After seeing the flying trees talk, I got to thinking... what if we planted ivy on zeppilins, and sent them up?

As the ivy grew, the zeppilin would get heavier, when it eventually sinks back to the surface, the ivy airship can be pruned & repotted, and then it can be sent back up. The costs will be prohibitive, and I don't see any pracitical reason for this, but oh well.
-- Madai, Jul 26 2004

we're all gardeners and bakers and philosophers and wan... http://www.geocitie...h44/beingthere.html
[po, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004]

Castle in the Sky http://www.moviemai...o&page=1&size=small
This idea reminded me of this movie. [bungston, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

2012 similar concept further evolved http://inhabitat.co...nt-airborne-cities/
[pashute, Nov 30 2012]

Balloon gardens, croissant - but I don't think ivy would work. You need plants that are accustomed to getting moisture from the air.
-- DrCurry, Jul 26 2004


Bromalids? Sp. For flying trees look up. Look waaay up, and I'll call Rusty.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 26 2004


Ahh, Bach.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 26 2004


Oh, the biology!
-- st3f, Jul 26 2004


//don't see any pracitical reason for this// - that's why I like it - beautiful, fantastic, and without any tangable benefits - if only politicians, managers and accountants thought more like you Madai, the world would be a better place.
-- zen_tom, Jul 26 2004


And as we wind on down the road
The ivy taller than our soul.
There walks a Madai we all know
Who plants green vines that want to grow
It serves a purpose, though untold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all around the blimps are green
To be a sight and not be seen.

And s/he's growing an ivy-rope ladder to heaven...

Sorry, I had to. I saw the idea title on the overview page and just thought, “wow, ivy zeppelin would be a terrible name for a band”. On the plus side though, I love the idea. These would look like huge airborne jellyfish roaming the land.
-- luecke, Jul 26 2004


Actually, I think of it more as the color of a saline breast implant that's been infested with bacteria. Either way, though, it's still pretty cool.

Bread!
-- shapu, Jul 26 2004


I'm wondering what those flying trees had to say. Probably something like:

"MADAI!
BUILD FOR US A GREAT BALLOON!
WITH VERDANT IVY VINES FESTOONED!
THEN SET IT FREE INTO THE AIR
A FLOATING HEAD WITH LIVING HAIR!
TO BREATHE THE SUN AND DRINK THE MOON!"

yeh, those trees. Always with stuff like that.
-- bungston, Jul 26 2004


I notice no one has boned this yet. Even if you don't really get it, there's *nothing* negative here, so who could possibly object? Croissant, slightly straightened hanging in the air and covered in moss.

[luecke]- I wish one could bun anno's.
-- wagster, Jul 26 2004


not wan but wanderers...wolverhampton probably...
-- po, Jul 26 2004


+ for you, and the annos in verse.
-- absterge, Jul 26 2004


Okay kids, I like the way it's going, but it needs two more things.

1. What's a gas that's lighter than air that we can get the plant to make?

2. How can we get the plant to make it's own balloon?

because once we get those two problems solved....

It's an organism!!!!
-- GutPunchLullabies, Jul 26 2004


Oh... {{horribly embarassed}} just got back from "flying trees"...
-- GutPunchLullabies, Jul 26 2004


perhaps beans could be grown downwards, like tomatoes.
-- FlyingToaster, Nov 29 2012


LTA organisms feature in 'The Jesus Incident' by Frank Herbert and Bill Ransom.
-- spidermother, Nov 29 2012


Beautiful
-- piluso, Nov 29 2012


//As the ivy grew, the zeppilin would get heavier, when it eventually sinks back to the surface, the ivy airship can be pruned & repotted, and then it can be sent back up.//

When it reaches the ground, it'll find a stable equilibrium. Some of the ivy will trail on the ground, with the weight of the airborne portion of the ivy exactly cancelling the lift from the zeppelin.

You can sometimes see the same effect with a helium balloon on the end of a length of string.

Trimming the ivy just above the point where it meets the ground will leave the zeppelin with just enough bouyancy to overcome the weight of the remaining ivy, and it'll drift slowly skywards again.

(Oh, and I'm sure there's a Hullaballoon tie-in here somewhere.)
-- Wrongfellow, Nov 30 2012



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