Apr 27 2011

Another collection visit

I had the pleasure of visiting my friend Roy’s garden today along with Stephen. I have been meaning to get over to Roy’s Garden for a long time and it never seems to work out. I was therefore delighted today when the opportunity presented itself. My main aim was to get a few photos for the club website and have a good nosey around. Both achieved.

Here are a few general snaps of Roy’s back garden.

Here are some of Roy’s bonsai.

My favourite was this root over rock Trident. One side has a beautiful hollow in the stone to use to create a water pool but the roots are not as good. The other side has a more convincing root set up and the main pruning scar is hidden, but the rock isn’t as nice. Nice problems to have in my opinion. We discussed a different pot for next year.

I love this pot!

I’m hoping to get back in a weeks time to give Roy a hand with a few bonsai projects that need attention. If you’re reading this Roy, thanks for your time today mate.

Apr 15 2011

Display Benches

I spent a few minutes in the garden today shifting trees about from one place to another. I decided to lift a few out of the Poly Tunnel and move a few more down to my display area beside my living room window. This is what I can see now as I type.

Mar 17 2011

Hornbeam Repot

I gave my friend Stephen a hand to repot his large Hornbeam today. A new pot had been planned and attempted but the tree proved too big and we had to repot it back into the mica pot until a suitable replacement could be found. Here’s the tree after repotting.

Stephen managed to get his sign up outside his ‘Bonsai Studio’. His next job is to raise the roof by 12″ so I don’t bang my head on the light!! 🙂 It’s like walking around Hobbiton, the door should be round. Sorry Stephen 🙂

Mar 15 2011

Sunshine Accent

Someone gave me this little accent plant a few years back. It flowers in the Spring and then the leaves appear. Usually the slugs eat the flower before it’s opened but I have it surrounded by pellets this year! I don’t have a clue what it’s called. Happy to be told what it is. I was told it came from Japan. The flower bud opening is like a little bit of sunshine, and Japan could do with that at the moment.

Mar 12 2011

Futtering in the Garden

I spent a few hours today tidying up and playing with trees.

I managed to get the last bit of screening up and did a little power washing. You may notice the flowering Fuji Cherry isn’t on the bench. I lifted it in to try and keep those flowers out of the heavy rain. No point in losing them quicker than necessary!

Japanese Larch

Common Beech

Raulli

Escallonia

Swelling buds on a Korean Hornbeam.

I had a look at the buds on this Larch group. As nice as the little green shaving brushes are, it was very congested and bud and branch thinning is needed. I lifted it into the garage and gave it a going over.

Japanese Larch

Congestion of buds

This is the remains of the unwanted buds.

I took enough photos to produce a 360 of the group after thinning. I’ll add it to the club 360 page later.

Mar 11 2011

Surely Not!!

The weather forecast says there might be snow tonight, surely not!! I’ve just spent an hour making sure I don’t get caught out. Anything repotted is tucked away.

Whilst I was looking around I noticed a lot of trees that need some attention. Fingers crossed the rain let’s up tomorrow and I can get a bit done.

I managed to get some new Fern screening up this morning before the rain. I ripped down the reed screen that I had been using as a backdrop for my bonsai display area. I was going to change to bamboo as the reeds rot very quickly, then I spotted the fern screening which is hardier and a better colour.

Here’s the old reed screen.

This is it with the reed away.

This is the Fern screen, a better colour that won’t fade either.

This is it mostly up. The rain stopped play. I have one section left to do and then power washer time and a good weeding below the benches.

Off to the NI Bonsai Society meeting tonight. Not really a meeting any more, it’s more of a workshop and that seems to be what people want. The last 3 nights have been packed out the door. I’m wondering if tonight will be quieter with the heavy rain. I’ll have to wait and see.