This is another Hawthorn I worded on on Saturday, collected from a hedge a few years ago using a digger and now well established in a pot. Some amazing deadwood that will now be protected. Branch selection and some basic placing done. Raffia on a few of the heavy branches to get the right placement. Leader left to grow free to help with taper. This will be another great tree in a few years time.
I had the pleasure of working on this tree yesterday.
This Pyracantha was a beast collected from a garden a few years ago. It was time to do some branch selection and a little placement with wire where it was required. First though we had to define what was alive on the trunk and define the veins. Most of the trunk was dead but it had two live veins and an impressive base once we uncovered it. Bark was removed from the dead areas but no detailed carving was done for now. The top of the chop would was removed as this wont be needed in any final design. A repot in the Spring and this tree is well on the way to being one of the most impressive Pyracantha I have seen.
It’s that time of year when I get a few extra trees in my garden! I’m looking after 3 collections at the minute while friends are on holiday. It adds to the watering time but I must admit that I like looking at something different for a while too. Main problem is space but as long as the hose reaches, Ill cope 🙂
Here are some that arrived this week.
I’ll take a few photos when I get a chance, some haven’t been seen before and are rather interesting 😉
These ones below belong to Ben, and we had the chance to photograph them already.
Berberis
Boston Ivy
Sumo Cotoneaster
And a very tasty Dissectum Japanese Maple with some beautiful leaf colour this year.
More to follow when I manage to get the camera out again.
Back in July 2011 while on a family holiday I had the pleasure of visiting Rick’s garden in Florida. See here for a post from my visit.
You’ll see from the original post that I commented about a Ficus that Rick had on his Bench. This is the tree as I saw it.
Rick and I discussed a few options for the tree. Now I’d just like to point out that I don’t visit folk for the first time and start telling them what to do with their trees, especially species I don’t know a lot about. However Rick asked, so I offered a little design advice with this one. I really liked the nebari at the back of this tree and suggested this to Rick. The long straight section was also an issue for me and seeing just how quickly Ficus respond to hard pruning, I suggested a chop as an option. Never did I think that he’s actually take me at my word and carry out the work!
Well, yesterday Rick Facebook messaged me and I quote,’ Ian, when did you visit my garden? You suggested I turn this Ficus around. I chopped it off and did just that…..you are the man!’
Again I’d like to point out that yes I am ‘a ‘ man, but most definitely nor ‘the’ man 🙂
Attached was this photo of the tree now.
It’s easy to offer advice, the hard part is putting it into action. Rick has done a great job over only three years and created a squat powerful image which will mature nicely.
Here are few older photos of the tree and the chop in progress.
Now Rick, I want to see this Bougie 3 years on and what have you done with the Holly? 🙂
At the recent Willowbog Workshop on Sunday Ben brought along his Squamata Juniper for some block carving work by Peter Snart. Peter got Ben to do a little Rip and tear on a few of the finer bits of deadwood first and then he got stuck in with the Makita to do some basic block carving on the heavier areas. Peter reckons he’d need a week to do the tree. If he carves as fast as he walks, I’d believe it too 😉
After our visit to Timpany Ben invited us down to his home for a look around his trees. I hope he was ok with the fact that Stephen and I spent more time looking at his garden that at the bonsai! Nothing wrong with his fast growing collection of bonsai, it’s just that I had seen most of them before, but this was a first time in his garden. And what a garden it is. He has only been in the house for 5 years and has created this from scratch (With a lot of help from Emily 😉 ) I think you can tell that he’s a Gardener by trade, obviously a good one! The Alpine rock garden was fantastic, especially with the water feature. Some amazing plants in his beds, oh, and a few nice bonsai too 🙂
Stephen’s Siberian Elm before and after a trim today.
Michael was with me last riday night but didn’t manage to get all the wiring done so he popped over on Saturday afternoon and after giving me a hand repotting a Sequoia, we finished the wiring and did a little shaping.
This is the tree before.
And afterwards
I repotted this one with a friend during a one to one session last week.
It had been in this pot for a long time and had been potted in peat by the previous owner. When we got it out of the pot the smell was grim, a stale rotting smell. The pot was also holding a lot of water. There had been no mesh over the drainage holes and we found holes leading up into the root mass and a few slugs gorging themselves.
This is it much later and into a smaller pot.
and Ben’s trees from Saturday’s session.
A large Juniperus Squamata getting it’s first proper pot, this one from Ibuki via Willowbog Bonsai.
He was muttering something about nasal hair 😉
Looks like the wire is stuck in my eye!!
Tying in
Ibuki Pots
Potted up ready for further development this year. He can now lift it unaided 🙂
Deadwood ready for carving Mr Snart ?
Ben’s second tree was a very unusual literati Pyracantha. Still early days in it’s development but Ben needed to get it into a smaller pot to save a hernia operation!
Potted into another Ibuki Pot
And Ben’s 3rd tree of the day was this Boston Ivy, can’t wait to see this one in leaf Ben.
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