John M
Orchid Addict
I've had this rock for over 20 years. I bought it as a dry, dead rock from the Bonsai section of the nursery where I worked. It was imported from China and is made up of a sort of "petrified" mud. It's fairly delicate. If I dropped it, it would break. I can even dig bits of it off with my fingernails. So, it's quite porous as well. At first, I had a miniature Paph. barbigerum growing on it. That was pretty cool. Lately, it has sat in my greenhouse for a number of years just growing mostly volunteer weeds (Oxalis, Pilea, etc.). In the spring of 2011, I cleaned it up with a long bristled kitchen scrub brush and rinsed it well with the hose. I placed it into this Bonsai dish and kept the dish full of water and I also watered the rock often. I placed the dish on my North-West facing kitchen sink windowsill. I also put 7 newborn (~ 0.5cm long), baby Goldfish in the moat. They looked REALLY cool, swimming around the rock in a little school. They quickly learned that I was the guy with the food and would come "running" whenever I was near them. These little fish thrived in the shallow water and grew so fast that after about 8 months I had to move them back to the Goldfish pond outside. After that, I tried Guppys; but, they immediately jumped out. 'Will put some more baby Goldfish in the moat again later this summer, after I get some females to add to my pond....and if they spawn. 'Only have 4 males right now.
Because of the frequent watering of the rock, the moss grew very thick and eventually all the features of the rock disappeared. It became a big, round moss blob! So, late this past winter, I peeled off all the moss and gently scrubbed and washed the rock to remove all signs of green. Then, I placed it back into the dish and I've only kept the dish watered, not the rock. I have not sprayed or watered the rock even once since cleaning it down to it's bare nakedness. All the moss that you see now just appeared all by itself and is fed/watered only by what the rock wicks up to it from the moat. The moss is much more dense this time and it looks more like miniature grass. Before, the moss was loose and fluffy and it didn't take long for it to lose that "Bonsai" look and instead, just look like a big moss ball mess.
The little fisherman has a spot that he can sit in on the front and the back. I switch him every few weeks so that the moss where he's sitting has a chance to grow too.
This is right behind the taps at my kitchen sink; so, I get to enjoy it often every day. When it's got the little fish in the moat, it really "comes to life", literally.
The next step is to get some micro-miniature Sinningias (Sinningia pusila...regluar pink and alba) and plant a few in strategic places on the rock. They are like teeny, tiny, micro-miniature Gloxinias. They grow from a very tiny tuber, not any larger than this letter "O". In fact, those big honkin' Florist Gloxinias are actually Sinningias! The micro-miniature ones are so tiny, they'd be comforatable if planted in the metal end of a pencil that has lost its eraser! They grow a rosette of beautiful leaves, like an African Violet and produce beautiful little pink and white flowers on delicate, thin stems. They also bloom easily and often. They are a perfect little plant that is in proportion for use on this "landscape". They'll help to create the illusion of wildflowers growing in the "grass". After I find some of these plants and get them planted, I'll post update photos; but, it will be down the road.
Because of the frequent watering of the rock, the moss grew very thick and eventually all the features of the rock disappeared. It became a big, round moss blob! So, late this past winter, I peeled off all the moss and gently scrubbed and washed the rock to remove all signs of green. Then, I placed it back into the dish and I've only kept the dish watered, not the rock. I have not sprayed or watered the rock even once since cleaning it down to it's bare nakedness. All the moss that you see now just appeared all by itself and is fed/watered only by what the rock wicks up to it from the moat. The moss is much more dense this time and it looks more like miniature grass. Before, the moss was loose and fluffy and it didn't take long for it to lose that "Bonsai" look and instead, just look like a big moss ball mess.
The little fisherman has a spot that he can sit in on the front and the back. I switch him every few weeks so that the moss where he's sitting has a chance to grow too.
This is right behind the taps at my kitchen sink; so, I get to enjoy it often every day. When it's got the little fish in the moat, it really "comes to life", literally.
The next step is to get some micro-miniature Sinningias (Sinningia pusila...regluar pink and alba) and plant a few in strategic places on the rock. They are like teeny, tiny, micro-miniature Gloxinias. They grow from a very tiny tuber, not any larger than this letter "O". In fact, those big honkin' Florist Gloxinias are actually Sinningias! The micro-miniature ones are so tiny, they'd be comforatable if planted in the metal end of a pencil that has lost its eraser! They grow a rosette of beautiful leaves, like an African Violet and produce beautiful little pink and white flowers on delicate, thin stems. They also bloom easily and often. They are a perfect little plant that is in proportion for use on this "landscape". They'll help to create the illusion of wildflowers growing in the "grass". After I find some of these plants and get them planted, I'll post update photos; but, it will be down the road.
