This little Cork Bark Elm was the base of an air layer a few years ago.
August 2011
September 2011
and now…
Ready for a hair cut and a repot into a more suitable pot.
In it’s new home. I’m loving yellow and orange pots at the moment 🙂
Still a few heavy bits to be cut out but I’m getting there.
#changeonething #onlygoodthings
Most of you will have heard of the craze that is sweeping the world via Facebook.
NekNomination – which is known by various monikers and spellings in different regions – is a game in which a person is filmed downing their drink in one go, before nominating others to do the same on camera. Frequently, they nominate friends in other countries, which is how the fad has spread so quickly around the world.
This craze has resulted in many deaths two of which have been here in the UK and Ireland.
I teach young people about drugs and alcohol and how to stay safe, so as you would expect, this particular craze grabbed my attention. As I researched it further I came across some who were making a stand to turn a negative into a positive. This video shows one should person.
People like this are doing their bit via twitter #changeonething #onlygoodthings to turn a bad thing into something good.
Well this got me thinking! What about starting a ‘Bonsai NekNomination’? I’ll start…
Our club got a new member at the weekend. Drew is 16 years old and just starting bonsai. When many teenagers are more interested on xbox or alcohol, here is a young man who is doing something much more positive in his life.
To encourage him I gave him a Taxus Baccatta, Yew, as his first tree. This was repotted and pruned at our club workshop on Sunday where Peter Snart of Willowbog Bonsai gave him a pot for the tree. This was my ‘Bonsai NekNomination’. This is Drew’s day in pictures.
Well done Drew, not easy to be thrown in at the deep end with a bunch of strangers, but you took it in your stride. Lets keep it going 🙂
Something is bouncing around outside, but I’m not going out to check!!
Good luck to everybody in the UK and Ireland and may all yer trees be upright tomorrow.
If you are not following Mr Warren’s posts from Kokufu 2014, you are missing out, click the image below to see trees from the first half of this two part show. Maybe he’ll let me steal his photos 🙂
You heard it here first, Jim Carey is starring in a new horror movie where he uses a Makita Die Grinder to hollow out the insides of unsuspecting bonsai enthusiasts heads. He infiltrates clubs and gains the confidence of members. He is even know to gain a seat at the committee table before he strikes 🙂
Ok, not true, but Ben does look like Jim Carey and this photo of him carving in my garage last Saturday is pretty darn scary 😀
Ben was here to play with my carving tools and gain a little experience using same. He spent most of his time on a raw material pyracantha stump but also managed a little work on an Elm and a Lonicera clump.
Stephen came down to give me a hand removing wire from a Larch I have and to make sure Ben behaved.
Always good when you remember to put a towel down to stop copper wire getting into the potting mix.
I played about with a raw Collected Scots Pine. I wanted it to resemble some mature trees near where it was collected. It will take a few years to fill and develope but I think it will make a nice image. Nice bark and better character than the photo shows.
This was the lonicera stump that Ben carved. First photo from a few months back.
An enjoyable afternoon.
The Munster Bonsai Club have just launched their new Website/Blog.
Give them a little boost and give them a follow.
Click on the image to visit.
Also check out their social media links.
What a Post Title, wish I’d thought of it but sadly Ray got there first. Here’s a link to his blog post about his experience at the recent workshop in Cork. Thankfully no one was throwing balls about the room 🙂
ULSTER VS MUNSTER Both Winners…
Took our regular Sunday walk in Belvoir Forest Park in Belfast this morning. It was one of those days when you see unusual things. When we reached the river a seal popped up and followed us for a while, I think it was fascinated by my dogs. The feeling was mutual 🙂 It must be a good few miles up river from Belfast Lough as you can see in the map below. We left the river and came back past it later on but on the other side and low and behold, there it was again.
While we where watching in a Kingfisher flew past, Stephen first even sighting which made it special. Add in some other local wildlife and it was a great walk.
Won’t be walking for a while now as I managed to wreck my ankle in the kitchen on the return home! It never ends lol
…. and a great article series.
I just wanted to direct everyone to this site, the only one that I’m aware of that offers bonsai podcasts in English. I know that Gary is keen to attract other guests to speak on the podcast. Owen Reich, Adam Lavigne and Jack Douthitt are the first to give it a go. If you are interested, why not give Gary a shout.
Also on the site is a great series of beginner articles written by Eugene Howell who has 40 years experience in bonsai and is active in the bonsai community in Florida.
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