Found these Short clips on You Tube. Each is a clip of an individual tree on display at the Festival international de bonsaï 2011. Worth a few minutes of anyones time. It’s also worth looking through some of his other videos. His Dexter Intro is superb 🙂
Category Inspiration
Autumn Sunshine
After a week of nearly constant rain, the gruesome foursome took their normal Sunday morning walk. After a quick check out the window I donned a warm jacket only to shed it after 20 minutes in the warm sunshine.
The brothers grim 🙂 I know you check this Sam, and it would be remiss of me not to follow on from the Gorrillas in the mist dig from the last walk 🙂
Extra light hitting the forest floor now that leaf drop is well under way.
A Larch on the Autumn turn.
Peeking out over County Down.
Every time a walk past this cottage in the country, I want to move in! Wonder if the back garden is big enough for my bonsai collection 🙂
They’re coming thick and fast…
It feels like only a few days ago we were treated to Episode 13, oh, it was only a few days ago 😀
Enjoy.
You know when you are addicted to bonsai when……
…… you stop when out walking to discuss how to improve the nebari of an fully grown beech tree!!!
Botanic Gardens Belfast
I entered a few trees in the Autumn Fair at Botanic Gardens in Belfast over the weekend. I had time to spare today and took a few snaps.
The main glasshouse.
Spotted this large Yew in the grounds. It has been chopped back recently and was back budding well on internal branches. Interesting to see the technique working on a full sized tree. Nice nebari too.
Haven’t a clue what this tree is, being in a botanical garden, it could be anything! Loved the bark and light through the branches.
The flower show itself was well turned out. Just love the riot of colour from all the Dahlias.
That’s the biggest leek I’ve ever taken 😉
Shows like this are struggling. This one got a last minute reprieve after losing it’s funding. It may not be the best way to display bonsai, in fact, it’s probably the worst way other than setting them on the ground, but it’s a good way of reaching the public with are art.
Wet Walk
Stephen and I took a chance with the rain this morning and got a little wet but still had an enjoyable dander in the woods. The usual inspirational Beech trees on view.
We could hardly see Strangford Lough with the drizzle .
Just love walking under the tree canopy in the rain. Some lovely scenes.
We spotted this Birch that had grown for years on a slab of rock. I guess it over stretched itself and the weight of the canopy pulled it over. The glade is sheltered and wind paid no part.
Had to resort to a flash!
We did get a brief flash of Sun.
Nebari addict!!
Spotted this plant, not seen it before at Scrabo walk. Anybody know what it is? Has loads of little hooks to catch you as you walk past.
We did manage to get a real telling off from a grey squirrel! The most aggressive one I have ever seen.
Trident Maple Explained
I have several Trident maples in my collection and they are one of my favourite species to work with. I read this latest post by Peter Tea about his work with these trees in Japan. I picked up a few good pointers and was pleased to see that what I had been doing was heading in the right direction.
Here’s a photo of one of my Tridents.
and this is a link to the post by Peter.
PETER TEA- TRIDENT MAPLE HUSSLE
Lagan Tow Path
It’s taken a few days to sort these photos out, it’s been a pretty shite week but the mists seem to be clearing 🙂
On Sunday past the usual suspects took a walk along the Lagan Tow Path from Stranmillis to Lisburn. This is about 10 miles on a easy flat surface. I don’t think I’ve posted pictures from this one before. Over the 10 miles we followed the course of the Lagan river and at some points to overgrown canal which used to connect Lough Neigh with Belfast Harbour.
Loads of nice trees to see, but hard to photograph as they are close to you and surrounded by others. Some wildlife around too, I did my best to capture a feel for the walk and as many points of interest as I could.
I’ll start with a few river shots.
Part of the disused canal system that has silted up and in many places overgrown with reeds etc. Great for wildlife but an opportunity missed for tourism.
I love seeing the waterside trees hanging their branches low over the river.
Many old Oak’s in the area. Lots of dead branches poking out of the tops. Don’t think I have ever seen this reflected on a bonsai from the UK.
Spotted this old deadwood on the interior of an oak. The grain was just beautiful.
The path is part of a major cycle network.
Some of the wildlife.
Thought I had spotted an otter!!
Turned out to be my dog Smudge 🙂
Some nice old Beech trees with interesting nebari.
We walked past the old Barbour Threads Mill lying in disuse since 2006. Sad to see but in someways interesting to see nature taking back what was once fields. That glass looks a tad dangerous!!
Stephen’s wee legs just couldn’t keep up 😉
As usual pollution could be seen but on the whole, the waterway was very clear considering it was a stretch of water linking two Cities.
One of the other major issues on this stretch of river is the spread of Japanese or Himalayian Balsam. Any pink flowers you see in the photos are most likely from this plant. At points along the river, it’s 2 metres high and has choked out the native plants. The only place where I saw that it had been sprayed was below the council offices in Lisburn. The RSBP has been working hard in recent years with volunteers.
This is some after spraying.
It’s a great walk and if desired you could walk all the way to Lough Neigh. I’m afraid that wasn’t an option for me!!
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.
I’m on a Road to nowhere….
Love this sign from my walk yesterday. Not quite a road to nowhere, just a footpath to Bangor along the edge of Belfast Lough.
Here’s a few more from the walk.
Two trees, one canopy.
Oyster Catchers on the wing.
Spreading the wings to catch the rays.
My dog Smudge in Action!!
The Winter hasn’t had an impact on our native orchids, I’ve seem more this year than ever.
Bonsai Eejit 