Oct 30 2013

Another Alder

Not just as stunning as the last one I shared in a reblog from El Tim but a nice progression all the same. This one’s for you Stephen.

This is now in the caring hands of the Bonsai Baker but the previous owner has sent me photos of it from a few years back when it started out. He actually grew this from seed!

I’m not sure what dates these where taken but the last two are from the workshop at the weekend.

Alder before

after

Oct 28 2013

Amazing Alder

I just had to share this photo progression shown over on El Tim’s blog, Just goes to show what can be achieved with proper technique and time.

Click on the image below to see the full story of this tree. Google translate a must of English speakers.

Aug 9 2013

Mario’s Satsuki

One of the trees I’m minding for Mario while he spends his days kite surfing in Dubai is this little Satsuki Azalea. For me the tree had a few issues to begin with, namely:

the apex being as wide as the bottom branches

suffers from a floating apex

Missing a branch to the front which I feel is a little too open.

This was the tree back in June 2012

After discussing the tree with Peter Warren in October last year we adjusted a few of the upper branches with wire to try and stop that floating apex. However, it was the wrong time of year to hard prune the apex to try and narrow it. Therefore we could only do so much at that time. This was the tree in April of this year.

After flowering was finished in June I pruned the apex back quite hard in a few places to improve the overall shape. This is the tree now. Less of an appearance of a floating apex and a more overall triangular shape.

This adventurous shoot has appeared on the trunk at a point were I think it might benefit the tree if developed. I’ll let it grow and let Mario remove it if he disagrees 😉

This is one of the top branches that got a major pruning back to old wood. It took a few weeks but it is now starting to fill out nicely but in the right area.

Before and after side by side for comparison

Nov 1 2011

Common Juniper

I have a love hate relationship with this tree!! I collected it from a cliff face back in 1998.

After initial strong growth, this was the first styling.

Things progressed well. This is it in 2000.

I got an Ian Baillie pot made for the tree in 2003.

Then it all went ‘Pete Tong’ I had a disaster with a conifer fertilizer that killed 7 of my best trees 😦 A few others suffered but survived. This was one of them. I lost a few main branches at the apex. Needless to say, I wasn’t in any mood to photograph the tree at this point!

As with most Common Junipers collected from the wild, this one has ‘Rust’ Fungus. This became more dominant and I lost a few minor branches here and there.

It was planted in a wash hand basin in a very open mix. This was it in 2009. No styling since 2005. The lost apex branches are there for all to see 😦

I decided to put it back into its Ian B. pot. I kept the tree in the poly tunnel for the last 1 1/2 years and growth has been good.

Last week I lifted it out while I was reorganising things in the tunnel. Of course I forgot to put it back in! That night we had major gusts of wind and when I spotted it on the bench the following day it was at a new angle not selected by me!! I have now added a support and am giving serious thought it transferring it to a bigger pot for a few years. This is it now.

Oct 14 2011

Larch Progression in 2011

I have just added this post to the NIBS club site about a Larch that has been worked on by a club member this year. No point in reproducing it here, just click on the image of the tree below to view the post.

Jun 22 2011

Yew in Progression

Just looking through my blog reader and spotted this on Rodrigo’s Kintall blog. Its a fantastic series of photos showing the development of a yew. You don’t need to read Portugeuese to follow this one 🙂

Click Yew Progresson to view.