How to make a plant that grows??

[ellierose]

I need to make a fake plant that then slowly grows and gets bigger. Namely an aspidistra.

 

I've thought of putting it in front of a bit of fake wall then pulling it up and over that way. But I'm at a loss as to how to make the actual plant. (This could be useful.)

 

Any help/ideas/tips would be great!

[ojc123]

In the context of a school pantomime where we needed to represent a growing beanstalk, I once used a couple of these tied together with green twine. We stapled lots of 'leaves' cut from green cotton. The whole thing could be pulled up on fishing line and fitted in a large plastic flowerpot.

 

Ours was very basic because we decided to make it a bit of a laugh. We could have spent a little longer and made a more realistic thing I suppose. No doubt you'll get better ideas if you need something more professional. It was cheap though. Flamebar or similar is, of course, necessary.

 

Edit for punctuation.

[Jivemaster]

http://www.forevertrees.co.uk/ may offer parts of your plan.

[portytech]

In the context of a school pantomime where we needed to represent a growing beanstalk, I once used a couple of these tied together with green twine. We stapled lots of 'leaves' cut from green cotton. The whole thing could be pulled up on fishing line and fitted in a large plastic flowerpot.

 

Ours was very basic because we decided to make it a bit of a laugh. We could have spent a little longer and made a more realistic thing I suppose. No doubt you'll get better ideas if you need something more professional. It was cheap though. Flamebar or similar is, of course, necessary.

 

could you post pictures please :)

[AnOasis]

I'm not sure how big the plant has to grow...but you could use a largish plant recessed in a tall planter and literally put it up bit by bit. If you use a real plant then make sure the rootball is supported.

[ellierose]

In the context of a school pantomime where we needed to represent a growing beanstalk, I once used a couple of these tied together with green twine. We stapled lots of 'leaves' cut from green cotton. The whole thing could be pulled up on fishing line and fitted in a large plastic flowerpot.

 

Ours was very basic because we decided to make it a bit of a laugh. We could have spent a little longer and made a more realistic thing I suppose. No doubt you'll get better ideas if you need something more professional. It was cheap though. Flamebar or similar is, of course, necessary.

 

could you post pictures please :wacko: :blink:

Pictures would be wonderful! :)

 

I'm not sure how big the plant has to grow...but you could use a largish plant recessed in a tall planter and literally put it up bit by bit. If you use a real plant then make sure the rootball is supported.

I'm not sure how big it has to grow yet either! The flat will probably be about 5ft... not sure I'll use a real plant, too messy!

[ojc123]

could you post pictures please :wacko: :blink:

Sorry. It was years ago and I have no photos. You'll have to use your imagination (just like the audience).

[ellierose]

You'll have to use your imagination (just like the audience).

** laughs out loud **, fair enough! Thanks for replying though, I've got a good idea of what I'll do now. I'll post pictures of the finished thing to show you how it turned out. :wacko:

[kerry davies]

Ellie, your post caused flashbacks of great-aunt Grace's aspidistra which grew at the rate of 1 mill per millenium. The damned thing was indestructible and mostly lived on her awful sherry that overpolite guests fed it. The leaves were about 18 inches to 2 foot long and flopped in a 2/3 foot diameter mound covered in dust.

 

The thing with aspidistras wasn't the plant but the enormous, decorative glazed pots on 3/4 foot high matching pedestals which were a symbol of staid Victorian "normality". (Orwell's, Keep The Aspidistra Flying etc) My initial reaction to your post was to wonder what time-scale you wished to signify, decades if you want an aspi to visibly grow. After the growth to around 2 foot high they simply flopped more and more.

 

Good luck with the show and thanks for the memories.

[Jivemaster]

Yes the stand is a vital feature of an aspidistra in Victorian society imagery. Perhaps the stand and pot can conceal some mechanism whereby the thing rises from a tight ring of leaves to a floppy long almost trailing thing. BUT As posted above Aspidistras grow over a lifetime not so much a year or ten.

[ellierose]

My initial reaction to your post was to wonder what time-scale you wished to signify, decades if you want an aspi to visibly grow.

We've got a nine-yr-old performing this song in a small show of war songs. So all I need is something that I can pull up and get a laugh out of!