Bonsai waterfall fountain

[beanwagon]

I started building a rock waterfall/fountain that will have two root over rock tree's grown on it.

I have yet to decide which species to grow but i was thinking chinese elm, ficus, swamp cypress or casuarina.

Thoughts?

Has anybody else done similar before?

I started by making the shape out of chicken wire. Then filling it with newspaper. I then coat the structure with cement, add textures etc.

I have added an internal removable water reservoir (pvc pipe), which will have an internal pump circulating the water.

Here is my progress

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[beanwagon]

I purchased the limestone colour of this concrete stain to experiment with

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"Introducing Concrete Stain and Sealer aerosol. These penetrating water based stains and sealers apply like an ordinary aerosol paint but offer the semi-transparent look of a stain. There are 4 stain colors to choose from and 1 sealer. They are ideal for small projects such as statuary, pavers and more and can be used on interior and exterior concrete, block and masonry surfaces to produce high end decorative finishes"

[beanwagon]

Did i mention how heavy this thing is/will be?

[beanwagon]

Testing the bottom section of the waterfall. I will have a seperate water hose going to the top of the waterfall

https://youtu.be/IBlh6XOsQ2o



A rough idea of my final goal

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[alpineart]

Hi beanwagon , mate that should come up a treat with a nice Bonsai in there . I love making pots , trays and rocks myself , definitely uniquely different .

I used acrylic renders which are a bit lighter and stronger for these projects . Well done be good to see it landscaped .

Cheers . Alpineart

[beanwagon]

Hi beanwagon , mate that should come up a treat with a nice Bonsai in there . I love making pots , trays and rocks myself , definitely uniquely different .

I used acrylic renders which are a bit lighter and stronger for these projects . Well done be good to see it landscaped .

Cheers . Alpineart

Cheers alpineart, this is my first time doing this so it is all trial and error. I havent heard if acrylic renders, im going to have to look into them.

[alpineart]

Hi beanwagon , its available from most hardwares in pre mixed or bagged powder form . The bagged powder form is better but wear a mask as it is very dusty .

Cheers . Alpine

[beanwagon]

Awesome cheers. Next project i will experiment with it.

[Pearcy001]

Great job so far mate. What are you planning to plant on it? Something like a ficus would probably explode with the added humidity from the water.

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[beanwagon]

Great job so far mate. What are you planning to plant on it? Something like a ficus would probably explode with the added humidity from the water.

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Cheers mate. Im leaning towards ficus microcarpa or chinese elm.

I have made quite a few microcarpa cuttings, just waiting for them to root. I will probably fuse them together to give me a good head start.

Im open to idea's and suggestions.

[Ryceman3]

I reckon something like this has "ficus" written all over it.

[beanwagon]

I also plan to make a water tray for it out of concrete. This will add to the aesthetic of the design and also add humidity for the formation of aerial roots.

[Raging Bull]

Looking good Beano, I really like the texture you gave the whole "rock". Ficus would be ideal, I can already see the roots grabbing the rock and climbing all over it.

[robb63]

That's a big job you have taken on Beanwagon, well done
Looks like that Husky assistant is sleeping on the job again.
My Staffy is much the same, no help at all.
The water tray your planning sound like a good fit for a swamp cypress and
the fig on top is the way I would go. If you fuse a few smaller figs like port jacksons
they will love it and give you years of fun before they outgrow their home
Good on you for taking on a fairly major operation
I'm still in the planning stage with water features, but it's on my long
'to do list", somewhere
cheers

[beanwagon]

Looking good Beano, I really like the texture you gave the whole "rock". Ficus would be ideal, I can already see the roots grabbing the rock and climbing all over it.

Cheers mate. Thats the plan