Given that I do not have many (if any) true bonsai. It's the little things that keep the new growers like me enthused.
Firstly, don't ask why I decided to stand on a chair and table to take a couple of 'birds-eye' photos! I just did. I was interested to see what was happening from a different angle.
Also, I know I could have put all these tree in grow beds for years before a bonsai pot ... thicker trunks would've been just one of the benefits. However, for me and I imagine a range of new folk ... we like to have something that resembles a bonsai. Perhaps too - we like to show our wives and partners that this hobby results in something half creative, artistic and possibly, eventually ...beautiful and inspiring. Anyway, I ramble... again!
What I love about my deciduous forests - whether Japanese Maple, Chinese Elm and Japanese Elm - is that they re constantly changing... colours, leaf size, growth patterns. My 'philosophy' if that is the right term ... perhaps 'approach' is more apt ... my approach with these forests is that now that they are clumped - to treat every tree as an individual - respect it alone while also training it in the group; primarily with a cut and grow method. I want each tree to be in context of those trees around it. So eventually, the story will flow ... seedlings will turn into young trees and together with the older trees ... eventually they all will knit in a logical and natural story.
That's why the small things matter. To me.
In the photos below ... check out this new growth - exactly where I need it on one of my Japanese Maples (lucky huh - yep, sort of but also rigourous pruning at the right time pushes growth back and sometimes...if you're lucky... the growth comes where you need it. Perhaps we make our own luck! Also, check out the back view of the Chinese Elm forest ... the young seedlings are sprouting well and I can now work them into the overall design. Indeed, I reckon that photo from the back of that forest looks good - there's a randomness to the trees that looks right. And then there the bud growth on the Japanese Elm.
When you're starting out.. appreciate the small things. In reality - it's all we've got. Have a good day.
The little things ...
- MJL
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2840
- Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
- Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
- Bonsai Age: 7
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- Location: Melbourne
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The little things ...
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Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
- TimS
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
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Re: The little things ...
I can totally relate
When i started i was scared of having valuable trees i might kill so i had young stock, but in the end i had to take the plunge on getting some more advanced stock just to speed up the process a bit, learn more and practice techniques to understand them better.
These days i have probably 20 or so i would call bonsai; but i still get great enjoyment growing from seed, air layering and just playing around with different varieties. In fact my 'pre-bonsai' plant collection dwarfs my actual bonsai collection i enjoy it so much. It's helped me to narrow down what i actually want to grow and focus on for my own collection as i have learned what works and what doesn't as well as what species i like and what i don't. Having grown a little bit of everything; now i am reducing my collection as i slowly sell off my pines which i don't find i get particularly much enjoyment from growing, as well as junipers that give me skin rashes to work on. Meanwhile i propagate as much maple, ginkgo, prunus and other ornamental deciduous as i can because that's where my bonsai love lies.
Every spring i am excited to just be out in the garden whether it's seeing my older trees budding out and taking their shape, or my young prunus flowering. Every autumn i am excited to see what colours my trees will turn this year with the different weather we have. I think the only season i don't enjoy is summer as i stress over whether my trees will cope with it or not.
For me it really is the little things that give me enjoyment in bonsai. It isn't a business for me, i'm emotionally attached to my trees and when i see the work i do showing results, or simply just looking out on the trees at the wide range of colours in autumn it makes it all worth while.
When i started i was scared of having valuable trees i might kill so i had young stock, but in the end i had to take the plunge on getting some more advanced stock just to speed up the process a bit, learn more and practice techniques to understand them better.
These days i have probably 20 or so i would call bonsai; but i still get great enjoyment growing from seed, air layering and just playing around with different varieties. In fact my 'pre-bonsai' plant collection dwarfs my actual bonsai collection i enjoy it so much. It's helped me to narrow down what i actually want to grow and focus on for my own collection as i have learned what works and what doesn't as well as what species i like and what i don't. Having grown a little bit of everything; now i am reducing my collection as i slowly sell off my pines which i don't find i get particularly much enjoyment from growing, as well as junipers that give me skin rashes to work on. Meanwhile i propagate as much maple, ginkgo, prunus and other ornamental deciduous as i can because that's where my bonsai love lies.
