and you have an excellent aesthetic sense!

my nellie said:

And last but not least Crassula is known by one other name “the friendship tree” which I like very much! So this Crassula is offered to all my BNut friends!

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Σας ευχαριστώ από την καρδιά

PS: Google translation from French to Greek, then from Greek to English:

Merci du fond du coeur -> Σας ευχαριστώ από την καρδιά -> Thank you for your heart (???)

But the true translation should be something like ' Thank you from deep in my heart".

Pachycaul said:

Hmm....that's all Greek to me @my.nellie-

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In French, we say "C'est de l'hébreu" (That's Hebrew (to me)).

AlainK said:

Σας ευχαριστώ από την καρδιά
Σας ευχαριστώ από τα βάθη της καρδιάς.

PS: Google translation from French to Greek, then from Greek to English:

Merci du fond du coeur -> Σας ευχαριστώ από την καρδιά -> Thank you for your heart (???)
Merci du fond du coeur -> Σας ευχαριστώ από τα βάθη της καρδιάς -> Thank you from the bottom of -my- heart

But the true translation should be something like ' Thank you from deep in my heart".
Same as above :Thank you from the bottom of -my- heart

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I do admire people who take the time to make their search for expressions/words in another language in order to use them for the sake of being polite in their response!
Thank YOU Alain!

AlainK said:

In French, we say "C'est de l'hébreu" (That's Hebrew (to me)).

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In Greek, we say : "Αυτά είναι Κινέζικα -για μένα-" or "This is Chinese -to me-"

my nellie said:

n Greek, we say : "Αυτά είναι Κινέζικα -για μένα-" or "This is Chinese -to me-"

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All the same but different...

Actually now that you speak about it, I think that here more people who now say "C'est du chinois" than "C'est de l'hébreu".

Oy, oy, veh...

Another generation

This looks great!
I hope you will post updates in the future

It's becoming colder here, even though we might get 25° tomorrow afternoon, after 13° last week, but we're on the downward slope to winter now.

I have to bring the Crassula and other indoor plants inside before it gets under 4-5° at nght. Should have a couple more weeks ahead, but one day can be fatal.

I really have too many : making a "Penjing" is a good idea, but the pb is that most species are difficult to assemble with another. Also, I'm not sure it's the right time to repot most plants (understatement).

But what you've achieved is a source of inspiration and reflexion...

I'm even thinking of totally weird compositions !

AlainK said:

In French, we say "C'est de l'hébreu" (That's Hebrew (to me)).

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It's a spanish village to me is said here.