The Model Tree Shop

The Model Tree Shop Suppliers of good quality, affordable scale model trees, hedging, flowers and model landscaping requisites.

Established in 2005 we are suppliers of high quality scale model trees and landscaping materials for discerning modellers! Suitable for architectural models, model railways, slot car racing layouts, wargaming, cake decorating, dolls house collectors, gifts............The list is endless!

Not all OO gauge scenic materials do the same job. Here is a quick breakdown of what each one is actually for:Twisted wi...
07/09/2026

Not all OO gauge scenic materials do the same job. Here is a quick breakdown of what each one is actually for:

Twisted wire trees earn their place as feature trees that will be looked at closely. The cost and time per tree is harder to justify for areas further from the viewer, though some modellers use them throughout a scene where budget allows.

Heki trees sit in the middle ground. Ready-made, with more natural variation than standard plastic, they hold up well at OO gauge even when placed closer to the viewer. A strong choice for convincing woodland without the build time of twisted wire.

Plastic trees work best for background coverage where viewing distance does the work. Fast to place and economical across large areas, though the uniformity of moulded trees reads more naturally at a distance than up close.

Etched brass trees are for layouts where close inspection is the point. Exhibition standard, and priced accordingly.

Ground cover and scatter is not optional. Trees need to be rooted into something, and bare board underneath them is the thing that reads as wrong even when people cannot say why.

A scale chart is worth having before you order anything. At OO gauge, a 100mm tree represents around 25 feet in real life. Getting the height range right first means fewer decisions to unpick later.

What are you working on at the moment? Tell us in the comments and we will point you in the right direction.

themodeltreeshop.co.uk 🌲

04/09/2026

We will be at the International N Gauge Show on 12 and 13 September at the Warwickshire Event Centre, sharing Stand 27/28 with Train Trax.

If you are a layout builder working in any scale and there is something specific you want to see or stock up on, let us know in advance. Send us a message and we will make sure we have the right materials with us on the day.

Bulk discounts available on the stand. Browse the full range at themodeltreeshop.co.uk.

www.ngaugeshow.co.uk | themodeltreeshop.co.uk

If you're building to exhibition standard, the trees on your layout carry more weight than people expect.At that level, ...
03/09/2026

If you're building to exhibition standard, the trees on your layout carry more weight than people expect.

At that level, judges and visitors alike notice the details that separate a good layout from a great one, and tree structure is one of the first places the eye lands. Twisted wire trees give you full control over branch shape and taper, which matters when every tree needs to look individually grown rather than mass produced. Etched brass takes that a step further, offering fine, consistent branch structure that holds up under close inspection at eye level.

Both approaches reward the same thinking that goes into your buildings and track: get the proportions and geometry right, and the whole scene reads as believable rather than assembled.

Building an exhibition layout? Tell us about it, we'd like to hear what you're working on...🌲

Whatever you're building, we would love to see it!The TMTS range goes further than model railways. Scale trees and lands...
27/08/2026

Whatever you're building, we would love to see it!

The TMTS range goes further than model railways. Scale trees and landscaping materials turn up in wargaming terrain, architectural models, scale dioramas, and of course the layouts that started all of this.

So here is a simple question: what are you working on?

If you have got something on the workbench right now, or a finished scene you are proud of, drop a photo in the comments. OO layouts, N gauge setups, wargaming tables, fantasy terrain, dioramas. Whatever it is, we would like to see how you are using scale materials in the real world.

No rules, no theme. Just what you're building.

Show us your layout - drop a photo in the comments.

There's a moment every layout builder knows. You've planted your first trees. The scene looks good. You step back, glanc...
24/08/2026

There's a moment every layout builder knows. You've planted your first trees. The scene looks good. You step back, glance at the bare hillside on the left, and think: I need more trees.

You order more. They arrive. You plant them. You step back again.

More trees needed.

This isn't a planning failure; it's exactly how great model landscapes work. Trees don't just fill space; they create depth. Foreground specimens draw the eye in. Mid-ground groups anchor the middle distance. Background hedgerows and scrub push everything else further away.

Each layer you add makes the one behind it look more convincing.

At The Model Tree Shop, we say there is no such thing as a scale tree. Real woodland is dense, layered, and endlessly varied and, the more species and sizes you mix, the more alive your layout feels.

Start with a mix...then add more.

👉 Browse trees by zone at themodeltreeshop.co.uk

If you have been putting off buying trees for your OO layout because you are not sure which ones to start with, the OO G...
20/08/2026

If you have been putting off buying trees for your OO layout because you are not sure which ones to start with, the OO Gift Sets might help take the decision off the table. They are a practical starting point if you are new to the hobby, and a quick way to fill a gap if you are building out an existing layout.

Each set is made up of plastic trees ready to plant straight out of the box - no drilling, no prep work. They use a built-in root system and go in with adhesive, so you can get them onto your layout the same day they arrive.

