Monday 16 August 2010

Progress....minis and house


I haven't really posted any photos of my current commission for a while...for no other reason that there really isn't much to see.

All I am doing is gluing on leaf after leaf after leaf. This stage is pretty time consuming as it is often a case of glue 1 on, knock 3 off.

I am limited to doing about 4 branches at a time and leaving them to dry before doing any more.. Any more than that and the chances of knocking off more than I add increases.

Here is a picture of how far I've got.



Doesn't look like there is much more to do...until you see the underneath :-)



You can see parts where it is rather shiny. This is just glue. For some reason, even thought I am using the method I always have, these leaves aren't sticking as well as normal. So I am having to paint glue over all the joins. I'll go over it all afterwords and re-texture and paint it. Not difficult, just adds more time to the making of it :-(

There will be a load more leaves in the gaps I've left. I want to see how it looks with this amount and them place it in situ and reassess the situation.

In between I am painting in real life.

Outside my kitchen window I have a little patio area.

Since we had the dead trees cut down the sun blazes through the windows on this side of the house and makes it unbearably hot in there

So we decided to build an arbor over it....which is actually cheaper than getting a custom blind made for the odd sized kitchen window.

Here is how the area looked when we moved in.


And this is what it looks like when we had the ficus trees cut back.




The plant to the right, blocking the door, is a fake castor oil plant. Luckily we have a door to get out back on the other side of the room so I can let this grow wild for the moment. At some point it will have to be cut right down but for now I can just enjoy it as it is :-)



I was out there this morning painting all the eaves...not fun in 100 degree sun.

Now I am painting the main beams for the arbor. Luckily we have this room at the end of the house that we have no idea what to do with...so for now I can at last paint the beams in here with the A/C on :-)



The ficus grows like weeds so that will be trained to grow over the arbor roof. I also plan on planting some more vines next to it and in planters on the right hand side.

If anyone knows of any heat tolerant, evergreen, fast growing vines that don't require much space for roots please let me know.



36 comments:

  1. The mini tree looks great, even at this stage. I am very eager to see how and where it ends up.

    Hasn't the roots of the Ficus tree disrupted your patio concrete? I love the idea of an arbor and that ficus will grow back quickly if not kept in check. Have you considered Confederate Jasmine for the arbor? I have had very good luck with it on the trellis that encloses my pool equipment and on a small arbor over a walkway. They might need some routine watering until they are established (most things do) but after that they seem to be fine. My husband would not have planted it were it not prety much care-free. It does need the ocassional trim but the flowers smell divine! It's been beastly hot here this Summer with very little rain and they are doing just fine.

    Tabitha

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  2. Aaaaaaaack!!! And I thought furring was tedious and time consuming, but I think leaving branches would be even worse. It does look incredibly realistic though.
    Sorry, I can't help you with your outdoor plants at all as I live in an apartment without a yard :(

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  3. What a beautiful spot Jayne but it sure looks hot!
    As a Brit I can not offer any advice about sun loving plants I am afraid! You will need some of the lovely Spanish bloggers to come to your aid.
    Your un-used room looks welcomely cool Jayne. Love the floor.

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  4. OK...Not too sure about the spelling....but what about clematis'....They're good climbers and they tolerate the heat?

    Love where you're going with the tree....Looks very time consuming!
    :)
    Mini Hugs

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  5. It looks great Tallulah. can't wait to see the finished form.. :) I love flowering vines but don't have much experience in these climes!

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  6. Oh my, this tree is gonna be a beauty!!

    As for painting in 1:1, in the heat, well done indeed!

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  7. You'll see where it ends up soon Tabs :-)

    No the concrete is fine. I have no idea how long the ficus has been there though. Although it was pretty big.

    I'll look at Confederate Jasmine . Something that smells pretty would be lovely. Watering any vine is fine some long is it stands up to the heat and doesn't die on me.

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  8. Kristy...it is very tedious...and fiddly with all the branches to work around..but pretty easy to do.

    Some days I wish I still lived in an apartment... oh the days of no maintenance worries lol.

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  9. Only about 40 degrees here today Janice :-) It has been cool so far this summer.

    When I was in England I wanted to grow tropicals ...now I am here and can I long for an English garden lol

    You love my unfinished floor :-) It was like that when we moved. not sure whether to finish it or take it all out. It is just ceramic tile.

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  10. Glad you like it Katie...yes very time consuming lol.

    I'll look up clematis too...thanks.

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  11. Hi Gagan...I can't wait for it to be finished either lol.

