Projects Fall 2013

Inside and out- what new projects are you into?

Here's a good tutorial for leaf casting- EXCCEPT they forgot a video for actually putting the concrete on the leaf! Still, in later steps you can see sort of how thick it is and how the edge looks, so I guess its OK.
http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/53birdbath/

If I had time I bet I could make these and get bucks from people around here at craft shows--Though that would be heavy stock to haul around!. I have the fiber cement-- maybe on Sunday...my first free day coming up.
Picture of my trough project

Well sirree, I just went and dug out and mounded up some dirt in my empty vegetable bed, so I'm ready for two big leaves...alocasia and castor. Any leftover mix will make some redbud leaves.

Go for it Sally.
I have the concrete but still to get the sand. I hear it is going to rain tomorrow afternoon again.

Sally--
What did you decide to do with the TUB? If anything...
Just curious.....G.

No plans for the tub yet.
Maybe tomorrow on the leaf.

My big leafs are still good. Temps are dropping here and I have York Garden Club Meeting today, taking Josh to John Hopkins for a procedure tomorrow and Ric has several Dr appointments on Wed. I am afraid that if we can't fit them in today we might miss the chance.

Mike and Lowell finished putting the 2'x2' faux tin ceiling panels up in the kitchen yesterday. The to do list for the long on-going kitchen remodel project is getting smaller - yipee.... They are going to work on putting up two pendant lights and 6 recessed lights tonight after work.

Very cool! sounds like you have good help! :-)

Woot, woot!!!!

yahoo!! It is well on its way to the beautiful finished look you planned.

HOme alone today and lovin it, answering to no body and no clock... made two leaf castings or at least tried we shall see if they turn out in a few days?

Terri how great. That kitchen will be a sight to behold when it is finished.

Sally, I sure can't wait to see them.

Ric and I picked up some wire mesh to use in our big leaves to give them some extra support. I cut 3 med size leafs tonight and put them in the garage in a bucket of water just to see if they will hold over night. I can't do my leafs until Wed or Thrusday and I am not sure I will still have leafs by then. If this works and I still have leafs tomorrow evening I will cut 3 more in hopes of keeping them from getting frosted. I would dig up a whole plant and try to keep it in the garage until I can do the project but they are way too big to do that. Wish me luck.

Good luck sounds like your best plan
i used the cement with fibers in it. An Alocasia and a castor. Tried to add a ring to help the alocasia sit on a birdbath base but have to fiddle with that some more.

Sally--

How sturdy would the ring have to be to add to the bottom? How big?
If I knew--I may come up with some resourceful ideas to help you.

Holly--
Do you have a London Plane tree anywhere near you?
It has the hugest LEAVES (note spelling) that resemble a maple leaf.

A dew years ago--I had to come to DG to ID one as they were blowing
all over the neighborhood. They are impressive! Maybe 10"-12" across.
You could do a couple on one stepping stone--kind of overlapping.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/Leaf%2520Plane.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/3Leaves%2520project.htm&h=541&w=564&sz=17&tbnid=LZVK3TyqiN3SPM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=94&zoom=1&usg=__KCZwAKv9cdYL4cj7LPfqPGNzQV4=&docid=d9A4rmz5sGKS5M&sa=X&ei=rr1lUs9Ula_gA-_QgcgH&ved=0CEAQ9QEwAw

Gita, that is nice of you, but what I saw on a video, and will recreate, is to place a cut off plastic pot on the leaf and build the concrete around it to form a ring that will sit down over the birdbath base, once the leaf is turned over.

Holly, my first leaf the mix was a bit thin and started running off the edge of the leaf. So I mounded up the dirt and made a rim. The second leaf, the castor, was thicker so I carefully worked the mix out to the points and edges. Not sure how thick it needs to be for strength. I think with the fibermix stuff that I could add more later if I need to. I hope I can paint/ stain it easily too.

GIta I remember your big leaf. But my Alocasia and castor have them beat...Oh, probably want to bring that Alocasia inside pretty soon too. Its still growing so well.

Sally and Holly FYI I read somewhere that the leaves of taro have special properties or something to help them shed water more effectively than regular leaves!

Whoo Whoo Home alone !!!!!!!!!!!

Alocasia leaf on mounded dirt
castor leaf with stuff all over
alocasia with plastic pot I have to add more stuff around. Ooh looks crooked...hopefully when inverted that will sit on a birdbath base that I have. If not, will just sit on the ground.

Wow, that is one enormous leaf, Sally! :-) Looks like the end result will be very cool...

