Desert plants

[nachoman]

Let me preface by saying that I may catch a little flack for this one because it is a little old-school and more modern methods are available.

Believe it or not, grasslands occupy large areas of the southern Arizona desert. Before grazing, much of the ground between the more familiar desert plants was covered by various grasses. The grass grows green after the early spring and summer rainy seasons, and turns dry and yellow during the winter and early summer. The grasses come in many varieties and many lengths, but almost all of them grow in clumps.

I make tall grass out of jute twine. This method was used extensively for decades, but more modern scenery materials have rendered this method obsolete. It's unfortunate, because it's cheap and the materials are readily available.

I start with an ordinary spool of twine. I can't remember how much I paid for this spool, but I'm sure it was only a few dollars and will last me many years.

   

I then cut off a few feet of twine, coil it up, and place it in an old sour cream container filled with 50% water, 50% rubbing alcohol, and a few squirts of green ink from the art supply store. I let it soak for a few hours, and then pull it out and hang it up to dry. The twine should be stained green.

   

The twine I have is really three strands twisted together. I separate the strands, and cut it into lengths about 3/4" long. I then poke or drill a small hole in my scenery, and put a drop of white glue in the hole. I then take the short piece of twine, bend it in half, and insert the bent end into the hole. Sometimes, a small bamboo skewer helps to push in the twine.

   

Once dried, I cut off stray strands and fan out the blades a little. There are other methods that look better, but this one is extremely cheap and easy and for now adequate for my needs.