AusBonsai

Wow looking good, great juniper alternative

Watto wrote:Mark - the stuff on the left is a mesh sold for bonsai pots, and it does come in black, brown and white. The stuff on the right is gutterguard but a bit more rigid than the standard and appears to work OK.
Thanks for not thinking I'm a cheapskate, but this pot was made by a local potter who was selling out - so my story, trust me - its quality at a cheap price.
Anyway, all the bull aside, here is a photo of the potting......

I was very interested and inspired but the previous posts as i have a huge rosemary in my garden and have often struck cuttings for friends but have never thought of doing a bonsai from it So will now look at it with new eyes. It's quite a few years old and growing strongly, always getting new shoots and getting higher and wider!.
I used to use gutter guard, for my bonsais, when I couldn't get the bonsai mesh, and still do at times for large pots, but have found that the black plastic mesh tree guards (from Bunnings) is better as the holes are smaller and it's not as stiff. If I remember correctly, there are 3 or 4 together.

This potential bonsai has been very rewarding. Since it was potted, it has been clipped and wired, clipped and wired, and clipped and wired. Finally starting to look as I had originally imagined it, "Juniper-like Rosemary"!

Great development Watto

Ken

I like the unusualness and the carving...

I like this tree Watto; bet it smells great too.

Thankyou for your kind comments. A few foliage pads to be developed between now and September and I would be happy with that outcome.

The winter plan is to do not much except to continue to refine the jins and shari. Of course having a tree in flower for the judging would be good so I am working toward that as well.
Gee that pot needs a good clean!!!

Here is the final for my Rosemary, and the journey has been a blast. For all the bad reports I had heard about Rosemary as bonsai I was very nervious but it has proved to be very rewarding to work with. And the smell every time you work on it is a bonus!
The longer term plan is to find, buy or acquire a pot that is more suitable (a bit smaller) and carefully re-pot in a year or two. Continue to refine the jin and shari and to keep the bonsai relatively compact. I really enjoyed the flowers this year but they were mostly gone by the time I took the final photos. As with a couple of other shohin I have been working on I would like to exhibit this in a seven point traditional shohin display.
Still looking for the original photo from when I dug it and if I manage to find it I will post it.
Loved the comp and thanks to all the organisers as it makes you give a concerted effort towards refinement in a specified timeframe.

Nice Watto, and the photo skills much improved.

Thanks Bodhi - I have learnt many things along the journey.

This has been a pleasure to work on over the years and I am keen to keep it going. I was planning on planting it into a "real" bonsai pot this year, maybe around late October or early November so the announcement of the comp will certainly focus me on doing the business.
Currently it is about 25 cm from pot to top and about the same for pot to side. It needs a bit of a trim and some wire, so that can be done over the coming months.

Oohhh that is a lovely little tree
Ken

Beautiful little tree Watto , you've done a great job with it
peterb