Jun 10 2014

Kusamono – Juncus, Papyrus, Hosta,Sisrinchium

Another Kusamono made up for a new pot, this one by Stone Monkey. I love this pot with the green glaze in the rim. I wanted to plant something that would allow this to be seen but still match the planting.

I opted to go for a cool feel to the planting using light greens in the foliage to link in with the pot colours. I added a Sisrinchium to add just a splash of darker colour but still a cool feel with the purple flower. The other plants are, at the higher level, Juncus effusus, then a middle level with a mini Papyrus and sisyrinchium E.K. Balls, and a hosta Iced Lemon at the bottom level.The hosta will grown to break the line of green around the pot but the majority should still be visible.

Jun 9 2014

Wrong Tree Mate

This young blackbird snuck into my garage on Saturday past to get away from the heavy rain. It perched on top of the wrong tree 🙂

I had to catch another on in the poly tunnel before it done itself a mischief! Another smashed a pot in the greenhouse!! Found a few plants ripped out of the pots too, but you got to love them all the same 🙂

Jun 9 2014

Video

BSA 2014 Exhibition Part 2

Here’s Part 2, this time Valentin Brose takes us on a tour of the exhibits. Valentin has got to be one of the nicest artists in the European bonsai scene.

Jun 9 2014

Kusamono -Rose, Epimedium, Astilibe.

I wan’t to get this new pot planted up and I opted to do a little combo kusamono using a white flowering rose, Epimedium akebono and a dwarf Astilbe. It will take a while to mature but I think it should make a good mix.

This is the pot, made by Alberto Vignori from Milan I believe, I just loved the quality of the finish and the colour.

And this is what I put together. I was aiming for the three levels within the planting, ‘Heaven, man and earth’ as tends to be the aim with these. The rose is the tallest element and is light enought to look the part. I then picked the Epimedium akebono for the middle level, again it’s got a small leaf and I love the form of the plant. Last is a little Astilbe that can hardly been seen at the moment but it will grow. It gives me the lowest element. I topped off the pot with some moss just to give it a more finished look and to keep the soil from washing away until the plants bind together. I look forward to seeing this one when the rose is in flower. I feel that all elements flowering at once would be too much but I think that each should flower at a different time allowing this to be used multiple times in the year.

Jun 8 2014

Image

2nd Magical Bonsai Accents Exhibition

Jun 8 2014

Video

BSA 2014 Exhibition Part 1

Finally I’ve got around to putting together all the little bits of video and photos from the British Shohin Association Exhibition at Willowbog Bonsai back in March this year.

This is part 1 of 6 showing Mr Peter Warren on one of his wanders around the exhibits. I only got a small portion on video as I was crowded out by the hordes in attendance 🙂 Not a bad thing at a show I think.