A Hobbit Trayscape
03-18-2006 3:37 am

A Hobbit Trayscape History & background. There are many sources of inspiration for trayscapes. Nature is the most obvious, and should always be the prime source, but there are others. For this project I have taken my inspiration from literature, specifically J.R.R Tolkien’s world of Middle-earth. Tolkien was a great nature lover, with trees in particular being respected and admired. The creation of trayscapes is the most enjoyable thing for me in the hobby of bonsai. I have created several in the past, all inspired by the countryside around me. As Tolkien's inspiration for the hobbit realm of The Shire came directly from the English countryside, it is not too far fetched to use a fictional countryside as inspiration for a trayscape. As any reader of 'The Hobbit' will know, hobbits live in clean, tidy holes in the ground. These holes have round doors and windows, and are dug into the gentle hillsides of The Shire in Middle-earth. I wanted to create a trayscape featuring a hobbit hole, complete with round door, window and a front garden. Of course the trayscape would include a tree, or maybe several. Before I get into the article proper, I'd like to comment on the word 'trayscape'. Penjing and Saikei both seem to be inappropriate words to use to describe a Western-influenced planting. To me, these words are intrinsically Chinese and Japanese, and describe Chinese and Japanese plantings. There seemed to be a need for a new word in the bonsai lexicon, a word that could describe a Western-influenced planting, and the simple contraction of 'tray landscape' seemed most appropriate. Planning. figure 1 I don't normally sketch my plans out on paper, but this time I decided to give it a try (figure 1). For this project I imagined a round brick-lined doorway, a round window and a little brick chimney. These would be nestled into a hillside with a thick-trunked tree growing up close to the doorway. There would be some sort of fence, either picket or withy, enclosing a small front garden. I wanted the whole planting to be on a plain flat slab. Once I had all this roughly sketched on paper and worked in more detail in my mind I was able to plan out the order in which all the work would be done. I found that the project naturally separated itself into distinct parts: base, brickwork, woodwork, tree and accessories. The base.  I had three choices for a base. The first one was a sand, cement and wire construction. I have made these before, so I knew I could make one if I needed to. The only real problem for me with this type of base is the finishing. I've found it can be very difficult to achieve anything that doesn't look like painted cement. The second option was for a slate slab, either completely natural or carved to suit. I have carved slate slabs before, using various hand and power tools, but this process can be quite lengthy. A natural, uncarved slab would have been a good option but for the thickness problem. I wanted quite a thin base and big slate slabs are usually quite thick. figure 2 figure 3 The third option was a specially built pottery slab. I have always admired the pots made by Walsall Studio Ceramics, so they were my first choice for making the slab. I contacted them to see if it was something they would be able and willing to do, and the answer was ‘no problem’. I gave them size, shape and colour details over the phone and also emailed a drawing (figure 2). When I collected the slab I was very pleased with the result. Mark Jones had made me a perfect foundation to build the rest of my project on. Figure 3 shows the final product, a flat, oval slab with some texture around the edges. The brickwork. The first step was to manufacture some miniature bricks. I tried making a series of miniature brick-shaped cuts into the side of a normal brick and chipping the segments off, but the results were not really satisfactory. In the end I cut some slices off a half-inch thick red clay roof tile. The resulting bricks looked good but the corners were too sharp for my liking so I tumbled them in a homemade lapidary tumbler to round them off a little. After about 20 minutes the bricks were nicely rounded and ready for use. Quick-drying sand and cement was used to bond the bricks together. Any of the large DIY stores will carry this item, it is normally used for making emergency repairs to brickwork and concrete. It dries in about 30 minutes, but can take longer in extremely cold conditions. figure 4 I find it useful when making things like this to fix them onto a plastic mesh backing. The mesh binds everything together, and means that the finished item is quite sturdy and able to withstand a lot of handling. Figure 4 shows the materials used to make the door frame: miniature bricks, plastic mesh and a plastic former. I made the former on my lathe, to give me something to build the doorframe around. As I planned to add a window and some brick walling later on I cut a large rectangle of mesh so that it would all fit onto one piece. A plastic sheet underneath stops the construction sticking to the