The ficus lantern

[wattynine]

So back to about 2007 I pulled a ficus from crack, it had some decent long roots and as we had just moved from Adelaide I also had a broken concrete garden ornament, a Japanese lantern, so I wrapped the root around the lantern and sunk it in a pot for two years, sorry to photos of that, BUT
In Jan 2009 I dug it out and put the next stage of the lantern underneath it and into a new growing pot

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that was left for a couple of years and the next bit of the lantern was put underneath and the roots were trained around and through every step of the way. (sorry no photos, I have video of this procedure but maybe another day) Then it was put in a growing bag for another period of growth and then in 2012 transferred to a pot with yet another piece added underneath but this time it was piece of coral rock from a pet shop.

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In 2013 I had just let it grow out

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But then cut away the bag and re-trimmed and rewired

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In April of this year it had sprung back but had sagged off to one side, my fault no doubt

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so straightened it up another wiring and trimming and lifted it too expose the coral "mountain" underneath

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all in all after 7 years, pretty happy with the result, do need to develop the pads and ramification now but you get the drift

hope you enjoy

[Hackimoto]

Love it. I'm doing a similar thing with a Thai stone lantern.

[Jason]

Very cool

[wattynine]

I recently bought a pot for another tree that I had in mind to pot up, but on receiving the pot really thought the pot was too big.
The pot for this beast had recently cracked due to the fact I guess it was just a cheapie from the big green shed, so a change of plans, and a better result, just my say so, of course, hope you agree.
So an update first

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and in the new pot

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[Jarad]

Nice work mate!

[mugen]

Wicked project I love it

[peterb]

Hi Wattynine , it looks really cool, I like it
peterb

[wrcmad]

Fabulous.
I love things that are outside the square.

[Lane]

I love it, reminds me of the Angkor Wat jungle temple.

[Ryceman3]

Awesome!
Perfect way to display ficus. Love it.

[wattynine]

Another one to get me in trouble.
Having returned home from a week away I went and had another look at this tree and as I approached from a different angle something got me,
some heavy wiring with some branch angle changes and a new front is born, or at least in my opinion.
What was it that was said - "As the artist you get to present as you wish"
Reasons for this, from the very bottom you get the aspect of the cliff with the overhang on the left, a better view of the cave on the right
you now don't have a artificial straight line seen at the separation of the two bits of lantern but you still get to see it.
You now have a cascade of roots flowing from the base of the tree down the whole escarpment.
anyhooo that's my justification.
It'll need some work in the future still but again love it or hate, this is what it is.
I'll learn next time to not just re-pot but have another GOOD look at the tree before repotting.

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