Minature Orchid Accents for Bonsai? Help please?

[ronaldhanko]

I don't know how long you want this piece to be on display or where it will be displayed, but if you want something easier to work with than actual tufa, use styrofoam. Cut it and build it up to the approximate shape you want and then take a blow torch to the surface and then spray paint (dark grays and little black) and you will something that looks so much like tufa no one will ever know the difference, but which is much lighter and easier to work with. You can even cut small indentations for the plants and fill them with sphagnum to help keep the plants moist or even put the pots down into holes in the styrofoam. We've used this for displays for pleurothallids and it is great looking and wonderful to work with. I, too, by the way, would suggest some of the pleurothallids for your orchids.

[ronaldhanko]

Here are a couple of photos of a display we made using this process:

[musicloveranthony]

that's a gorgeous set up!!

[Triffid]

ronaldhanko
That is a gorgeous set-up! I'm jealous!
The Styrofoam would be a good idea for short term or a Orchid only display. However with bonsai I have to be cautious to use strong potting material to keep the roots in check.
I may be able to do a two piece, stone base and Styrofoam upper but I do want this to be long term, after all Bonsai can survive for decades. I'm guessing I will have to make the Orchid section so that it will be easy to replace the plants should they die or come to the end of their life-span?
Thanks for the suggestion though, I may attempt to do something similar to yours someday. Must admit it's really tempting me!

s.kallima
Thanks for the link and suggestions.

My list of research plants is getting bigger! Soon will come the time of narrowing down the candidates.

[Undergrounder]

If you get it to work, i think it will be a real achievement... bonsai and orchids generally need very different conditions and its hard to care for both without causing problems.. but it would look amazing if you get it to work, so good luck!

What about using a fig or some kind of tropical bonsai that would take a little more water and humidity?

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by ronaldhanko

Here are a couple of photos of a display we made using this process:

Ron, that's gorgeous...

as per orchids as accent plants for Bonsais, as mentionned before, many pleurothallids would do great, but also many of the miniatures, and of course Dendrobium moniliforfe... they can all be also grown directly in good pots (like those from Erin Bonsai Online )

some examples:

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by Triffid

Despite the size factor after looking at a picture of a Neofinetia falcata I can see the potential and will definitely consider this a contender. (Though the final display may end up being bigger over all. It's a scale thing )

Just a comment here (coming from my japanese colleague, who is seeing this post with interest)... Neofinetia falcata indeed has some very nice small cultivars which would perfectly match as accent for Bonsais. However, Neofinetia falcata has such a strong character itself in the japanese culture, that they are normally never set on a secondary position, but rather shown alone as a central element itself, which would in most case take over the role over the Bonsai (no matter how good the Bonsai is or how small the Fuukiran is!).

There is a strong culture around collecting and growing Neofinetia falcata (Fuukiran) which competes very often with Bonsai...

[Triffid]

kavanaru
Thank your colleague for me! A very interesting consideration that I nor my partner were aware of. Plus you've just given me an excuse to put the pretty plant on wish list as a piece in it's own right

Undergrounder
Thanks for the wishes of Good Luck! Though my partner does love quoting from The Abyss "Luck is not a factor!"

I know this will be difficult, but we love a challenge in our household which is probably for the best!

Here is a quick prototype image to give you guys an idea of the lines we are thinking along. Please take into consideration that this is not the Final Design, just a rough sketch to help visualise the piece. (Yes I know it's not a great image! )

[Epiphile]

I think this will look great- would it be viewable from all angles? You'd mentioned an island-type form earlier.

I would personally second Ron's styrofoam idea- if you want permanence, there are several methods of using concrete to create very realistic-looking rocks as opposed to just painting the foam (though I must say that Ron's display was quite impressive in it's appearance). Here are a couple threads on other forums worth checking out:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/par...e-rocks-3.html
my method of building fake / faux rocks - Vivarium Forums

It does make things a little more interesting- I'm constructing a buttress-root system using this method and it's a lot of fun.

[Triffid]

Epiphile
Most Bonsai references and displays we've seen have Front, Sides and Back. That is to say, the Front is the Primary viewing position. Though I would like to make it work from all angles it may be difficult. It would mean thinking of the Piece as a Sculpture rather than just a scene it's a possibility though.
The Island idea would mean that the main piece (for example the sketch image) would sit in a pool of water in a larger container. I had considered this because of the humidity requirements of certain orchids and also because I like fish. (OK time to reign in that enthusiasm again )
Cheers for the extra links


Undergrounder
We will be looking at the more tropical varieties of Bonsai, and Fig is definitely near the top of the contender list