table. figure 5 figure 6 The bricks were cemented around the plastic former, with care taken to ensure they were reasonably well spaced and level with the top of the former. I found it was easier to position the bricks after I placed strips of wood underneath the outer edges (figure 5). After about half an hour the cement had hardened enough to allow me to remove the wooden strips and plastic former. The window was done in the same way, but without the need for the wooden strips (figure 6). figure 7 figure 8 After the door and window frames had hardened, the front wall was built onto the mesh. This operation was quite fiddly, the bricks were positioned with tweezers and the cement applied with a flat wooden stick. Because this operation was done during a freezing spell of weather the cement didn't go off as quick as I'd have liked, which caused problems because as each new brick was positioned it would quite often move the ones next to it (figure 7). After a couple of hours I had it finished (figure 8), and it was left alone for a couple of days to harden off. Ideally I like to leave cemented items for a week or more before using them in a planting. Quick-dry cement dries out relatively quickly, within half an hour in the right weather, but still takes weeks to cure thoroughly. After being left for a week or two I like to put them in a bucket of water for another week, to help remove any harmful chemicals that may be present in the cement. The woodwork. I have a box full of bits and pieces I have collected over the years, little bits of wood, unusual pebbles, trunk-chop remains and so on. I was able to find some pieces of old fence panel that had a very fine well-weathered grain, just perfect for a Hobbit’s front door. I also had some strips of dark brown Meranti which turned out to be just right for the fence. figure 9 figure 10 The door construction was quite simple. Miniature planks were made, with the edges beveled and sanded. The planks were laid upside down on the table, more strips were stapled to the back, and the door was cut to shape and sanded (figure 9). A coat of green waterproof Cuprinol Garden Shades was then applied (figure 10), so that the door would not warp and split in the wet conditions it would be subject to. figure 11 figure 12 The fence construction also proved very simple, but it did take quite a bit of experimenting with different methods and materials before I had something I was happy with. Strips of the Meranti wood were split with a knife and wound together with anodised aluminium wire. Figure 11 shows the different stages, including full strip, cut-to-length, split paling and wired together. Figure 12 shows the construction method. Before assembly the strips were given a coat of diluted dark wood stain to take away the freshly-cut look, and the wire was aged by rubbing it with wire wool.   The tree. figure 13 The tree I decided to use for this project is a Cork-bark Chinese Elm, Ulmus Pafviflora. Some of the cork had been removed from the lower trunk sometime in the past, giving the tree a 'muscular' look. With what I had in mind for the positioning of the door, I had a choice of two fronts. In the end I chose what had been the back of the tree (Figure 13) as the new front because the doorframe would fit nicely into the curved section to the left. The branches on this tree are very brittle, two on the lower right have been lost, they snapped off when I tried to guy wire them down. A third branch, towards the front in this photo, snapped two-thirds of the way through when I tried to lower it. I was able to save this one, I closed up the break and covered it with cut paste, and wired it securely in position. After a few months it had repaired itself. figure 14 figure 15 When I acquired the tree there were several scars on it from heavy pruning operations. Not long after I bought it I carved a shari in the side of this tree. There was quite a large scar near the top of the trunk and a smaller one low down. I removed the bark between the two, carved a channel into the wood just inside the living bark, covered the edges with cut paste and left it alone. After two years ((figure 14) the edges had callused over nicely. Not long after I did the original work I had decided that I would like to hollow out the trunk. What with one thing and another, I never got round to it. So when this tree got picked out for this project I decided to get started. The work was done with a dremel, using various small carving bits, figure 15 shows the work part-finished. The carving up to this part-finished stage took approximately 3 hours, I had to be very careful not to spoil the rolled callus that had formed at the edges. figure 16 figure 17 Whenever people view my bonsai they will often pick this one as a favourite. It has had very little wiring done on it since I have had it, and I think that to people who do not grow bonsai it looks very natural. Conscious of this, I started wiring. I didn't want to spoil the wild look, but at the same time I realised that I would not be acceptable leave it as it was. Figure 16 