Experimental ground cover...

doctorwayne

Active Member
Sep 6, 2005
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Canada, eh?
Here's a little something that's still in the "experimental" stage. While doing some yard work, I came across some blossoms from an oak tree. These are basically long, flexible, and very fine strands with very tiny blossoms attached along their lengths. What got my attention was a cluster of these, which seemingly had collected on the roof, then, when enough had massed together, were blown to the ground. This loose ball of material was a light brown, with small off-white blossoms.
I stretched some of this stuff on a sheet of newspaper, sprayed it with some cheap hairspray, then sprinkled on a little ground foam.
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I plopped down this wad of "underbrush" alongside the unfinished Speed River. While it could probably use a little more ground foam, I'm curious to see how well it stands up.
It was late spring when I discovered this stuff, so there was not much to be had - next spring, I'll try to get it when it's a little fresher. I think that it may be suitable for simulating the underbrush that grows along roadsides and railway embankments, if it doesn't fall apart over the course of the winter. ;):-D

Wayne
 

doctorwayne

Active Member
Sep 6, 2005
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Canada, eh?
Glycerin might help - because mine was picked up so late in the season, the blossoms drop off rather readily, although the thin stems are still very flexible. If it stays together, it may also work as tree foliage, or at least as a starting point, in place of polyfibre. In the places that I hope to use it, it won't matter if it's fragile (unless a train leaps into it off one of those bridges):rolleyes:, but I don't want to walk into the layout room to discover denuded "hairballs" along the riverbank, with all the foliage heading downstream. ;):-D

Wayne
 
N

nachoman

keep the mice out of the layout room :D

I think the natural materials for foliage look best (by far), but I have quit using them because of delicacy issues (delacacies to varmits and bugs, and delicate as in touch them and watch them crumble).

Anyway, I hope it holds up because it looks fantastic!

Kevin
 

UP SD40-2

Senior Member
Apr 29, 2006
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i like it too, Wayne:thumb: , but i also wonder just how long it will hold up, i guess its just one of those "only time will tell" things:winki: .