Jul 6 2013

First styling!! A step in the right direction: chronicles of a bonsai show

What an action packed show!!

I don’t know if any of you have ever organized a show: cat show, book show, bonsai show, or whatever else. Well, I have: a cat show a couple of years back and believe me, it’s not an easy task! Without getting into details about my experience as President of our cat club (Abyssinians Breed Club Europe), I would like to report my view of the Swiss Bonsai Show held in Lugano on 8-9 June, 2013.

As a visitor of the show, I must first and foremost say “hats off”! When someone like the Bonsai Club Ticino (a local bonsai club in Switzerland) puts up a show about bonsai, suiseki, kusamono and much more, as someone who’s been through this before, it is immediately clear to me the effort that every single person invested, the energy and nerves, the struggle to organize vendors, the eternal search for sponsors, the…

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Jul 6 2013

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Accent of the Day – Kusamono

A mixture of hosta, aqualegia, sisyrinchium and that yellow exploding seed pod one that I can’t remember the name of! Even a bit of mud rock in there too. I hope to create a lot more mixed planting for next year. Up until now I have tended to keep my accents to one variety per pot but I am loving the added interest in mixed plantings or kusamono. At least I should have plenty to play with 😉

Jul 6 2013

Splitting Up

No, not my marriage!! Never happen, just my hostas and other accents. After chatting to Ian up at Bali Hai and finding out that it’s fine to split hostas at this time of year, I have made the most of my new arrivals.

Jul 5 2013

Accent of the Day – Allium

Anybody know the name of this Allium?

Jul 5 2013

Mike’s Satsuki & Juniper

Waz Skeepin we me ole Mucker Mike tuther neet [Sorry, but Mike said I had to type the way he would actually say it, that’s wat he does 🙂 ]

Great screen shot Mike lol, didn’t know I did that did you 😛

Enough of that, I was chatting to Mike on Skype the other night about his workshop weekend with Peter Warren and he was showing me some photos of his Root over Rock Satsuki which I rather like, As he’s such a decent bloke, he said I could share here. Also another little Satuki getting it’s first clear out and a Kishu Juniper as well.

March 2012

17 June 2013

28 June 2013

After Peter Warren Workshop

Stumpy Satuki before workshop

and after

March 2012

Kishu Juniper also from Workshop

Jul 4 2013

Ed’s Garden

Last week I popped into see a new club member Ed. It was a shocking day with constant rain but we still managed to get a look aroung his garden and his growing collection of bonsai. Ed’s only been doing bonsai for about a year and has a mixture of bought trees and raw material that he’s practicing on to gain skill.

Main Bench

His first tree

Cotoneaster

Stewartia

Trident Maple

Jade

Hornbeam

Larch Group

Shohin Juniper before I altered it.

and after

Hawthorn

Kashima Maple

Satsuki Azalea

Overview

Jul 4 2013

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Accent of the Day – Mukdenia rossii

Jul 3 2013

He’s Back!!!

Just when you thought it was safe to walk the streets……

And they’re back too 🙂

Checking on how the trees did while he was in Japan

Hawthorn

Shohin Elm

Trident Maple

nice base

stamp

and signed

Loved this sedum in the garden too

Jul 2 2013

RIP Google Reader

It’s the last few hours of Google Reader. I’ll be sad to see it go. I’ve been using it for a few years now to follow 100’s of bonsai blogs.

I’ve been experimenting with some of the alternatives and I’ve decided that Feedly is the one for me. I know some of you have been using my reader bundle to follow the same blogs. Might be worth getting Feedly on the go. I’ve been using it on PC and on mobile and it’s been a smooth transition.