Mar 29 2016

El Tim Demo Video

Another great video from Bonsai Empire.

Mar 20 2016

Auction Beech Trees

I know I’ve probably mentioned the auction being held by my local club before, but for those who missed it be sure to check out the new trees just added, among them are a few very tasty Beech trees that have been developed over 25 years.

All the auction trees are now residing at my place and can be viewed here before the auction, just contact me first as climbing the fence results in dog bites and a lead injection 😀

Here’s the beech, and the auction page can be checked out HERE.

Mar 19 2016

Berberis Clump Repot

I had hoped to get to this Berberis Clump sooner to do a little initial wiring but the tree had other ideas. As it’s been in this big plastic training pot for a few years I decided it was still ok to repot now and make it a little more manageable around the garden. I also wanted to get a closer look at the base to help me make my mind up on a front. For some older posts about it see, HERE, HERE and HERE

This was one option for the front. I’d chatted with Peter Warren about the tree when he was last here. He liked this option but said it would always look like a garden tree. He pointed out another option.

This is his option which I also love. Either would make a great tree. Time for a closer look.

Plenty of fine root in there

I didn’t have a lot of pot options but this one actually fitted the bill ok. Loppers show scale of this big fella.

A few alterations

and a few more…

And this is the final result. An even better base that I thought, still loads to do to make a bonsai out of this but I think it’s a keeper.

Mar 18 2016

1.5 Million Hits

It would appear that while I wasn’t looking my blog has passed the 1.5 million hits mark.

After a slow year blog wise in 2015 I’m really trying to get back in the groove with the whole blogging carry on.

A big thank you to all who follow on a regular basis and even those who just pop in now and again for a wee look. Always feel free to comment, I enjoy the input and making new contacts around the world.

Mar 13 2016

Collecting…

I got out collecting again a few weeks ago with Phil. We managed to get back on to our old Hawthorn site. As my shoulder and neck are not really up to the task any more, I had Jeff my spade buddy along to help. It was Jeff’s first time collecting and after wind hail and even snow, it might be his last 🙂

Part of the site

Jeff perched on the edge

Dayglo Phil

Hawthorn

Up in the heights

I see him

That one can stay where it is!

Jeff playing hide and seek, he’s very good at it.

The weather moved in. Grim 😦

Hard to light up 🙂

Some of the booty

Just before I dropped my phone in the muck!

Too big but beautiful, and the trees not bad either.

I got some smaller Blackthorn as well as Hawthorn. At the end of the day I had some potted up and black bagged. Giving this a go to see what the results are like.

That was 2 weeks ago, I opened a bag today and the budding is going well.

A big thank you to Jeff for doing the heavy lifting for me. I haven’t heard from him since! Only joking.

Mar 13 2016

Mother and Child Hawthorn

Another Hawthorn wired out before bud break. Not the best time to do this with the sap rising and branches being a little more brittle, but I didn’t want to miss another year. I was stabbed repeatedly even after thorn removal. You never get all the little buggers! This was it before.

And afterwards.

and me for scale

Mar 12 2016

Root Over Rock Trident Maple Repot

I bought this Trident back in 2011. This is the pot it was in at the time. I didn’t like the rectangle and I didn’t like that the rock over hung the left side of the pot.

I opted to change the pot to this Walsall Ceramics pot in February 2012.

And there it stayed until last week. I had another pot come into my hands that I wanted to try out and then of course I found another one as a second option. I tried the tree out in each pot.

This was the blue option

and this was the cream/white option.

After some deliberation I opted for the cream pot. It was my favourite of the two anyway but I was also able to twist the tree slightly more in the pot with the extra front to back space allowing for a slightly new front that shows a little of the rock to the right side of the far right root which I think adds to the image.

Better?

Mar 11 2016

North Coast Hawthorn

I gave this Hawthorn collected up the North coast in around 2003 a rewiring last week. It’s been knocking around my garden for years but it’s finally starting to resemble a tree. In about another 15 years it might actually look the part 🙂

This was it in Spring 2010 when I air layer a trunk off.

October 2010

September 2011, starting from scratch branch wise.

I wired the tree out for the first time in Winter 20114/15 and this was the tree in May 2015 after cutting back the first flush of growth.

And this is the tree now in March 2016 after a second wiring. Just need about 10 times the ramification to make a convincing tree image.

Mar 11 2016

NIBS – Bonsai Auction

I’m a member of the Northern Ireland Bonsai Society and we are having an auction to help raise money to deliver our 30th Anniversary Event Bonsai 30.

All items in the auction have been donated to the club with 100% of money raised going into our exhibition fund. The auction is open to everyone, not just club members so please follow this link over to the club auction page on the website for a look at over 40 lots available. There is a reserve on some items but set way below actual value. I foresee this auction having some absolute bargains even if you have to pay for a little postage!

Thanks for looking, and please help spread the word by re-blogging and sharing on social media.

Mar 9 2016

Fantastic Time Lapse Video – Sabina Juniper

Styling a big Sabina Juniper at Bonsai Sense in Mallorca, Spain. For more information about the school of bonsai at Bonsai Sense, visit http://www.bonsaisense.com