Sunday 22 March 2015

Can't see the wood for the trees

Hello :o)

This is the result of this weekends work. I have been back working on the layout and I took the opportunity to finish off the trees that I started before work was interrupted by the narrow gauge engine.

Following on from the trees that I made for the front of the layout I had another four to complete and place. I really wanted something that would obscure the public's view to make them either look around the trees or even better look through them towards the railway. These trees seemed to work well as at ground level there isnt much in the way or greenery to obstruct the view. There are now eight trees planted which makes for a nice little wooded area...





The good bit to me though is when you get down to ground level...




It was just what I was trying to achieve.




I also experimented with another type of tree using the same sort of technique once again inspired by the German blog...

I would be interested to hear opinions on it. Close-up I think it definitely has the feel of an evergreen to me but I am not sure about the shape of it.

Julia :o)


14 comments:

  1. The trees look great to me Julia, particularly the delicate foliage and so do the photos through them.

    I'd say Larch. Don't know if that's right for Highclere but that's what they look like to me.

    BTW, I was on the park and ride bus in Oxford yesterday and tried out the free WiFi. Your blog said 'blocked' when I tried to get there from the 2mm page but it seemed to be OK with accessing blogs on that other site that you might not want to mention. It's probably not a major part of your audience but maybe you should have a word with your local bus company?

    Regards, Andy

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    1. Thank you Andy.

      I think it was agreed on an earlier post that they were larch trees, as for if they fit the location then I am cannot 100% say they did or didn't grow around there. To be honest though, I am just really happy that people can recognise what flavour of tree they are. That was my goal from the beginning.

      I didn't know that the Oxford buses have blocked my blog, maybe they have some type of 'Hardcore Railway Modelling' filter on them? Maybe an email to them asking why independent railway modelling sites have been blocked is in order but then I am guessing they have more important things to deal with. I'm impressed you braved them in the first place! :oP

      J.

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  2. Hi Julia great photos and the trees look superb I particularly like the look through the trees
    Regards
    John

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  3. I do like a layout where the view of the track is partially blocked, whether by trees or buildings. I feel it enhances the 'railway in landscape' feeling, which is something that I guess you're trying to achieve.

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    1. Yes, its just what I am trying to achieve. Thank you Paul.

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  4. Hi Julia,

    Like the other guys above, I really like the delicate feel of the trees that allow you to see through them. I've always thought the landscaping on Highclere to be really effective (especially the way the scenery blends so seamlessly into the backscene) and I think having the trees at the front makes that even better. Are you planning to model the forest floor under the trees?

    Andy

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    1. Thanks for the comment Andy :o)

      It would be nice to model a forest floor around that area and its something I would love to do, although I haven't figured out how to do it yet. If you (or anyone else) has any ideas it would be a great help.

      J.

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  5. Julia,
    Like everyone else I particularly like the view through the trees. I agree with Andy that the area below the trees could do with some sort of enhancement to better represent the ground typical underneath an evergreen copse/wood. I guess that means fallen needles and bits of thin branches that have got blown off and probably not a lot else - it always seems to me that the flora below pines tends to be pretty sparse (perhaps the fallen needles makes an effective mulch).
    Kind regards,
    Ian

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    1. Hello Ian, thanks for the comment.

      I am total agreement with you about the ground cover for the 'forest' bit. At the moment its just the basic covering I have used before I scenic anything so its effectively a blank canvas. I had a look around ally pally yesterday to see if there was anything that would give me some ideas but didn't find anything.

      J.

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    2. Julia,
      Out of curiosity, I googled "pine forest floor", and followed the follwing link http://www.quora.com/Horticulture/What-plants-or-flowers-thrive-on-a-pine-forest-floor, just looking at the "images" listed by google seems to back this up (and my own thinking). Hope that helps.
      Ian

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    3. Thank you for the link and spending time to look Ian, Ironically I have been browsing a few websites and pictures on what I need to achieve and now I at least, have and idea on what I want to recreate. I just have the tricky bit now on how to miniaturise it to fit the layout.

      J.

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