Waters Edge

Sturdy pieces above the surface

A range of 15.2 to 17.7 cm moves this pair among the largest trees meant for water scenes. A tree like that above a stream or a pool will shade a substantial part of the surface and add to the scene what tends to be hardest on model water: an irregular shadow and a break in the reflection that gives away the fact that something stands above the water.

Colors and texture

According to the supplier's information, these trees have natural colors and a surface texture that joins easily with other landscape materials. The supplier recommends setting the trees in clusters and mixing the shades of foliage among them. That makes sense in any composition, and doubly so by water, because bankside growth tends to be more varied in species than growth in a field.

Seating the two pieces

The package holds 2 trees. The trunk carries a pin for seating and an optional base that can be separated; for a temporary arrangement there is therefore no need to drill. With the taller pieces, though, permanent anchoring pays off, because the crown has a larger area and an accidental knock against the base easily tips it over.

The proportions in a scene

In 1:87 the tree matches a height of thirteen to fifteen meters, and in 1:72 roughly eleven to thirteen. In 1:35 it works out at five and a half to six meters. In all of these cases it is a tree that by itself sets the upper limit of the scene, so anything taller will read as a dominant feature and ought to have a reason for it. The pair therefore forms the skeleton of a scene rather than finished growth; only lower greenery around the trunks gives the whole its depth and hides the transition between terrain and water surface.