bonsai

Back Deck Bonsai

Jun 29th

I have been a few weeks since I started to re-arrange the bonsai on my deck to get better sun and to also look a little nicer so I figured I would do a quick photo post on the subject. Between long work hours and family time this has taken weeks when it should have taken hours but it was well worth it!

My reasoning behind this change was some of my trees were getting to much light and some were not getting enough. So to fix this I put the light loving trees on the outside edge of my deck.

The smaller trees and the the semi shade loving trees I put on the edge near the roof were they get sun all day except the late afternoon. Some of these trees like full sun so I will probably swap these out and put them on the edge on a week by week basis. If you notice I put small bamboo shelves on the back of the bench to hold my smaller trees.

Here is my phoenix graft juniper and a bald cypress I will be working on shortly
My large Chinese Elm. It is one of my favorite trees though it hasn’t gotten enough sun this year so far.
Some of my tropical trees. A severely overgrown Surinam Cherry, shohin crape myrtle, and a new bougainvillea.

This Juniper I plan on moving out into the yard soon. But the 2 Wisteria, Weeping Willow, and Trident Maple will probably stay.
I love watching my trees bloom. Here is my new crape myrtle beginning to bloom.

Some blooms on the new bougainvillea.

Winterizing Bonsai

Nov 17th

Posted by henry in bonsai

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Its starting to get a little cold here in Birmingham so I have started to look at winterizing my bonsai. So fortuitously I am writing an article on it! If you live in a tropical zone, protecting your bonsai trees when the temperature begins to dip near 40 F degrees can be as simple as bringing them into a more protected and warmer inside environment, and making sure the humidity stays up. However, if you live in a temperate zone where winters can hit and stay at or below freezing, like it does here, you need to devise a method of allowing your bonsai their natural dormancy and protect them from freezing.

Methods:

Mulch – Use a mulch that covers the lower first or second branches of your tree. In addition, placing your bonsai under any structure that protects it from heavy icing and dry winds but allows moisture is also recommended. If you must water, do it earlier in the day and only when temperatures warm to 45-50 degrees. Rule of thumb is: if the rootball is solid, don’t water – if it’s loose, water sparingly.
Unheated greenhouse (or the equivalent) – Make certain that if there’s the possibility that the temperature can hit below freezing, use a small heater to sustain a moderately cool but not freezing temperature. If you opt for this method, don’t bring you bonsai in and then put them outside again on a warmer day. Consistency is important during dormancy.
Cold Frame – Make a cold frame, outside, that’s raised, allows for light (but, not direct sun) and which can be opened, from time to time, to aerate your dormant bonsai.

Timing

Whatever method you choose, putting your bonsai into protection before the first freeze is your first best step to successful wintering over. Conversing, taking your tree out of protection too soon in the Spring can have the same affect. Wait a bit longer to make certain all chance of freezing and frost have past before introducing your bonsai back to a shaded, outside spot. For my purposes I am doing 2 of these. I am putting most of my trees outside in a mulch bed but a few more tender ones are going to stay in the basement. I plan on posting pictures of my setup once I get home and have time.

A Week in Photos – At Brussels Bonsai 2009

Jun 17th

Posted by henry in bonsai

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These Pictures were Uploaded earlier this year after the anual Brussels Bonsai Rendezvous event. This is really an old post but I want to populate some interesting posts. Rendezvous is an annual convention held Memorial Day weekend at Brussels Bonsai in Olive Branch, Mississippi. (near Memphis, TN) Several top Bonsai masters were on hand for the event. I have been to 3 of them and had a blast every time!

The first pic is a display tree from a previous Rendezvous. I don’t remember what kind of tree though.

This is another previous Rendezvous tree. I like the overall look of it especially since it is still young. I also like the presentation alot.

Yet another past Rendezvous tree! An Azalea this time. I have always wanted to get an azalea bonsai but for some reason every potted azalea I get dies from pests or disease so I can’t bring myself to get a specimen tree.

This is probably my favorite of the past Rendezvous trees, probably because I am partial to juniper and pines. I particualarly like the deadwood on this tree. I generally have mixed results with junipers depending on when I get them.

One of my favorite Bonsai masters at rendezvous is Marc Noelanders. The next several photos are from his demonstration at the beginning of the event. It is always interesting to watch him work and learn from his experience during these types of events.

This is a close up of the juniper Marc is working on showing the wiring process and some jin’s and shar’s

Another closeup this time of the almost completed demonstration tree. If you compare it to the pictures above you can tell just how much work and vision went into this tree.

The finished tree with the front marked.

This year my wife Elena also did a workshop. She picked the gardenia workshop with bonsai master Kathy Shaner. Here is a picture of what her initial tree looked like.

Here is a close up of the branches after a little bit of trimming as they tried to decide on a style for the tree.

Here is Elena working on her tree during the event.

Kathy and Elena working on her tree together. It looks fairly bare now but actually hers was one of the least trimmed trees in the end.

Here is a pic of the tree from the proposed new front after some severe trimming.

The main workshop I took this year was the black pine with Marc Noelanders. Here is a picture of what the trees looked like before we started work. Notice just how bushy and overgrown it is.

We ended yo deciding to chop off the top of the tree and here is the result. I am still deciding if I want to try to Jin this particular top or just trim it down even today.