Day: May 2, 2017
Bonsai for future generations
It’s so important that we make locally grown material for bonsai as we know that it will thrive in our climate and that we make provision for future generations of bonsai enthusiasts.
I have been taking cuttings for over ten years, some take but many do not. I have a parent Itoigawa plant that I have used and have taken over 100 cuttings from this. Once the cutting have reached three growing seasons I introduce movement into the small trunks with copper wire, I also pot on into larger pots, usually shohin pots.
After another three growing seasons they are ready to move on to larger pots and so continue. Some of the cutting are used to graft onto older junipers that are having their foliage changed.
Another aspect of providing for future generations is (if suitable) I replace yamadori collected with a young tree of the same species into…
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The Flock Report – by Trevor Hardaker
I am sure that Trevor Hardaker won’t mind my copying his excellent report on the Flock at Sea, as it provides an interesting insight into an incredible event.
‘We are back from the Flock at Sea AGAIN! 2017 cruise and there is only one thing that can really be said about it… if you were NOT on this cruise, you have almost certainly missed out on one of THE most amazing birding events ever to have taken place in Southern African birding history!!
I’m sure a full trip report will be published in due course which will include the long list of mouth-watering rarities that we were lucky enough to see on this trip but, without a doubt, the bird of the trip was Southern Africa’s 15th ever LIGHT-MANTLED ALBATROSS that was seen well by a large majority of the observers on board on Tuesday morning, a true mega…
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Hawthorn Progress
I am pleased with the progress of this informal upright hawthorn. I have deliberately potted it into a deep pot to allow better root development and improve ramification.
The tree is growing well this season and to date this year I have only pinched back a few leading growth tips on twigs that have thickened enough. I intend to give it its first real trim in a week or so and this should help further ramification.
In time this tree will get a much better pot.
The National Bonsai Exhibition at the Castle Książ 2017 – photos and impressions | I love bonsai blog
Robert Steven demo.
8th World Bonsai Convention in Saitama City, Japan– Part 3, Shohin Bonsai
There were a great number of beautiful shohin and mame bonsai on display, many of unusual species. Each of the display compositions was well executed.
e US National Shohin Bonsai Exhibition were they will be displayed in a unique venue. Additonally, workshops with superb plant material, lecture/demonstrations, auctions and a critique will be held. Join us! More information can be found at:
http://www.internationalbonsai.com/page/493925678
8th World Bonsai Convention in Saitama City, Japan– Part 2
The 8th World Bonsai Convention is now history and could probably be never repeated again! Especially in Japan. I asked numerous officials of the Nippon Bonsai Association if they can do it again…. next year. EVERY one of them burst out laughing, loud and said “I’m tired.” The were wrong with the estimated number of visitors too. They expected 20,000 visitors for the four day event, but ended up with OVER 40,000 people. Even on Sunday noontime people were waiting in line.
This morning Kora Dalager’s and my tour of 26 people from Australia, England, Switzerland and the United States begin a week traveling around the country visiting private and public bonsai collections, the Tokoname bonsai kilns as well as other scenic and Japanese gardens in the country.
One thousand bonsai in training by elementary students in the area display
Spring is the worst season to display bonsai indoors…
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Juniper Squamata First Styling
Today I carried out the first styling of a Juniper Squamata, which was dug from my garden 3 years ago
The next 2 photographs are a reminder of how it looked immediately after it was removed from the ground
This is how it looked after the removal of some branches and a re-pot in 2016
This is how it looked at the start of todays work, the top has filled out well in the past year. I have decided that this side will be the future front of the tree. As I looked at this image, I felt that the top of the tree was too straight and there was more foliage at the top of the trunk than I needed to complete the image I was aiming for.
This is how it looked when the work was completed. The foliage was removed from the top of the trunk and…
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