Way back in the mid-1980s, I created a bunch of HO scale, mini dioramas of desert scenery, featuring the types of plants and terrain found in parts of the Anza-Borrego desert of San Diego County. These were sealed under glass domes and given to various family and friends for Christmas. 

In a visible staging yard, what do you do for quick and easy scenery?  I don't like the idea of just tracks on cork in staging, figured I'd at least paint the cork flat black, maybe sprinkle some grout or blast medium into the wet paint for semi-ballast.  I'd like to give the staging yard the look of a yard, without all the work of actually ballasting each track. So, what have you done to make your staging look better?  Lay the tracks, and hit everything with some flat black?  Maybe mix some gray and brown in there?

Does anyone know of styrene, preferably, that looks like the typical Pikestuff siding used for these kits? I've been reading through the MR archives and for each article I've found with a modern building like this, they end up using a Pikestuff kit as a starter! One article mentioned Northeastern having milled basswood that looks like steel siding except NE doesn't have photos on their site. Working in HO scale.

Corrugated tends to have too close of a spacing.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Charles

I just added a small scratch built garage in Russellville.  I'd purchased a small sheet of resin concrete blocks years ago and thought they'd be great for making a foundation.  Recently saw a neat little laser kit of a garage and decided to make my own from some left over Grandt Line windows and doors I had laying around.  Probably took me 3-4 hours from start to finish.  Any questions let me know.

Charlie