Aug 24 2011

Exhibit Critique – Ryan Neil

I found these on You Tube, via ‘ofbonsai Magazine’.

I loved them and I’m sure everyone watching them will find them interesting. They show Ryan Neil doing a tree critique at the Mid West Bonsai Society Show. Each one is over 30 minutes long but they fly through. Very interesting to hear a Westerner balancing what he has learned in Japan with what he likes in Western Bonsai.

Well done also to the Mid West Bonsai Society for putting on an excellent show for us to see. Isn’t the internet fantastic? 🙂

Just click on the images below to see the videos on You Tube.

Part One

Part 2

Aug 24 2011

Golden Escallonia

This is another Escallonia I have my eye on. Again, it’s in my Dad’s garden. Problem with this one is that he really likes it! Up until last Winter it was a big full colourful tree filling an awkward corner where little else would grow due to the wind. As well as having a yellow foliage it has a dark pink/purple flower. A big contrast to the green leaves and pink flowers you usually expect with Escallonia.

And then disaster struck, well for my Dad, not for me 🙂 The extreme and prolonged low temperatures of last Winter took it’s toll and much of the tree died back. My Dad is attempting to salvage it. As you can see below, he has cut it back hoping it’ll come back like the other two I have cut back in his garden. After a few months things aren’t looking much better. I think an offer of a new one of the same variety to replace it might just do the trick 🙂

Aug 23 2011

Eejit Clarification

When I started this blog I honestly didn’t expect many from outside my own circle of friends to be reading it. This has now caused a slight problem as many of you have no notion what an eejit is …..

I thought I would clarify 🙂

URBAN DICIONARY:

eejit;

Irish slang for idiot. Also used in Scotland. Often used affectionately.

eg.

“Paddy you eejit!”

“Don’t touch that! Look what you’ve done now you eejit!”

“George W Bush, what an eejit!”

There are loads of eejit types.

Buck eejit, Complete eejit, Mad eejit, Drunken eejit, and feckin eejit to name a few..

I took the title ‘Bonsai eejit’ as I’m told I tend to be self deprecating both with regards to bonsai and life in general. I personally think it’s because I’m not actually that good at it and have much to learn.

I have no issue with being called an eejit but Ian will also suffice 🙂

Aug 23 2011

Escallonia – Grows like a weed!

Back at the beginning of March I chopped back these two Escallonia in the ground. They are growing in my Dad’s garden and he’s happy for me to steal them. They are long term projects and will eventually require a lot of carving to create an image.

I was totally amazed at there response to being chopped back. The plan was to cut back this year and collect next Spring. The new growth already established on all chopped trunks would hopefully make for better survival odds. Some previous heavy Escallonia’s when cut back hard, have struggled when lifted. This is a bit of an experiment to compare collecting techniques.

Here’s the first one in March before it was chopped.

and after chopping.

A month later in April.

and last week.

This is the second one before the chop.

and after. Not a great shape but you often find hidden wonders under the surface with these.

about a month later.

and this was it last week!!

Hard to believe that I had even cut it back! My Dad even had to trim it again to keep it off the driveway!

Here’s links to the original posts if you are wanting to catch up.

Cut Backs

Cut Backs Update

They both appear to be the same variety as my other one below.

I have my eyes on another one of a different variety. More on that in another post.

Aug 22 2011

Another great bonsai blog to follow

Happy days, another Western Bonsai Artist has started his own bonsai blog about his apprenticeship and experiences in Japan.

This time it’s Tyler Sherrod from the USA who is studying under Mr. Shinji Suzuki in Obuse, Japan.

It’s a new blog but I feel it’s important enough to add to my links list. Where else can we learn lessons direct from the source 🙂

Click on the image below to visit Tyler’s Blog.

Aug 21 2011

100 YouTube Subscribers!

Who would have thought it…

100 subscribers on my You Tube Channel. Thanks to everyone who found the content interesting enough to sign up.

Aug 20 2011

Andy Warhol Bonsai

Have been playing around on Stumble Upon and found a website that lets you Warholize your photos. Did a few for a laugh and added a few Warhol quotes.

You can do anything online!!

Aug 20 2011

Inspiration at Mount Stewart

Took a walk around Mount Stewart this morning with my wife to clear my head.

This is a National Trust Property on the Ards Peninsula in County Down. As you park up you over look Strangford Lough.

This beautiful house is surrounded by stunning gardens and a lake ringed by mature trees.

I loved this new fence screen they had erected beside the path. It would make a great backdrop for trees.

This big eucalyptus was eye catching with it’s flaking bark.

The grounds also contained many interesting Pines of many unusual varieties.

This big Wellingtonia is one of my favourite trees.

and another one.

Some stunning views around the lake.

This Bald Cypress might interest my Floridian friends 🙂

I also liked this Maple Group. You could nearly pop it into pot right now!

A few others that caught the eye.

A bit of recent jinning in an old Cedar canopy.

The gardens beside the house are more formal but just as beautiful.

I spotted this very old Yew that is just begging to be dug out and given a little bit of TLC, by me 🙂

Some very old Dwarf Rhoddies and Azaleas in the formal garden would also be going home with me if I had a say in it.

Like everywhere else in the UK, Mount Stewart showed signs of hardship over the Winter months. This big Myrtle was dead and the Rhododendron has lost its whole top.

Some nice bark.

Spotted this Kiwi Friut tree, or is it a vine? Not sure. Fruit starting to develope.

Well worth a visit if you are in the area. I’m a NT member so I can pop in whenever I like 🙂

Aug 19 2011

Remiss of Me……

It has been remiss of me not to have included the European Bonsai Forum among my widgets on the right of this page. This has now been rectified.

Another forum??!! There are many basic bonsai forums out there covering all sorts. Having looked at most I stick generally to Wee Trees, Internet Bonsai Club , Bonsai Study Group. And even Ausbonsai! However European Bonsai is more targeted at Native bonsai were I have an interest. For me, this is a good thing.

As with all newish forums, it needs time to build but if you pop over there for a look, make sure you post something. It’s a small group so no lurking either, get a few replied up there too 😀

Click on the image below to pay it a visit and sign up.

Aug 19 2011

My Bonsai – Mame Collection

Today’s addition to the My Bonsai Tab is a few of my smallest trees. This includes Juniper, Rowan, Cotoneaster and Ivy. Some I’ve had for many years and some are new. I do have others in training but are not much to look at for now. I’ll add them as they progress.

HERE is the page link, or just click on the image below to view.

I have recently added a few of my better mame trees to a tufa rock planting. As it comes together, I hope to do a Case Study page about it.