After some deliberation I have decided to miss out on the Noelanders Trophy next year. Just working out the cost and travel issues getting there from N Ireland was giving me a headache.
I have therefore opted to sign up for a workshop with Ryan Neil at Willowbog Bonsai instead 🙂 That gives me 10 months to try and find something decent to work on!!! I feel rather excited at the prospect already.
The final instalment of harry’s photos, these are from the Marc Noelanders Demonstration. The big Chamaecyparis isn’t the easiest looking demo tree but what Marc gets from it it truly amazing. I remember watching Marc demonstrate back in 1999 at the EBA in Birmingham with similar material. He really does have a knack for getting the best out of a piece of raw material.
I’m quite into my Larch at the moment and Hans Van Meer shared this on Youtube a few days ago. It shows a short video 360 of his very tasty European larch named ‘XL’ 🙂
I was interested in the two deadwood areas on the tree and if he was considering joining these together at some point. I asked him about this on the IBC Thread and he was kind enough to give this comprehensive reply.
Yes joining the top Jin with the deadwood section lower on the trunk is a work in progress. The tree is doing it all by it’s self! This might take a lot longer than doing it artificial by hand but it will look much better in the end! The bark is amazingly thick on this tree, in some places more than a centimeter, and is make up out of many layers of bark. By allowing that section of the tree to die back by it’s self, this thick bark will crack naturally and will eventually fall off, leaving a rough and natural looking edge between the deadwood and live bark! I could never get that edge to look that natural and beautiful if I would do it myself by hand or with powertools! So pattieance is the name of the game again!
Cheers,
Hans van Meer.
Second instalment from Harry with more trees from the exhibition.
Harry’s came up with the goods again. On Saturday he attended the 35th Anniversary of the Flemish Bonsai Association held at ‘de nationale plantentuin van Belgie’ . As part of the event Marc Noelanders demonstrated on a Chamaecyparis, but more on that in a later post.
Here are the first batch of Harry’s photos.
Phil had been eyeing up this Larch for a while and eventually took the plunge and brought it home from Willowbog after the BSA exhibition.
He brought it down to my place last week for a few photos in the sun and for a little trim.
Happy Easter, and as it’s Easter Sunday, I’m not taking my usual walk. However, here are a few from last weekend that I haven’t shared as yet.
I was just talking to Stephen on the walk about how you rarely see wild Primrose any more and about 100 yards later we see this 🙂
On Easter Sunday Scrabo Tower is a busy place to walk as many people attend a Sunrise service and in the afternoon many local children, mine included, roll their eggs down the hill.
Stephen snapping away
Gorse/Whinbushes covering the quarry face
Blackthorn in Flower
The next Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke , Fred Daly or Graeme McDowell.
Northern Ireland is the promised land for golf’s best players 🙂
This is Scrabo Golf Club. A tight course!
Some of Strangford Lough’s 365 Islands
Patchwork Quilt, County Down
Wild Flowers
Scrabo is famous for it’s bluebells. These are among the first to appear.
Blackthorn Hedge
Spring is Sprung
Doggie Dust Trails 🙂
Amazing trunk on an old Hazel
As part of my concerns regarding the health of my maples I emptied my maple greenhouse today and disinfected it from top to bottom.
I also renewed my accent and mame grit trays. I spent a little time splitting some of my pot bound accent plants and potting on some cork bark elm cuttings too. A productive afternoon and long over due!!
Yes, two Ben’s 🙂 Both were at my place last weekend and had a tree or two with them. Here’s what they brought.
First up Ben F. A Fuji Cherry
Ben’s Inherited Japanese Black Pine .
The first styling of his Japanese Larch
and Ben B’s trees. His Fuji before pruning.
and after
His Scots Pine, we gave it a little bud selection and removed some old needles. Ben plans to style this in a Peter Warren Workshop in October.
One of the best parts of having a blog is the great folk who you make contact with. A week or so ago I got chatting with Xavier from France who has his own blog www.petit-arbre.com [now upgraded to bonsai friends list to the right →] He liked the coltsfoot I had featured and we got to talking, anyway, one thing led to another and I received a parcel yesterday from Xavier containing a selection of Hostas and Rhodohypoxis 🙂 Another parcel is winging it’s way to France with some Coltsfoot and other oddities. This is what Bonsai is all about, or in this case, kusamono 🙂
To visit Xaviers Website click on the image link below. Google translate works very well from French to English.
Shop for quality bonsai
bonsai and garden
The Kaizen Bonsai Blog
Teaching, Learning, Enjoying Bonsai
The ramblings of an old artist and someone who would like to grow better bonsais trees
my bonsai
My wood creations
Hand Crafted Furniture
Creativity Through Bonsai
dirt leaves flowers
bonsaï | vidéo | Japon - ActuBonsaï
Japan's aesthetic, craftsmanship and spirit
Bonsai with a hint of madness...
"Tibolar-RS. your soil needs it, your plants will love it"
Bonsai Eejit 