The Strelizia - the fabulous Bird of Paradise plant has been to say the least, challenging!!
I was backwards and forward studying the real one until I nearly drove myself mad!
Together with the cheese plant, it and a few others will stand in the main body of the greenhouse if I can fit them in - soon.
I spent many, many happy days crafting the variety of smaller plants for the three shelves on the back wall and I'm quite pleased with the crowded result and not worried that they're not perfect. There are a few which probably don't feature in any plant catalogue - call it artist's licence!
In the end there are only a couple that I haven't made from scratch: the lovely pink cyclamen is a kit from The Miniature Garden Centre and the super pink geranium is by The Flower Lady. The tumbling ivies took my entire stock of natural 'leaf' scatter which was all dyed then varnished when in position, and where I did use a paper punch I only had a choice of two, so a lot of pieces were hand cut or 'created' from bits of natural material. Some of the leaves are scanned and scaled down from real ones and the Iron Cross Begonia was a useful printie find that I played about with.
Pots are cheapies, my own recipe air dry clay and odds and sods:there's an antique brass perfume bottle lid, a small brass cartridge as well as a toggle from a someone's sweat shirt and an old bead.
I've really appreciated the encouraging comments so hope you'll enjoy installment. Next step is to get the plants in position on the floor in front of the wall......hmmm!
Thanks for looking
Robin
7 comments:
I LOVE your crowded greenhouse shelves Robin and the variety of plants you've installed in it as well as their arrangements are SUPER! I am intrigued by the look of it and enjoyed reading that you have made the majority of them yourself- Bravo!
I would have never thought about DYING the leaf scatter for the ivy! I have always hand painted them but your method seems so much more effective so I Thank You for that tip. :D
I LOVE the look of the stone wall behind you shelves and your use of assorted containers to hold the plants gives increases its visual appeal.
Keep Going!!! :D
I also love your variety of plants, Robin, your greenhouse looks crowded, but just in a good dosed way :)! I like the fact that you've made a lot of the plants yourself. Your Strelitzia's are great work, I do know that's not an easy plant to make ;).
And I said it before: I love seeing the stone back wall of your greenhouse, together with the plants in different containers, the result is wonderful.
Hugs, Ilona
Thank you both, Elizabeth and Illona - you're both so inspirational I value your comments enormously.
Rx
This is so pretty, Robin. Jenni x
Hi Robin:
Enjoying your posts about your little greenhouse and your plant making.
I have a suggestion about the mysterious seed pods. I was watching a very informative program on TV this evening about a Viking settlement and some of the graves that have been excavated. One was of a "wise" woman they think because of the array of artefacts buried with her. They also had some seed pods that have been identified as "henbane" (I think that is the right spelling). It was used for a medicine to control pain - the seeds could be ground and put in food or they could be burnt and smoked. Might be a possibility! Donna
Ahh..thanks Jenni.
Great suggestion Donna, but I've never grown Henbane, so it can't be that.
I wonder if it might be Liatris - which I've only grown once a few years ago. Slugs ate it in the end I think. It has a long fluffy spike of a seehead and I was thinking of the fluffy bits dropped of it might leave this skeleton behind?? Do wish I could remember.
Rx
The brick wall is so authentic! Lovely greenhouse!
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