Dicksonia antarctica - the soft tree fern

Cyathea australis - the rough tree fern

Tree Ferns grow in the gullies of the moist sclerophyll forests of Australia. They are quite common in the Gippsland regions of Victoria. Both species represented here are easyily grown in Australian gardens.

The techniques presented here represent my attempts to reproduce these rather beautiful plants.

Process

• Tree ferms are made from emu feathers and pipe cleaners.

1. Making the stem
   1. Make up a solution of 10% brown shoe dye and 90% methylated spirits. You can add a small amount of black show dye to alter the colour if you prefer.
   2. Place the pipe cleaners or chenile into the solution for a short time ensuring they are completely stained with solution.
   3. Using tweezers remove the pipe cleaner and drip dry.
   4. Place pipe cleaner on a paper overnight, allowing 24 hours to ensure it is dry.
   5. Once dry spray pipe cleaner with spray adhesive (such as Bostik Spary adhesive) and coat liberally with a fine brown flock.
   6. Allow 24 hours to dry completely.
2. Making the fronds
1. Obtain a supply of emu feathers.
   1. Commercial feathers are obtinable from craft store.
   2. Bulk purchase of loose feathers in Australia can be made from the Emu Shop .
2. Trim the feathers into a frond shape.
3. Do the next few steps on a sheet of glass.
4. Lay 4 pieces into the shape of a cross so that the top of the fern is facing down. Join with craft glue.
5. Lay another 4 pieces face down 30° to the first, making another cross concentric with the first and join with craft glue.
6. Lay a further 4 pieces face down 30° and concentric to the first two and join with craft glue.
7. You should now have 12 feathers layed out in a circle with the base of each feather located at the same point and looking at what will become the underside of the tree fern.
3. Puting it together
   1. Place small dab of craft glue into the centre of your feathers (where they cross).
   2. Grab your finished stem and stand it vertically in the dab of glue and allow to set.
4. Picking it all up
   1. After the glue has set, using a flat object such as a frypan flip, carefully ease it under the first layer of feathers, very gently seperating the glue from the glass.
   2. You should be able to lift the whole assembly off the glass and hold it by the stem.
   3. Shape the feathers so they stand up, much like the pictures at the top of the page. Spray with a dark green colour, followed by a gentle spray with lighter green.
   4. Add some natural or brown coloured leaves where the stem meets the fronds so that they hang down, simulating dead fronds.
   5. Plant your tree fern where the ground would be wetter than surrounds
5. Finished