Farm Gate Penjing

[cockroach]

An interesting penjing, I like the idea of the waterfall. Also, the removable top is convenient.

 

[cockroach]

An update for this years start of the growing season.
The elm, as expected went into the usual accelerated growth spurt giving a lot of options when it came to trimming.
Before:

I could have "hedge-trimmed" but decided to be more selective as this species allows for it.
The front after:

The mondo grass definitely enjoys the shade a bit more whereas the grass loves the full sun.
The Back:

I trimmed the grass a bit and pretty much left all else.
Different angles:

 

[sorce]

So cool. I've thought about stuff like this for bonsai but I didn't know it was allowed. It reminds me of the home where i grew up.

You have seen this....



Sorce

 

[cockroach]

The wood I used for the fences was light wood which rotted out in 2 seasons. I removed what was left of the fence and may make another later this year.
For now it's the lad's hangout


It has filled in again, more than the pic above, now that spring has come and gone.

 

[sorce]

Time for some of that all new "eat it up" favorite...

Reclaimed wood!

This thing looks so Old now!

A replacement fence had better look the part!

Your care for this is impressive!

Sorce

 

[John in Toledo]

Cool!

 

[queenofsheba52]

Cockroach, you have made an amazingly detailed and beautiful planting! I like that you showed your inspiration photo and how you planned your work.

Agree with Sorce: this can easily be mistaken for ....how can I say it.... a place in the "real world".

I love it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Carol 83]

My first time seeing this, very cool. I've been thinking of giving penjing a try. Just looks like fun.

 

[bonsaidave]

Any insightful lessons learned from this planting that you had not dealt with or thought of before? @cockroach

Very neat planting. I like the picture of the grass turning brown on the back. Reminds me of home in summer ?

 

[defra]

Real nice dude !
Never seen this one before!
it inspires me to remember to try a penjing sometime too !

 

[wireme]

I saw this beautiful display online a year or so ago and saved the image.
View attachment 82035

After contemplating setting up something reminiscent of this, I started looking for a suitable pot. Once I found the pot, I looked at the trees I have been prepping.
This is how the elm I used looked at the end of last season.
View attachment 82036

I bought two small fukien tea trees at the middle of the season last year and developed them this year to the point where I could use them. I added mondo grass as an accent, used balsa would and bonsai wire for the fence. The ground cover is what is called "Taipei Grass" in Chinese and the plant lining the fence is a popular ground cover plant here. I will see if I can find the name.
The end result is this:
View attachment 82037View attachment 82038


I will let it grow out and develop more. The fukien on the right will be allowed to grow an extra inch or two taller to help with perspective.

Any and all comments welcome.

Oh yeah! I really like that. In many was I even like it more than the one that inspired you. Because it’s so much less manicured, like a real rural property gate that’s been there a long time and things left to grow wild with little maintenance. All the pieces work so well together.

 

[cockroach]

Time for some of that all new "eat it up" favorite...

Reclaimed wood!

This thing looks so Old now!

A replacement fence had better look the part!

Your care for this is impressive!

Sorce

I am looking for "good wood" to use. I can easily age the wood myself which will not be a problem. I am thinking of using a hard wood and the adding something like lime sulfur that has been tinted with coffee or tea for an aged effect.
Also want to see if I can get a much thinner wire.

Cockroach, you have made an amazingly detailed and beautiful planting! I like that you showed your inspiration photo and how you planned your work.

Agree with Sorce: this can easily be mistaken for ....how can I say it.... a place in the "real world".

I love it. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. I hope to have it looking farm-like again this season.

My first time seeing this, very cool. I've been thinking of giving penjing a try. Just looks like fun.

It really is one of my more "fun" plants. Even overgrown it has whimsical aspects to play on.

Any insightful lessons learned from this planting that you had not dealt with or thought of before? @cockroach

Very neat planting. I like the picture of the grass turning brown on the back. Reminds me of home in summer ?

Choose plants that grow similarly. The little hedges I have grow really fast compared to the trees and get trimmed about 4-5 times for every minor trim of the trees. I could have used serissa or azalea for the hedge.
When looking for a grass, the grass I used called Taipei Grass here (Zoysia matrella I beleive) did well until the plants started shading it. I would use I slightly more shade tolerant grass for the next planting.

Real nice dude !
Never seen this one before!
it inspires me to remember to try a penjing sometime too !

You got to. Penjing are almost like grown up fairy gardens.

 

[JosephCooper]

I like how the trees actually provide shade for the mud men, it's very realistic.

 

[Melospiza]

I saw this beautiful display online a year or so ago and saved the image.
View attachment 82035

After contemplating setting up something reminiscent of this, I started looking for a suitable pot. Once I found the pot, I looked at the trees I have been prepping.
This is how the elm I used looked at the end of last season.
View attachment 82036

I bought two small fukien tea trees at the middle of the season last year and developed them this year to the point where I could use them. I added mondo grass as an accent, used balsa would and bonsai wire for the fence. The ground cover is what is called "Taipei Grass" in Chinese and the plant lining the fence is a popular ground cover plant here. I will see if I can find the name.
The end result is this:
View attachment 82037View attachment 82038


I will let it grow out and develop more. The fukien on the right will be allowed to grow an extra inch or two taller to help with perspective.

Any and all comments welcome.

This is lovely. Looks very rustic!

 

[fourteener]

So cool. I've thought about stuff like this for bonsai but I didn't know it was allowed. It reminds me of the home where i grew up.

Its not that it’s not allowed as much as it is about competing root systems. Some tree roots are more invasive than others. Over time the more invasive root system is going to choke out the weaker system. If you can get two species to play nice with each other, maybe it could work. Sometimes there is a reason you don’t see things.

 

[syon_r]

I am just gonna say it - I like it better without the fence. It looks really like a real bush forest especially with the mud men.

 

[Carol 83]

I like the fence. Reminds me of the pasture we had growing up. Put some cows, and a couple horses in there, and a couple ponds, just like home.

 

[cockroach]

Its not that it’s not allowed as much as it is about competing root systems. Some tree roots are more invasive than others. Over time the more invasive root system is going to choke out the weaker system. If you can get two species to play nice with each other, maybe it could work. Sometimes there is a reason you don’t see things.

I have already noticed this with the elm roots. There was a thicker root growing toward the left back fukien tea which I used shears on and chopped off a 1cm section so it would not heal and keep growing and buried the remaining end section. It's all but gone now.
I have seen some people use soil dividers placed between species below the soil line to "contain" the root systems.
On the first repot I do with this, perhaps next year, I will hard prune the elm roots and trim the fukien tea roots. Depending on root growth, I will look into the "root divider" method.

I like the fence. Reminds me of the pasture we had growing up. Put some cows, and a couple horses in there, and a couple ponds, just like home.

I have wanted a small pond in the scape for ages but haven't for a few reasons. I saw someone try it but the plants (they used moss) sucked it dry in in hour or so.In our climate, mosquitoes would have a field day and my garden already looks like Heathrow Airport in the evenings.
I have seen mud water buffaloes that I have toyed with adding to the seen.

 

[cockroach]

@aml1014 Any updates on the seedling forest you you posted? What's happening with it?

 

[cockroach]

Some pics from this evening. Things are growing very well. It gets a trim here and there every week. The "bushes" get trimmed hard every week or two.
The elm has sacrifice branches growing. The red zip tie is to remind me not to cut that branch. I want to thicken the trunk a bit more.


The grass needs a trim. Will have to sharpen them scissors this weekend.