Dec 20 2016

Shohin Zelkova

This one is new to my collection this year. An old tree that originally was an import to the UK back in the late 80’s, it lost it’s apex when with the previous owner. I got the tree back in June as I saw some potential in making it into an even smaller shohin tree.

This was the tree as acquired. A bit weak with some dead branching. It hadn’t been fed much in recent years.

when I got it home.

I cut down the height by about 2 inches and cut the leggy branches back quite hard. After a few months free growth it had produced some new fine growth.

I was able to do a little wiring once it dropped leaves for Winter. This is it after work. Some branches left long and will be left for another year to thicken branches as required. New beginnings, we’ll see how it goes. Major repot required this Spring.

Dec 18 2016

Chuhin Japanese Maple

Catching up on a little blogging. I’ve missed a few trees in their Autumn garb. This was one. I like to add them here as my record each year. This one had a bad insect attach a few years back and I lost branches. I’m in the process of rebuilding the apex and ramification.

Dec 17 2016

Beech Winter Image

My favourite tree on the benches in Winter. Shown here with and without leaf.

Dec 16 2016

Korean Hornbeam

My Korean Hornbeam showing the change from Autumn into Winter.

Before trimming.

After trimming.

And in Winter image after dewiring.

Sep 7 2016

Shohin Japanese White Pine

Yes, I know, I’ve been very slack with my posting on the blog of late. A very busy period in my life with business, personal and bonsai elements going full tilt. I am hoping to have a quiet few months coming up and look forward to having more time for my own bonsai and pushing forward with my own education in this wonderful art.

I have still been taking photos and I’ll try and get a few more out over the coming weeks.

I’ve been up to my eyes in the prep required for Bonsai 30, the biggest Bonsai event Ireland has seen so far and have been prepping a number of trees for the exhibit. I would rather leave most of them until the event before sharing here though.

However, here’s a little Pine that was gifted to me by my friend Mariusz. It will be getting a new pot in the Spring but has just had a rewiring in case we need it for the shohin display at the exhibition.

May 26 2016

Mother and Daughter Hawthorn

This is my largest Hawthorn, really starting to take shape. It’s been a long road but I’m starting to be a little happier with it these days. This year saw it’s best flowering to date. Plans afoot for a new pot for next year. I think it’s the most protective mother ever 🙂

May 22 2016

Sorbus Reducta Then and Now

I’ve been going through some old photos in preparation for an article or two on the club site looking back at 30th years of the NIBS. Boy have people changed 🙂 As I was browsing I found this photo of my little sorbus going back to 1995 in a club show. I remember buying this as a young plant from Timpany Nurseries in 1994, so probably around 25 years old now.

This is it now.

This is it on the left in 1995, the little branch at the bottom be came the whole tree.

Hillmount Show 1995 2

and again in 2000, easier to see where the chop was made in this one.

Sorbus 2000

May 19 2016

Wee Ones

Four of my wee ones.

I started the Sorbus Reducta in 1994.

The Elm has been with me for 5 years but is probably 20 years old in bonsai years. Now in a fantastic Magic Ceramic pot, a great match for the tree I think.

New to me this year, a little horse Chestnut gifted to me by my friend Maciej.

Finally my Juniper growing well since it’s repot this Spring.

May 17 2016

Garden Benches

Here’s a few general shots I have snapped in the garden over the last week showing my display area and the training benches along with accents. All change next year with my lawn going hopefully. This will allow my display to be moved into the best area of the garden for natural light.

May 6 2016

Escallonia – A Change of Home

No not sold, just a change of pot for it to live in. I have enjoyed immensely the journey in taking this tree from from my garden to Bonsai Europa last year. However I was never happy with the pot for any Winter image display. The pot is too large and lacks colour to lift a Winter image display. I have been looking around for a new pot for the tree for a while and this Spring I found what I was looking for from David Benavente.

This was the tree in Bonsai Europa last October.

The tree had been allowed to keep a larger amount of finer branching for the show to show more ramification and also try and get a better balance with the pot size. This resulted in a slightly unkempt image but one I liked. Very hard to prep an Escallonia for exhibition at this time of year.

Back to the present and I wanted to reduce the foliage mass to suit a smaller pot and help reset branches on this species. This needs to be done every few years to prevent inner branch die back anyway. It would also make for a more powerful image with a heavier trunk to branch balance. This is the tree after reduction. You can see how big the original Walsall pot looks now.

And this is the new pot, a pot from Tokaname made by Watanabe Kazuhiro (Ikkou). I feel in love with this one on sight. The glaze with green with an underlying blue, turning blue at the base in drips was just stunning.

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ScreenHunter_219 May. 06 11.20 ScreenHunter_221 May. 06 11.21

Getting the tree ready, time for a proper repot. This tree has always been robust and after a chop back I was confident that a full repot could be carried out.

A watering in.

And potted up in it’s new home.

Top dressed with a moss mix. It will take a few months to fill in again but it will make all the difference to the final image.

Photos don’t do this pot justice. The colours and age of the pot are just perfect. The tree was repotted about 4 weeks ago and the tree is budding up nicely with plenty of adventurous back budding to boot. It next outing, all being well with be our clubs Bonsai 30 event this September.