shows quite a few straight twigs, but with an overall good radial spread. Figure 17 shows some wired twigs, some have been bent to shape and some have not. At this stage all I wanted to do was fill in a few empty areas and lower some of the bottom branches, with the rest of the positioning to be done later on. Assembly. figure 18 figure 19 The first stage of the assembly was to position the tree. The coarse soil I had previously potted the tree in made root pruning straight forward. After fitting the drainage mesh and tie-wires, a mound of akadama was placed on the slab (figure 18) and the tree was gently worked into it and secured with the wires. Working the roots in like this makes sure there are no air pockets on the underside of the root pad. Next I built a peat/clay 'muck' retaining wall around the outside (figure 19) and backfilled it with soil, working it into all the gaps between the roots. When working the soil into the gaps I use my fingertips, it is quite easy to massage the soil in when you get the hang of it. figure 20 With the tree firmly wired in place, and some moss sheets positioned temporarily on the new soil, I started working on the big root to the left of the tree. I wanted this root to look like it had grown around the brick doorframe, so I carved a flat back on it to allow the brick front to butt up tight against it. I also removed a couple of other small roots that were getting in the way. All this root work was done in February, a bit early in my climate for root work but I was able to protect the tree adequately in a frost-free environment so I was not unduly worried. Also, experience has shown me that Chinese Elms will take repotting at almost any time of year with good and proper aftercare. figure 21 figure 22 The next step was to position the brick front. To do this I spread a plastic sheet over the slab, mounded up some quick-dry cement mix and pressed some aluminium tie wires into it. After carefully settling the brick front into position (figure 21) it was left to dry for a hour or so and then carefully removed. While the cement was still 'green', i.e. firm but not quite dry, I trimmed and tidied up the bottom edges. The end result (figure 22) was a neat, wide foot that allowed me to position the brick front very accurately and securely. figure 23 figure 24 After the brick front was secured I started work on the back. I needed to build up a high mound of soil behind the frontage, even higher that the top of the bricks, and I was having trouble doing so even with a thick muck retaining wall. So I decided to try using florist's Oasis as a filler. It is very light, obviously absorbs lots of water and is easy to cut and shape. It was secured to the back of the brickwork with wire and was then covered over with a thin layer of muck and potting soil. Figures 23 and 24 show the work in progress. The muck wall was also extended around the side and front during this stage. This building up of the back was the last of the major construction work. A major concern during this phase was for the care of the tree, It was kept moist and sheltered while all of the work was being done and the temporary moss covering helped a lot in keeping the roots moist. Another concern was for the securing of the brick front. The last thing I wanted was for a flimsy construction to move or topple over during any future transport. The cement foot and tie wires have worked very well, everything is rock-solid and secure. Accessories. The next stage was to fix all the minor construction features in place. These features were to be the detail in the design, and would hopefully given the finished trayscape some character. I spent two or three hours doing this detail work. figure 25 figure 26 After the main components were in place I found I still had a gap between the door frame and the tree. Figure 25 shows the solution, some brickwork and moss in behind the warty lumps on the trunk to fill the gap. Figure 26 shows the fence fitted into place, it was simply pushed into the muck wall that I had built earlier and firmed into place. The step in the gateway is a small coloured and textured cement slab left over from another project. figure 27 I had acquired four different types of moss for this planting (figure 27). The coarser, longer variety was used on the top to give the impression of long grass on the hillside. The medium-length moss was used around the base of the tree to give the impression of long grass that is occasionally cut and the shorter variety was used around the front to simulate a well-tended lawn. The fourth type, a fine textured variety that grows in the cracks on my patio would be used later on for detail work. figure 28 figure 29 Figure 28 shows the brass doorknob being turned on my small metalworking lathe. After rough turning it was finished off with fine emery paper and then wire wool. A hole was drilled in the door, also on the lathe (figure 29), and the knob was fixed in place with a small screw from the back. figure 30 The window required a bit of thought. I couldn't use glass or acrylic because there