May 28 2013

Sumo Chop Cotoneaster

This Cotoneaster was collected from a garden back in January. It’s going to be a sumo bonsai 🙂 Fat short tree with taper. When it was lifted I left a few longer bits on it with foliage to indicate how the health was progressing after collection. It’s doing very well and has back budded onto the trunk. I have therefore removed the unwanted bits and can now they it grow unchecked this year. A longish term project with plenty of carving required to tidy up the cut ends but it’ll make a reasonable image.

May 27 2013

Hugh’s Benches

I was over at Hugh’s house last week helping him get his new Photo Blog up and running. While I was there I gave him a hand with a little Spring trimming on some of his trees. I hadn’t been at his place for a while and I was impressed with his new display benches.

May 27 2013

Taking a Moment

May 27 2013

Field Grown #4 Yew

Another field Grown Yew. This one has quite a bit of character when you see it in the flesh. It’s been on the sales page here for a while and instead of it sitting for another year without any work down, I have went ahead and gave it the initial styling. It now has a good basic skeleton structure to work from and build a nice little tree. A few too many branches retained but these can be removed as the tree fills.

May 27 2013

Field Grown #3

This is a little Shohin Yew grown from a cutting. Out of all the Yew field grown, this one did the least growing, as it turned out, not a back thing. This is it front and back before and after a light trim.

May 26 2013

South Dakota collecting trip, Day 2

Some interesting posts over on Nebari Bonsai Blog showing a collecting trip for Junipers.

Nebari Bonsai

We agreed to go back to the ridge where we left off yesterday. We were sidetracked by some junipers on the hill opposite, and never got there. Some scenery on the way to our spot.

Some perspective, here is the ridge we ended up collecting on:

And a shot back to the truck from the top of the ridge…can you spot it?

Now to the trees…starting with ones we left behind for inspiration…

This one was amazing…foliage like Kishu:

Now some digging…
A decent sized RMJ that seemed to double in weight as I pushed, pulled, and dragged it up this 70′ nearly vertical ravine to get back to the road!

Wish the steep angle showed up better…it was like climbing a dirt ladder with no rungs, carrying a 5-year old:

A nice little one…a needed break after horsing out the big one!

Now, Ron’s approach reminded me of a…

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May 26 2013

Field Grown #2 Wild Pear Pyrus Communis

Again, 8 years in open ground and just one major chop. Aiming for a broom type image. Last year it got free growth and this is it now after a pruning back to the original shape.

May 26 2013

Phil The Fingers Stag Night

If you follow this blog you’ll know that one of my closest friends, in bonsai or otherwise, is Phil, known for doing his best to get a two fingers salute into every photo I try and take.

Well, Phil has found someone that is willing to marry him, and I’ll be honest, he’s punching well above his weight 😉

Last night saw a few of us head out for an amazing meal at Macau on the Ormeau Road in Belfast and then on to a local bar for a few drinks. Some of us missed the real stag night and we decided to do a night out in Belfast instead.

Not many photos taken, but this one taken by ‘Eeyore’ also known as Mark, Phil’s brother and best man, pretty much sums up the night.

From left to right, Stephen the Bonsai Baker, me, tucked away at the back as I didn’t even bother to wear a proper shirt, Phil who you will notice is actually a lot smaller than Stephen, and lastly Sam, who yes Mark, is my brother 😉

Highlights of the night, good company, good food, Hugh’s Japanese toilet story, Phil kissing the bouncer and getting a kiss back, the Froch v Kessler fight, me not wearing a stripey shirt, and the best one, Eeyore not knowing that Sam was my brother. I can vaguely remember something about white shoes too!

Phil lining up the jagerbombs

The lone stag, a quiet moment of contemplation? Aye right ❗ Strange to see his back without the Stonebridge Landscapes logo.

May 26 2013

Field Grown #1 Cydonia oblonga?

A few of my field grown trees. Early days but they are starting to shape up. If I had it all to do again I would make a better job of the field grown material. Like most things in this hobby, once you have it sussed, it’s already too late 😀

First up an unknown species of tree, I have been calling it a Celtis for years but after a little help over on Wee Trees Bonsai Forum recently Alain K produced leaves from a tree in his garden that were identicial. It was a pear tree that had been grafted onto Cydonia oblonga, the common Quince . I have two of them and have had them both for sale for yonks, but no one wants a tree when they don’t know what it is! I am therefore going to make the best of this one and keep it for myself. (other one still for sale if anyone’s interested :201thumbup: )

I has grown really strongly this year in the poly tunnel and I lifted it out to do some pruning.

As I started trimming I quickly noticed a lot of Caterpillars on the inner leaves where they couldn’t be seen. I have never done a full defoliation on this tree but decided to go ahead and do one now. A safe way of removing the pests and also allowing me to adjust the branch structure and do a little wiring. This is it after defoliation.

and after a little wiring. Aiming for a natural looking image.

May 25 2013

Esprit Bonsai!

Got a nice email from my accent swapping buddy Xavier in France the other day letting me know that I was now, in his words, ‘Famous in France!’ He had just received his latest copy of Esprit Bonsai Magazine and they had written a little article about my blog in there. He sent me this copy of it.

My French is a little rusty but he was also kind enough to translate it for me too.

Ian Young is Irish and a member of the NIBS. In just two and a half years, his blog, established in early 2011, has been enriched with hundreds of photos, as well as the history of the trees tfrom his visits to amateur bonsai enthusiasts. These photos show the diversity of choice of species and culture in the British Isles, but also in the United States. Some reports detailing exciting yamadori outputs. Ian Young shows a certain attraction for shohin, or at least reasonably sized trees, which he begins to have a nice collection. Pictures of exhibits, especially in Japan and gathered on friend’s blogs, complete this site. This blog is the official website of the NIBS too.