I took these photos back on Friday when I noticed that my Fuji Cherry, tucked away in the Tunnel, was starting to flower.
Category My Bonsai
Little Cascade Ivy Preperation
I’m bring this little Ivy over to the BSA show as well. Not much good on it’s own but it might just help fill out a display for someone else. Being an unusual variety it’ll hopefully add a little interest too.
I had to replace the old moss and tidy up a few leaves that were pointing the wrong way. The very nature of Ivy’s growth means that they a a little unkempt, but I rather like this little fellow.
As lifted out of the Winter quarters, weeds and all!
I removed all the old moss.
As rots had grown into the old moss I trimmed them and gave it a general tidy up before I applied the new moss.
Ready to go. The photo doesn’t do the little fellow justice, but they rarely do.
Chuhin Maple Show Preperation
I’m taking this Maple with me to the BSA Exhibition next Friday in the off chance that it’s up to the mark for the display. I had to do a little work to get it in order. This is it to start with.
Some little dead stubs had to be cut out to keep it tidy.
Next up I gave it a good soaking in a container of water.
I then scraped off the lose mix from the soil surface to make way for the moss.
Moss at the ready I made a start with getting it applied.
I used 3 different types of moss collected from three different sites. By mixing them up as you plant it, you make a more interesting surface.
I like to add a little moss with seed heads to the back of the pot. I think it helps add depth to the overall composition.
Next step was to water in the moss and get rid of any debris from the surface, then give it another press down.
Job Done, hopefully it’ll make the cut.
A Tale of Two Shohin
I decided it was time to repot the little Cork Bark Elm I got last year. Problem was, I wanted to plant it into a pot already occupied by another one. I decided to transfer the Original Elm into a different pot and then do a proper repot on the new one. Here’s the photos.
The new Elm in a plastic pot.
Plenty of roots to sort out.
The original Elm in the pot I want.
This is it moved into a different pot.
New Elm into the Walsall Pot. Slightly more trunk line uncovered.
and side by side with a golf ball for scale.
Root Over Rock Trident Repot
I had hoped to repot this last Sunday but ran out of time. A week later it has opened further and I had to get it done today. Stephen and Michael came over to my place and did a little repotting of their own. Stephen was able to help me man handle the Trident as the rock made it rather hard to work with.
This was it before we started.
As you can see the rock over hangs the pot and I wanted to incorporate the rock within the pot this time around. I bought a nice Walsall Ceramic pot for it last week from Willowbog Bonsai.
When I removed the Tree from the pot I was able to see how it had been wired in last time. I decided that I was probably best to follow a similar process this time too.
I pulled out two wedges from the mix that had been used to get the tree sitting at the right angle and position.
This is it after root pruning and washing out.
I prepared the new pot with wooden supports for the tree and to aid the tying in of the tree.
Once we got it potted up, it got a good watering in. The mix is akadama and kyodama.
This is the final image. I much prefer the new look and am delighted with the pot too. It’s at a slighted different angle and rotation in the pot.
Side by side before and after.
Starting to Move
I checked most of my trees last Sunday and didn’t see many signs of Spring. Then, 4 days later, I checked again. This was what I found on Thursday!
These are fast swelling flower buds on a Fuji Cherry.
These are Trident Maple buds, 3 different trees.
I even saw a cloud of midges outside our lounge window! February? What’s going on!!
Cork Bark Elm Winter Image
I eventually got around to taking a few snaps of this Cork Bark Elm yesterday.
I’m trying to keep a decent record of it through the years to capture how the ramification improves.
It’s field grown tree and this is now it’s 3rd year in a pot from collection.
Grown from a cutting, it’s taken 11 years to get it to this point.
and Seasonal
This is more what I expected to see.
Chocolate Brown foliage on a yew. Yew can turn this colour over the Winter and then green up again in the Spring.
Flower Buds on my Fuji Cherry. Looks like I have major Spring colour to look forward to in 2012.
Unseasonal?
I had a quick look through my trees on Sunday to see what moisture levels were like in the Tunnels. I noticed a few interesting and perhaps unseasonal things going on.
This Korean Hornbeam belonging to Mario is still in leaf and very fresh it looks too!
This recent growth on a Juniper, and it’s outside still!
and fresh shoots on a Sequoia
Flowering Cotoneaster!
I spotted this Cotoneaster had a few flowers opening, rather strange for December, but then, this has been a very strange year indeed!
Bonsai Eejit 