was no inside to see in to, and a transparent window material would just show the cement filler in behind. I decided to use a disk of black reflective plastic, being reflective, it looks like glass, and being black it gives the impression of a dark interior. The cross-pieces were cut from the same strips of wood as the fencing, fitted together with a half lap joint (Figure 30) and given a coat of the green Cuprinol that was used for the door. There should really be a wooden frame around the outside, but on this scale it would have crowded the window aperture and left very little actual window so I left it off. Finishing off. The last stage was to refine all the details and finish styling the tree. I wanted the dwelling to look like it had been lived in for many years, and I wanted the tree to look a bit wild, and not like a bonsai that has been trained down to the very last twig. figure 31 figure 32 I had built a slate path up from the gate to the front door, with a little paved area extending under the window. The cracks and gaps between the slabs were filled in with little tufts of moss (figures 31 & 32). When I built the path I made sure there was space under the front of each slab for a little reservoir of soil, so that the moss had something to grow on and into. After the moss was inserted into the path the rest of the moss on the trayscape was tidied up. The edges of the moss sheets were knitted together with tweezers so that it looked tike one continuous spread of green. extra sections were inserted wherever there was a small gap, with particular attention given to the edge against the slab. The gaps between the fence palings were filled in with moss. Strands of moss were teased up individual palings, and at the top of the brickwork more strands were teased downwards, between and over the bricks. All this was intended to make it look like the moss had not just been freshly applied, and that instead it had been growing there for years. Inevitably there will be a new look to it but the detailing work should ensure that it ages and matures quickly. figure 33 The apex of the tree needed some pruning and tidying. In figure 33 you can see two thick branches near to the top, these needed removing and some thinner twigs training into the gaps left. The removal of these two branches was the biggest pruning job, with the rest of the pruning being limited to the removal of 1 and 2 year-old twigs that were growing from branch crotches and at odd angles. The main branches now had wire applied, and were bent into position. As mentioned earlier, I didn't want to over-train this tree, a slightly unkempt look was what I was after. I didn't want this tree to look like a bonsai in a trayscape, I wanted it to look like a real tree from nature in a trayscape. figure 34 The very last thing to be fitted was the chimney stack. When I collected the slab from Walsall Ceramics I noticed they had a row of chimney stacks drying on a shelf. I had originally planned to make the chimney myself from mini-bricks, but as soon as I saw this little stack I knew it would be perfect. To fit it I carved a little wooden stake to fit up inside and pushed the other end through the moss and into the soil beneath. Finished. Finally the trayscape was finished. I would estimate that I spent over 80 hours working on this project. Some of the items were made twice, sometimes because of scaling problems and sometimes because I was not happy with the quality first time round. The most important thing all the way through was to end up with a 'lived-in' look. I am a little bit disappointed with how the top of the tree turned out in the photograph. the camera angle seems to show some strange and ungainly branch junctions. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not too concerned with having a perfectly manicured bonsai in the trayscape, but it would have been nice to have had the branches that snapped off still available to give some balance on the right. As it is, I have had to train a front facing twig across to the right to give some structure there. I could reposition a couple of bigger branches but bearing in mind their brittle nature I'm wary of attempting it. The bottom of the tree I'm very happy with, the root across the brick door frame looks very good, the hollow has a couple of characterful holes breaking through, the knobs on the trunk near the door are interesting. There are several more big old pruning scars elsewhere on the trunk, I will hollow them out in due course, and maybe hollow out the trunk all the way up. I hope you can imagine Bilbo and Frodo sitting inside, feet up in front of the fire, talking of the coming spring. Maybe they will put some pretty flowers in pots either side of the door. Maybe the big old tree will need a prune back, or the bricks re-pointing. Maybe the fence will need some repair work. Or maybe they will take it easy this year, what with it being Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday in the summer... figure 35 figure 36 figure 37 figure 38 figure 39 figure 40     figure 41 figure 42 figure 43