TREE FERN CARVINGS & EPIPHYTE STANDS
When the winter of 2009-2010 hit, with its minus 18 temperatures over a prolonged period, a number of my tree ferns succumbed and died. It was saddening as I had grown them for ten years with no problems. But this did provide me with the opportunity to try my hand at carving them.
Fern Carvings
For my early carvings I settled on an unfurling fern leaf motif. Using a chainsaw and jigsaw, followed by a strong set of scissors to tidy the edges, I tried a variety of designs and was quite pleased with the results. I have since used these carvings in a few of my garden designs. They sit as a point of interest in beds of ferns and acers.
Dragon Carving
My largest tree fern was over 14ft tall, which made it rather unwieldy for carving into a single object. So I cut it in half and then used the base part (which was over 2ft wide cut lengthways) to create wings. From the upper half I carved a body with arms and legs. Finally, I cut the top off so that I could reattach it on its side to create the head.