Model Scene ferns

One of the great things about this hobby at the moment is the sheer number of good quality scenic products that are available. You can find pretty much whatever you want, at good prices and, more importantly, of superb quality, thanks to advances in technology such as laser-cutting or 3D printing.

What’s really exciting is that there are now more and more excellent products available in the UK from European manufacturers. Many have been overlooked, and one such company is Czech manufacturer Model Scene.

Model Scene offers a huge range of products in scales from ‘Z’ right the way up to 1:35. It was this pack of bracken fern that piqued my curiosity. Bracken is one of the oldest ferns and dates back over 55 million years. It is often regarded as a pest because it can grow to around 5ft tall, it’s difficult to get rid of and it’s poisonous to humans and livestock. Despite this, it’s common across much of the UK, from farmland to forests and moors. It’s almost an essential plant to include on your layout.

Model Scene’s ferns come as laser-cut pieces that require cutting from the cardboard backing sheet with a sharp craft knife. The leaves and stems are delicate and ideal for cameo scenes or at the front of the baseboard. Because the raw material is paper, rather than plastic, the parts do not carry the familiar plastic shine that requires repainting on ferns of other manufacturers. Each pack comes with two sheets that each have around 20 leaves in various plant arrangements.

I really liked these ferns. They’re wonderfully delicate, good value and easy to plant. Though they’re scaled for ‘OO’/‘HO’, they could be useful for modelling smaller plants in the larger scales.

I can’t wait to see more from Model Scene. (PM)