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  12. I hope so Glenda.

    I had no choice in painting in the heat...it is forecast like this all week and we want to build the arbor this weekend.

    The heat coming into the house is killing me.

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  13. The plant looks wonderful already jayne, so delicate and beautifully made !
    I'mgreen with envy at your space ! Oh to have a whole room and not know what to do with it LOL
    Its going to look so lovely out there with an arbour. Clematis is my favourite too but I'm not sure it likes heat.We have it over an ugly old wall in our garden and it thrives but its a cool damp spot.
    julie xxx

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  14. Oh wow! This is really time consuming work! But the tree looks good already - can't wait to see it done! :)

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  15. Jayne, that tree is going to be a masterpiece! I love it already **turning around to see if my tree friend is here..and whispering : better than my tree friend's ..hehe :).

    How about bougainvillea? Over here, they are used a lot to add colours to buildings. They grow easy, are real pretty and heat resistant.

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  16. ¡Uf, cuanto trabajo da el arbol mini! Pero será maravilloso cuando lo termines. Está haciendo mucho calor para los trabajos fuera de casa, así que mejor lo que estás haciendo dentro :).
    Besos Clara

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  17. Wow you have been a busy girl, looking forward to seeing the arbor finished and especially to seeing that climber finished too! Have fun in that heat, Kate xxx

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  18. Good luck with the arbor! Your detailed work on the commission is so wonderful.

    xo
    Claudia

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  19. This is going to look great when its finished Jayne. I love the pictures of your new house.

    Lorra Luffies


    Debie xxxxxxxxxxx

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  20. Aunque tengas mucho trabajo con el arbol mini, seguro que vale la pena porque te va a quedar maravilloso.
    Los trabajos fuera de casa, se tendran que esperar a que haga menos calor jeje
    besitos ascension

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  21. Termino de descubrir tu blog y he visto que te gusta hacer arboles y plantas.
    Se lo que cuestan de hacer, pero el esfuerzo merece la pena y te esta quedando de precioso.
    Para tu jardín exterior 1/1. La glicinia es una posibilidad, pues es trepadora y en primavera hace unos ramilletes de flores preciosas. Besitos, May

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  22. The mystery tree etc is fabulous and looks like it's keeping you busy! lol lol ;o))

    Oh gosh that's just so hot, methinks you have lots of great suggestions for a climber, but I think a Clematis would fine it too hot. I'd go for a Bougainvillea...I LOVE them! A trumpet climber as very striking too. :o)))

    I haven't forgotten I owe you emails! :o)
    Michelle xxx

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  23. Your tree is a incredibly work! And it looks perfect. Even now when it isn't ready.

    Hugs and greetings from Bavaria, Germany
    Marion

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  24. Julie

    I am pleased you like it :-)

    I wouldn't mind an extra room...if it were different. This one sort of just runs off the dining room, is an odd shape and has 3 big windows and 4 doors lol. That is why we aren't sure what to do with it :-)

    I've looked up clematis and it seems it might not work :-(

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  25. It is time consuming Ewa...and a tad frustrating at times...but it will be worth it.

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  26. Hi Susan...your freinds trees are amazing...wish I had half his talent :-(

    I LOVE boug but have plans for it all over my garden already....it grows like weeds here. I was thinking maybe I ought to have something different :-)

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  27. Gracias Clara… que es muy caliente aquí.

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  28. Hi Kate....fun in the heat lol...I stay indoors as much as I can :-)

    I'll be glad to see this and the arbor finished :-)

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  29. Thanks Claudia....the devil is in the details :-)

    The arbor should be fairly easy to build .....fingers crossed.

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  30. Thanks Debie...I should put up some more pics of the house...not got round to it yet.

    I think it will look great when it is...finally...finished too :-)

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  31. Es mucha ascensión del trabajo pero digno de él.

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  32. Hola pueda. Estoy contento usted tengo gusto de él. Miraré Glicnia le agradezco.

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  33. Hi Michelle - keeping me busy indeed lol. Wish I could go quicker...seems never ending at the mo lol

    I had a trumpet climber in my old house...so pretty but it seemed to choke after a certain height when grown in planters. I too love bougainvillea, my fave plant ever actually, but plan to have them everywhere else too so thought I'd switch this bit up a little.

    No worries about the emails...get well first xx

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  34. Thank you Marion...glad you like it.

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  35. Blimey you are clever, sticking on all those little leaves you must have good eyesight! LOL x

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  36. Thanks Kat....no my eyesight sucks...it was fine till I started making minis lol

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