[A Forest Tale] miikeboyle - Figarama

[Miikeboyle]

Here’s my entry to the [A Forest Tale] comp. I Collected a bunch of figs from some nice looking tree’s in the south of Sydney. I’m not entirely sure if they were Port Jackson or Morton Bay figs or possibly both. I planted the seeds about a year ago and had heaps of success.

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I have a heap growing as experiments for trunk fusion but had a heap of left overs I didn’t really know what to do with. This competition is the answer. They have been neglected for periods of their life, and are still kicking. On the first day on Summer I cut them right back to where they are now.

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As far as style of forest, I’m still quite undecided. I have never made a forest before. Depending on how wide the bases get I’d imagine it will not be overcrowded, possibly with some variation in height.

[boom64]

Another cool entry ,looks like some of those bases are starting to swell already. Have fun Mike. Cheers John.

[MJL]

A figin’ ripper of an entry. I love the fact that you are attempting your first forest - that’s the idea - to get people trying something new. Thanks for entering Mike.


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[Miikeboyle]

3 months later and I have decided to plant them together. I figure it will be good to let them grow together. I may try and reposition them a bit closer together as it will be massive if left like it is.

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[MJL]

Hey mikeboyle,
I'm loving the idea of a figarama...your observation about planting them closer together to reduce the size of the final composition is wise. I can see a time when I'll have trouble lifting some of my pots and now realise (belatedly) that I can save lots of real estate and create interesting designs by planting trees closer to together or having less trees or indeed, breaking bigger groups into two at a future point.
Looking forward to watching your progress here.
Cheers,
Mark

[Miikeboyle]

Today I finally got round to repotting into a smaller tray. It’s a much more manageable size now which helps with my limited bench space.

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Now just waiting for spring come so they can grow together. Hopefully thicken some more too.

[Miikeboyle]

After letting the fig forest grow over winter and early spring it looked like this.

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So I cut it right back and now it looks like this.

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I’ll now let it grow again and see how it forms.

[Miikeboyle]

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After leaving these in an area that gets little to no attention, they ended up looking rather sad.

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I decided to change it up a bit. It might eliminate me from the competition depending on how it ends up. Pulled the trees out individually and then planted them in something deeper to give them more of a chance to survive my neglect.

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They are very close together so may end up being closer to a clump than a forest but I guess will have to wait and see how they grow.

[MJL]

Thanks for the update Mike - pretty loose rules/guidelines - no drama there - keep going and enjoy the journey.


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[Miikeboyle]

14 months since I showed Figarama any love but now starting to get closer to the end I needed to pull my finger out and do some work to the forest.

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All the trees have been growing much happier in a bigger pot but the clump they were in didn't really sit well for a forest competition so today they were repotted into a bonsai pot.

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I left out one tree due to room which has left me with 4 on the right and 3 on the left. There's enough of a divide between the halves to create some kind of dry creek bed at a later stage.

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Now I just need to let them settle and grow together and become one.

[Miikeboyle]

Ok, I just realised this competition has come to an end.
Here is an update.
The shelf that was holding the fig forest collapsed last autumn and the pot smashed. I transplanted the forest into the largest spare pot I had but it was pretty cramped.
The forest did bond in this time and came out as one.
I recently acquired some used pots and one was much better size and more suitable.
It needs a little longer for me to add moss and maybe a character or two but that's something to look forward to in the future.

Anyway here are some photos.

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Here it is cramped into the largest spare pot I had.

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Out with the old, in with the new.

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The forest had bonded well.

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And here it is, the final image. This is Figarama.

Any for the final piece of the puzzle, here is a rhyme.

Amidst the fig forest so green and fair,
I walked in wonder, a scene so rare.
Each leaf a canopy, a gentle embrace,
As sunlight filtered through with grace.