Every spring i am excited to just be out in the garden whether it's seeing my older trees budding out and taking their shape, or my young prunus flowering. Every autumn i am excited to see what colours my trees will turn this year with the different weather we have. I think the only season i don't enjoy is summer as i stress over whether my trees will cope with it or not.
For me it really is the little things that give me enjoyment in bonsai. It isn't a business for me, i'm emotionally attached to my trees and when i see the work i do showing results, or simply just looking out on the trees at the wide range of colours in autumn it makes it all worth while.
In the blue darkening sky, the moon paints a pine tree.
- MJL
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2840
- Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
- Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
- Bonsai Age: 7
- Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
- Location: Melbourne
- Has thanked: 424 times
- Been thanked: 643 times
Re: The little things ...
Well written TimS, great reflection.
We all start somewhere - I too have started to buy some advanced stock too. Thanks for the reply.
Bonsai teaches me patience.
We all start somewhere - I too have started to buy some advanced stock too. Thanks for the reply.
Bonsai teaches me patience.
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
- Ryceman3
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2611
- Joined: October 19th, 2014, 10:39 am
- Favorite Species: Pines & Mels
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- Location: Melbourne
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Re: The little things ...
Take the joys in life wherever you get 'em. I get a kick from just watching stuff grow and being involved in some way keeping it alive... I think if I didn't then I probably wouldn't last very long doing bonsai, because when you start out in bonsai you really don't actually have any bonsai ... it's all relative!
I really like the idea of creating my own bonsai from seed, it's 100% me whose responsible for creating it this way, and a lot of self satisfaction comes from that. That doesn't mean I never buy more advanced stuff, there is joy in developing that as well. Different horses for different courses.
I really like the idea of creating my own bonsai from seed, it's 100% me whose responsible for creating it this way, and a lot of self satisfaction comes from that. That doesn't mean I never buy more advanced stuff, there is joy in developing that as well. Different horses for different courses.
"NO CUTS, NO GLORY"
https://www.instagram.com/r3_bonsai/
https://www.instagram.com/r3_bonsai/
- MJL
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 2840
- Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
- Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
- Bonsai Age: 7
- Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
- Location: Melbourne
- Has thanked: 424 times
- Been thanked: 643 times
Re: The little things ...
I am aligned to your way of thinking R'man3. Most of my stuff is from seedling and you sir, have gone right back to germination. And man do you have a few brewing!
Cheers, Mark
Cheers, Mark
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
- BB Brian
- Aussie Bonsai Fan
- Posts: 232
- Joined: April 3rd, 2017, 9:32 am
- Favorite Species: Chinese Elm
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Re: The little things ...
YES!TimS wrote:I can totally relate
When i started i was scared of having valuable trees i might kill so i had young stock, but in the end i had to take the plunge on getting some more advanced stock just to speed up the process a bit, learn more and practice techniques to understand them better.
These days i have probably 20 or so i would call bonsai; but i still get great enjoyment growing from seed, air layering and just playing around with different varieties. In fact my 'pre-bonsai' plant collection dwarfs my actual bonsai collection i enjoy it so much. It's helped me to narrow down what i actually want to grow and focus on for my own collection as i have learned what works and what doesn't as well as what species i like and what i don't. Having grown a little bit of everything; now i am reducing my collection as i slowly sell off my pines which i don't find i get particularly much enjoyment from growing, as well as junipers that give me skin rashes to work on. Meanwhile i propagate as much maple, ginkgo, prunus and other ornamental deciduous as i can because that's where my bonsai love lies.
Every spring i am excited to just be out in the garden whether it's seeing my older trees budding out and taking their shape, or my young prunus flowering. Every autumn i am excited to see what colours my trees will turn this year with the different weather we have. I think the only season i don't enjoy is summer as i stress over whether my trees will cope with it or not.
For me it really is the little things that give me enjoyment in bonsai. It isn't a business for me, i'm emotionally attached to my trees and when i see the work i do showing results, or simply just looking out on the trees at the wide range of colours in autumn it makes it all worth while.
the different colours and how trees develop over the year is what gets me out of bed every morning - not to mention my watering regime, haha
i found that taking photos also helps, whether is be successes or failures
"Ambition without knowledge, is like boat on dry land" - Miyagi
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IG: @bonsaibuzz #bonsaibuzz