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.

Jan 21 2016

Some Day’s Are Made For Collecting

Managed to get out with Phil collecting yesterday and amazingly the sun came out!

To be honest the day was more about getting permissions to collect in place and preparing some trees for collection in a few years time, but it was a successful day all the same with a few new additions to the garden. We have a rather special Hawthorn site that we haven’t used for a few years. The owner has since passed away and we were seeking permission from the new owner. After calling and speaking to his wife we were hopeful of getting back on the site. I was then left a voice mail saying we couldn’t collect. We were gutted! 😦 Then today out of the blue, he rang back to say yes, collect away!!! 😀 I think in all my years collecting I’ve only been turned down once and that was a tree from a garden. I was really gutted to think we’d never get back on this special site. Being able to take your time collecting, being selective and legal is the only way to go.

In case you are wondering, these snaps are not the site 😉

Jan 17 2016

Hawthorn – Initial Styling

A totally raw Hawthorn from the sales bench taking it’s first steps.

Jun 25 2015

One to One: Hawthorn

Had a long one to one session today with the main focus being on the Hawthorn species and a few Maples thrown in for good measure.

This one is really coming on since being worked in a session last July.

This was the tree in July last year. Coming along nicely.

Jun 7 2015

Hawthorn Extension Trim

After a wiring and shaping of primary branches on this Hawthorn back in April the tree has responded strongly with extension growth. I checked the wire was still ok (yeah, even in a couple of months it can cut in on a fast growing hawthorn) and trimmed the shoots only leaving it where I needed to fatten branches.

Wire will need checked weekly or I’ll run the risk of scarring. I’ll be able to rewire new growth in the Autumn and continue to do this for the next 5 -10 years until I get a decent ramification. It will take a lot of branch work to make this heavy trunk look in proportion to the foliage.

May 8 2015

Hawthorn

This one was repotted to do another root adjustment, it’s taking it a while to remove problem surface roots to allow it to fit in a final pot. This one’s temporary, one pot to go 🙂

Apr 4 2015

Mame Hawthorn Cascade

I’ve had this little tree for 20 years, you’d think it’d be better by now lol.

Apr 3 2015

Hawthorn Adjustments

I was pushing my luck today wiring this Hawthorn so late on. Easy to knock off emerging buds. However if left for another season the branches would have stiffened further making it harder to get the right shape into them. Some deadwood also removed to improve trunk line.

A long way to go to create enough ramification on this one to make a convincing mature image, but that’s the fun part 🙂

Aug 10 2014

Haw Haw!

The Haws or berries on my Hawthorn are starting to colour up nicely. If the birds can leave well enough alone, I should be in for a good display this Autumn.