Alpineart's Blog

This is the latest edition to my collection collected after pre-trimming several months ago . Originally it was 1800mm long x1600mm wide x 500mm high and has been reduced to 1200 x 800mm x 500 . The pot is 700mm x 500mm x 90mm and yes it is far too big for the tree , but for training purposes it will do nicely . Note this tree is basically how i found it minus 1/3 of the outer leggy branches . Yes even in Aus we can find some extraordinary Yamadori if you know where to look . This now takes pride and place in my Training collection . I have several huge Mugo’s to collect over the coming weeks all of which have been pre trimmed awaiting pickup .

These little projects are required to protect the trees from the elements , as a cant afford a loss on the scale from the previous seasons . For too long i have battled heat and wind which requires to much time moving trees and plants around for their protection . This should make life a little easier and less time wasting in the shuffle . I will need a barrier around the front terrace as my unhired apprentices {Kangaroos} will eventually find the pines to their liking . With over 120 Bonsai at various stages and 400 plus Yamadori and trainers i wont be bored for the want of variety . I hope to add another 300-400 plants to the collection over the next 3 months . With over 5000 seeds to be planted my work in future bonsai is all but guaranteed . My wife thinks i’ve lost the plot but to me its a healthy obsession bordering on insanity . She loves bush walking so it works in well , while she admires Mother Nature i scan the surrounding areas for good looking trees .

These are just a few small Mugo Pines “Swiss Mountain Pine” that i found growing wild from a test plot planted way back in 1920 . After searching the entire plantation i discovered around 160 self grown trees from Mame to 2 man trees . Having sought permission from the landholders over 10 years ago i have regularly combed the vast plantations discovering well over 20 different Pine and softwood test plots started in the early 1920’s . Cedars {Atlas-Deodora}, Redwoods {Coastal}, Austrian pine {Nigra}, Red pine {Resinosa}, Yellow pine {Ponderosa} numerous White pine varieties and some unknown species . Most of these test plots were abandoned due to the slow growth of the trees for productive timber , however some still survive and the ones that have been detroyed by fire or clear felled and burnt have wildling spread around . A collectors paradise if your into Bonsai and are willing to put the hard yards in treking through mountain goat country . With the onset of Winter there is plenty of digging to be done if i’m to replace the trees that were lost over Summer due to the extreme heat . I hope to collect around 30 different species of pre Bonsai yamadori that i have been trimming and training in the wild over the last 5 years . Some will never be collected as they are physically to big or would not survive a transplant.