The sets vary in size and tree mix, so there is an option whether you need a handful of trees for a corner of the layout or a fuller stock for a new section. They are sized for OO/HO scale, so height and proportion are already sorted.

The full range of OO Gift Sets is on the website. Worth a look: themodeltreeshop.co.uk 🌲

Here is one of the most useful scenes you can build - a countryside field edge that reads convincingly at almost any sca...
13/08/2026

Here is one of the most useful scenes you can build - a countryside field edge that reads convincingly at almost any scale.

It uses five products, and each one has a specific job to do.

Start with 2mm static grass as your base layer (themodeltreeshop.co.uk/product-category/landscaping-materials/static-grass/2mm-static-grass/). Apply it in irregular patches across the ground surface, leaving a little variation rather than covering everything evenly. Real ground is uneven, and your base layer should suggest that.

Next, 4mm static grass (themodeltreeshop.co.uk/product-category/landscaping-materials/static-grass/4mm-static-grass/) goes around the margins - the edges where a field naturally grows longer between cuts. This transition from short to long is what makes a field edge look right.

While the grass is still slightly tacky, work in a scatter (themodeltreeshop.co.uk/product-category/landscaping-materials/scatters/) across the top. This adds the colour variation and texture that prevents the scene from looking too uniform. Nature rarely uses one shade of green.

For the trees, twisted wire varieties (themodeltreeshop.co.uk/product-category/trees/twisted-wire-trees/) give you the most natural silhouette. Three or four placed to suggest a genuine field boundary - not a planted row - will read far more convincingly than a neat line of identical specimens.

Finally, use hedge and ground cover (themodeltreeshop.co.uk/product-category/landscaping-materials/hedge-ground-cover/) sparingly at the base of the trees and along the ground edge. It suggests undergrowth and adds depth at exactly the point where the eye tends to look.

The whole scene works because each layer does one thing well. Put them together and you have something that genuinely looks like a corner of the English countryside.

Save this scene recipe for your next build 🌲

Not everyone who finds us needs the same thing. Here is where to start, depending on what you are building.If you build ...
11/08/2026

Not everyone who finds us needs the same thing. Here is where to start, depending on what you are building.

If you build model railway layouts - start with the scale charts at themodeltreeshop.co.uk/scale-charts-tools/. They will tell you which tree heights work for your gauge and help you choose the right materials for your period and setting. From there, the gauge-matched tree categories are the practical next step.

If you build wargaming terrain - the scale charts cover figure-to-tree matching across 10mm through to 28mm and larger. Knowing the right tree height for your figure scale makes every terrain board look more considered.

If you build dioramas - start with the twisted wire tree range at themodeltreeshop.co.uk/product-category/trees/twisted-wire-trees/ and the scale charts to confirm proportions. Twisted wire, etched brass, and plastic each have different qualities and suit different projects.

If you work in architectural modelling - the scale charts give you the right tree height for 1:50, 1:100, and 1:200, and the architectural concept tree range is the place to start: themodeltreeshop.co.uk/product-category/trees/etched-brass-trees/architectural-concept-trees/

Find your starting point at themodeltreeshop.co.uk

Order two Elm Trees from us and you will not receive two identical ones. That is by design. Our twisted wire trees are i...
07/08/2026

Order two Elm Trees from us and you will not receive two identical ones. That is by design. Our twisted wire trees are individually crafted, which means the branch angles, the spread of the canopy, and the weight of the foliage will vary from tree to tree.

Just as they do in nature.

Real trees growing side by side in the same conditions do not look the same. They compete for light. They lose branches in storms. They grow around obstacles. Every tree on your layout or model has its own story, even before you plant it.

This matters because a row of identical trees reads instantly as artificial. Grouped variation reads as landscape. As Ian puts it: "there is no such thing as a scale tree". Nature does not work to a standard specification. If you want a layout that looks like somewhere real, variation is not a problem to work around, it is the whole point.

Which type of tree are you working with? Tell us in the comments. Reach out if we can help too.

One of the things we love most about this hobby is the builds people create.We've been sharing ideas and inspiration her...
30/07/2026

One of the things we love most about this hobby is the builds people create.

We've been sharing ideas and inspiration here for a while now, and it feels like the right time to turn it around. We want to see what you've been making.

Whether it's a model railway layout in progress, a wargaming table taking shape, a diorama that's been months in the making, or an architectural model fresh off the board, we'd love to see it.

Drop a photo in the comments, or tag us in your posts. The best ones will be featured here on the page and across our Instagram. Work in progress is just as welcome as a fully finished piece. No judgement on scale or style.

There is no such thing as a scale tree. There's no such thing as a build not worth sharing either.

What are you working on?

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Unit 15, The Bull Commercial Centre
Duns
YO329LE

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Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

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