Spring is sprung

[shibui]

It takes a while for spring to arrive up here in the hills but it does eventually get here.
This week a few species have started to open flowers just in time for our cub meeting on Tuesday night - topic for this month is flowering species.
Here's a few pics
first is an old crabapple with just the first few flowers open.

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Dwarf Japanese quince 'chojubai' has lovely orange flowers. It flowers almost all year round but takes quite a few years to produce much of a trunk.

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Forsythia has bright yellow flowers on the bare trunk so should look spectacular as a bonsai. I'm battling lots of suckers and coarse growth habit to produce a bonsai. It will probably never have fine twiggy branches but maybe the flowers will distract viewers from that.

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Prunus 'Elvins' is a plum so is tough and quick growing. masses of flowers all over the smaller branches.

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In the garden the flowering trees look great too.
Weeping Cherries are not quite at their peak this weekend

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There are usually seedlings under that tree. Some upright but others in various degrees of prostrate like the parent. A couple I have potted up also have the same white flowers of the parent tree.

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A nice deep coloured double flowering peach. These were from a seedling from my Mum's garden originally but definitely worth cultivating as a garden feature.

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[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Shibui,
That's some nice colourful trees you've got there..... but.......My eye is drawn to the big pine in the background. It's photo bombed the limelight on your prunus pic. My bonsai senses are tingling for a closer look? {pic?}

[Matthew]

Neil
Last 5-6 days really moving. Some rain would be nice,ive noticed significant drying in the last 10 days. Yestadays 27 was ordinary for this time of year. Thankfully only one day atm ..

[shibui]

Some rain would be nice,ive noticed significant drying in the last 10 days.

And even drier yesterday. I found a couple of shohin tridents with droopy leaves. need to keep a closer eye on the water at this time of year. Not only are conditions changeable but the trees growing new leaves use extra water so it is very important to watch closely.


For your bonsai senses KCAR:

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These are the 2 black pines I chose to dig out of the grow beds last winter. The others have not developed enough yet. Pines re-establish quite slowly so it is usually 3-5 months before I know if they are going to survive or not.

This one has quite impressive trunk base. The thick, straight trunk has been used as a sacrifice to thicken the base. It will probably be removed but there's a few smaller shoots near the base that could be used in future. The other 2 trunk/branches have good possibilities for making trunks.

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[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Shibui,
Thanks for your reply & posting the pine pics. They look like good strong stock that would make many enthusiasts happy to own.
I was actually spying on the BIG tall pine that looks already well established & potted in the unglazed pot (way way in the background - still visible in the first pic of your recent pine stock)
Looks kinda like a Bunjin style?
Anyways thanks again - your efforts & continuous contributions to this site are extremely valuable, & without a doubt appreciated by all.

[shibui]

AHA! You have better eyes than I.
This may be the one

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An early attempt at growing black pine here but maybe has some merit for age if not for style. Now starting to ramify and gain density after a few years of proper refinement pruning. Not sure that this photo does it full justice but that's the one I have at hand.
I've given it a new pot this year

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

yep that's the beauty.
Personally I Love it. Something to aspire too.
Sympathetic trunk line with nice height. Simple, elegant & most importantly not overworked.
You mention style - is bunjin correct?
Well your "early attempt" has now resulted in "Wow-ness!".
Hope to see this one again in future posts & thanks again for your willingness to meet my pesky request.

[momo22au]

The Crab apple Beautiful !!

[shibui]

Thanks for your interest.

You mention style - is bunjin correct?

I'm not sure this one really meets bunjin criteria. I think it has too much foliage for a good bunjin. Could it be informal upright? Maybe the branches are a bit high to be a good representative of that too.
When I do classes I tell bonsai students not to get too hung up on style classification. Most traditional styles grade into one another at some point and some of the styles overlap so I don't find it very helpful to try to force a tree into one or another. Just enjoy the trees for what they are rather than trying to classify them.

[irish]

It's all starting to look good.

Cheers.
Irish

[shibui]

It is not only the flowers that look good at this time of year. Fresh leaves unfolding are just as nice.

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[shibui]

My crab apple is probably at its peak this weekend. Here's a photo taken this morning.

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Pity it will be past its best when the Canberra Bonsai show is on next weekend. Luckily I have a couple of other bonsai that should look well enough for the show tables next week.

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Lovely tree there Shibui, thanks for taking the time to share & upload the pic.
I have a sneaky feeling your spoilt for choice when it comes to showing trees, so all the best for the show next weekend.
How's about choosing the "informal upright literati reverse cascade bunjin pine"

[treeman]

That J Maple has got legs!

[melbrackstone]

Beautiful trees, Neil. I love that small trident! (and the crabapple!)