Sorry Spruce

After our collecting trip back in February we came back with some rather nice Spruce. Most came with good rootballs and are still thriving well into there second flush of growth this year.

This one was always going to be touch and go as it had very little root. It went to Phil’s poly tunnel were it spent some time on his heat bed in an attempt to stimulate enough growth to survive. Sadly it didn’t make it. What a pity, it would have made a tasty tree.

Bonsai Group Enfield Autumn Show

Sharing this as part of the greater bonsai Community in the UK.

It’s the  Enfield Group’s Autumn Show on 14th October. Looks like a great day out with some great traders and the Final of the UK New Talent Competition to boot. A bit far for me but I know many of you live close enough  travel.

Bonsai Baker’s Benches

There used to be a guy called Bonsai Baker, he even started his own blog but despite abuse from those who love him, he hasn’t posted in a while. Perhaps a few pokes and prods to him on his blog Bonsai Baker might stimulate him into action again. 🙂

I had called down to Stephen’s last week to scrounge up a few cardboard boxes for posting trees in. I managed to snap a few photos in his back garden just to keep you up to date until he starts posting again.

His Arakawa Maple

His Repanda Common Juniper root over rock. This has grown vigorously since the styling here at my house earlier in the year.

His ever growing collection of hostas.

 

So Near Yet So Far

Took this from my window today.

My dog Smudge trying his best to reach a biscuit.

No animals were harmed in the filming of this video 😀

Yew Two

The second yew styled was also on the ‘to go’ bench. I can’t even remember where this one came from, possibly a club auction many years ago.

It had previous been styled by someone but not very well. It had also been very weak. It was now back to full health but the manufactured ‘s’  bend on the trunk was terrible to look at and the foliage was far removed from the best feature, the base of the tree. I wanted to bring the two together to make a more compact and interesting tree.

This the after image. I applied raffia to the upper trunk and bent it down making more convincing movement bringing all the areas of interest closer the the best part of the tree, the lower trunk. The jin to the left needs to be reduced but is currently acting as a wire anchor point. With some back budding and a little more refinement, this is going to be a rather nice tree with interesting trunk movement. The jin can be extended into a shari down into the lower trunk making a nice feature and perhaps even extended along the upper trunk to link up with the small jin there.

Crime Spree!

This is getting rather depressing!

Two more Bonsai stolen from Bonsaipark Remscheid, Germany, night of August 29/30 or one night earlier.

A Japanese Maple and a Japanese White Pine. Just posted today on Walter Pall’s Blog. 

I hope they got a double hernia from lifting that Maple!!

Yew One

I have had a couple of yews sitting on the raw material bench for a while. Again I had these for sale in case a beginner wanted to start with a piece of raw material. As I previously stated, I am clearing out and figured that these won’t go anywhere as they are now. I decided to do the initial styling  and look to move then on next year.

Here is the first one.

It’s an old tree and was void of branches down one side of the tree. I decided to add a shari and shape the image around this feature . This is it when I was completed. With another years growth this should make a nice image. Some further carving will be required once the wood dries out.

Fright Night?

Or should it be Friday night? I think the former looking at this photo 😀

Had a few mates around to play with trees on Friday night. Not a big turn out as I only gave a few days notice. You would think that it would be quiet then but that’s not possible with Michael and Phil in attendance!!

Phil showing his speed trimming technique.

Far too much laughing going on here, you’d think they were actually enjoying themselves!

Bertie’s little berberis got a major haircut. This is the before image.

Some pruning, what a hoot 🙂 Get it?

Ian B’s juniper got a thinning out and is now ready for a refinement wiring.

Michael brought this Japanese White Pine for advice. There was several options. He could keep it full size and just rewire in an attempt to hide some of the faults. He could reduce the height and make a shohin sized tree or even take it back further as Phil was showing below to create a mame/Shohin tree. Not was the right time to do such a drastic chop so Michael has some time to think about it.

Phil brought 3 trees along for me to photograph. He saw I was selling a few on here and asked if I’d add his as well. What are friends for. I’ll add these to the For Sale page. Keep an eye there if you are interested.

Buddleia Visitors

Snapped these visitors to my buddleia the other day.

My two dogs made good use of a few hours of sun too.

My Better Half

It has come to my notice that I have the best wife a man could have. I do not praise her enough. She slaves away tirelessly when we have club events at my home and puts up with hairy men staying over and talking endlessly about bonsai. I just wanted to express my gratitude here on the blog for all to see.

NB: This post has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that see found my WordPress App on her IPad and is now following and reading my posts on it and Twitter.  It’s just a coincidence honest! You will also notice a future lack of references to:

Changes to the Garden

Recently purchased trees

Planned trips abroad for bonsai events

This is also a total coincidence 😆