Oh Sally, They look really good. Temps outside right now are only 56 so my leafs should still be good for tomorrow now if they can just hold out another day or two. Ric cleaned off a good bit of the barn floor to make a place where we can cast them and not have to worry about the weather.

I think that leaf project is turning out really cool - it was hard to picture in my mind what it would like like so it really helped seeing the photos.

The pendant lights and three of the six recessed lights got put up last night. I love the two pendant lights, but did not think to figure out how low they would hang down before I purchased them. I'll have to warn anyone who is over 6' to watch out! Bottom of lights are 6'1" from the floor. At 4'11" I have no worries, but Sally and Jan may need to duck LOL...

Next on the list is installing the cabinet crown mouldings and framing out and installing trim mouldings for the rough opening between the kitchen and conservatory. Hopefully it will get done in a week or two and not a month or two!!

Terri--
Don't invite Paul!!! He is 6'4" in shoes....

Boinnnggg......Rattle...Boinnng... Klunk...Smash.....:o)

G.

I think you'll be ready to host the spring swap!

I could take off my shoes!!!

Oh, That would be wonderful.
My fall todo list is getting shorter. When I got home this afternoon. I sifted and moved the dirty sand pile. It's all ready to use for molding the leaves. Ric is going to pick up some clean sand tomorrow while he is hopping from Dr visit to Dr visit. We will use that to mix the concrete. The leaves I cut and put in the garage are doing great. Now if I can keep it all together till Thursday we should be able to make them then.
Wait till you see my refurbished bird feeder. The old one Josh made me a good 15 years ago was having serious roof issues. So he took it home and put a new roof on it and stained the whole thing. Boy it looks like new. He should have it back up for me in the next few days.

Oh cool, can't wait to see the refreshed and renewed bird feeder!

Jan, how tall are you anyway? I'm with Aspen, don't have to duck under much. =)

Just shy of 6'. Actually shyer more now that I am older and have shrunk a little. Heehee

The bird feeder is up boy it sure looks good. I also have the sand ready for the leaf molds and the leaves that I cut several days ago are still looking very good. So tonight I will cut more and put them in the garage and tomorrow we should be able to start making molds. X your fingers for me.

Fingers are crossed!

XXXXXXXXXX. X. XXXXXXXXXX. That's my fingers AND toes crossed!!

X X
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U


That's my eyes crossed for you, too! < =D

Here is the refurbished bird feeder and probably the last good picture of the tropical Gazebo. If we do get the leaf castings done tomorrow I will be digging up the bulbs. Probably will be digging up the bulbs one way or the other.

WOW, that looks excellent!!! BRAVO to Josh!! =)

What, pray tell, are those gorgeous HUGE-leaved beauties on each corner in front of the gazebo, please? Those things are amazing!!

The blue containers have Trop Hibs in them but I think you are talking about the portadora alocasia
which are growing in each corner of the Gazebo. Those are the leaves I will be using for the project tomorrow. They are huge, I saved some small, med & large leaves to work with. They have been making more bulbs for me and last year I actually did give a few away and probably will next year if they store well again.

Beautiful! That looks like a bird palace! And the gazebo looks like such a nice place to sit and enjoy the view.

It really is, that project took several years doing a bit at a time till the whole thing floor and all was done.

Holly -- did you plant the elephant ear bulbs directly into the ground, or did you plant the pots? I always have a hard time digging out tropicals....

Portadora alocasia, YES, thank you, that's what grabbed my eye. My goodness but those things are beautiful!!!

I hope you guys get a lot of time to sit out under that gazebo and enjoy the beautiful fruits of your labour!! ("Fruits", figuratively and literally!) < =D

Happy, I keep most of my Tropicals in pots either in or outside the ground but the Portadora I plant directly in the ground they are way to big for pots.

Project is coming along. Got the sand laid out, wire cut for the extra support and the cement mixed. Just taking a bread for the cement to set up a bit and have a cup of coffee. Next step is getting messy. LOL

Holly, isn't it difficult to dig out the Portadora without damaging them?

All done now it is just wait and see what they look like. Ric cleaned out the center isle way of the barn for us to work in since the weather will be a bit iffy. We started laying down some forms to add height and support to the sand piles Styrofoam, plastic bottles and stacks of wood. then added the sand with a layer of plastic to keep the sand out of the cement while we were working it. Then we put down the leaf, and poured the cement over it added a bit of wire screening for strength and another thinner layer of cement over that.