AusBonsai

Gday folks!

Given the relative lack of information and resources pertaining to the creation and maintenance of Oz Native Bonsai, I often wonder why anybody would bother even trying. I've jotted down a number of reasons that I persist with Oz Natives, and I'd like to hear thoughts on why you choose to work with Oz Native flora as Bonsai material.

Thanks in advance.

Fly.

[EDIT] Oops - I accidentally voted for the 'Other' option, and can't currently think of another reason that I would work with Oz Native Bonsai. Please forgive me... [/EDIT]

i voted for a variety of reasons and for "other", reason being that i believe there is more room for originality if there is less people using a certain type of material.

I voted other because all of the reasons are familiar with me but I would say my biggest influence would be peer pressure
You guys are starting to convert me

Great idea Mr Fly and good use of the poll feature.

I selected every choice above and have a few 'other reasons': -

• Australia has some of the most unique flora growing in some of the harshest and diverse conditions in the world. We make the conditions even harsher when we squeeze tree's into little pots. Surly our natives will fare better than imports.
  I love Casuarina's and feel that they get a bad wrap from people because of their over use on the sides of roads etc.
  I am jealous also that other country's (Indonesia, Taiwan, USA) have much better examples of Aussie natives than we do! We have some amasingly talented bonsaiists here who could rival the 'Bonsai Masters' of the East. I would like to see them, their art/bonsai and our natives elevated to where they deserve to be.
  I hate weeds Some of the worst weeds here in Australia are Olives, Privet and Chinese Elm's which are also some of the most popular species to bonsai.

There are more reasons but I just can't think of them now.

S.

AusBonsai wrote: We have some amasingly talented bonsaiists here who could rival the 'Bonsai Masters' of the East. I would like to see them, their art/bonsai and our natives elevated to where they deserve to be.

We don't have the awards others have in America and Europe. We don't have anything to push people to perform higher.

As for native tree's. As stated most of the fav species here are weeds. That is actually a benfit here, not a curse. After spending around 6 months trying to get permission to collect natives, I have given up. Australia has more regulations of anything native that you cant even legally remove rocks without paying for a permit (if you get through all the impact surveys). I found to get a permit to collect in South Aus, you need to pay $450 for the permit, $200 a day for an impact survey to be undertaken, and then another $300 for a member of the native Vegitation council to Inspect the area for clearing. there is not 'collecting for bonsai' permit, but only a land clearance permit.
Bonsai in Europe had a good helping hand by people having access to collecting in the mountains, and a desire to keep them alive. We don't have that same freedom.

i think however places like this are a great way to get people more interest. Once people start getting interested, more places will start growing pre stock, and then access to natives will be even greater.

Then maybe we can get national awards to promote a new level in the quality of Australian bonsai.

I have voted for what I consider to be important in the pursuit of better Bonsai.
Getting to Asus argument it is a curse that you cannot readily get permission to collect. Unless it is private land.
Having said that I do have one for WA.
One thing though if you go into a national park be it Federal or State and Take a tree or rock, without permission watch out.
Some people her were collecting Olives in a Park were stopped by the Ranger who wanted there permit. But there only Olives, this is a national park nothing I repeat nothing is taken without a permit .
They were let off lightly with a word of advice and $5000-00 fine. Do not do it without a permit. Pup

Pup wrote: Getting to Asus argument it is a curse that you cannot readily get permission to collect. Unless it is private land.

Same deal mate. you still need to go through all the permit hunting even for private land. Unless, and only unless it was a planted by a human, and not seeded naturally.

To colelct "weeds" from national parks is very easy, just ask the ranger on the day and let him know exactly whats being taken.

Oz Native Bonsai: Why Bother?

Over the years I have asked myself the same question and even though I have had several attempts to create Bonsai with Australian Natives (apart from Figs), I have generally been unsuccessful and upon reflection I surmise that the main reason for this failure was due to lack of easy, accessible information unlike the myriad of information for Exotics.

I believe that another reason for the different directions that people take with regard to this hobby is possibly a result of whether or not they are conformists or non-conformists. When I first became interested in the hobby, I read up as much as I could get my hands on and being to a large part a conformist, I found a liking for the spiritual side of the Art as performed by the early Japanese and to some extent the Chinese. Being a person who likes a degree of order in their life, ‘The rules’, as I learnt them made a lot of sense and in fact, I believe that without understanding them in the beginning I would never have been able to know where to start with styling and may not have progressed with the hobby at all.

The main reason that I started and concentrated with exotics was because they were what was readily available at my Bonsai nursery. They were also the main feature of discussion on all of the other Forums that I have been involved with and perhaps even more importantly, the feature of almost all bonsai photographs that I had seen. Since then ….

I've seen some great/inspirational Oz Native Bonsai - Vote 1

And now that I find I have just a little more time to devote to my hobby combined with the fact that…..

I like a challenge - Vote 2
Obviously there are …..Other reasons (Please elaborate) - Vote 3

I’m excited about what AusBonsai can offer the Australian Bonsai community as a whole and I want to do my bit to assist where I can. Being a member on other sites there was always a slim chance of actually meeting any of the friends that I made but now with an Australian based site, I look forward to being able to catch up with friends made at the shows and conventions around the country.

I have to say here that I want to be involved in both Exotics and Aussie Natives, neither to the detriment of the other but to raise the awareness of Bonsai in Australia in general.

Jon

In China and then in Japan (and other countries) over the millenia, inspiration for the art of growing miniature trees and landscapes was taken from the wild.

I have lived in three states in Australia, and travelled a bit around the continent and I must say our flora and our landscapes are superb! There is enough inspiration out there to last a thousand lifetimes!

The challenge to portray Australian trees and landscapes in potted form is indeed most inspiring. Artists have been painting and photographing our great outdoors for as long as there has beeen artists out there (including cave paintings from many thousands of years ago). To evoke the image of our Australian landscapes, as living sculptures, is another wonderful way to bring joy to the soul!

Tassie Will

(PS As it turns out, I've done bonsai'sh things to hundreds of Australian (Tasmanian actually) plants, but never touched anything not occuring naturally on these shores. I've been tempted mind you!

Hi Oz Lovers...
Today I drove back to Broken Hill from Wentworth and was very distracted by the gnarled old native pines, casuarina, Mallee etc. There were bonsai everywhere if only you could zap them to size. The cyprus pines were already ginned and twisted by nature.
I also found an old established native nursery who had a $3 table and a $1 table. unfortunately I had to pay $5 for a Banksia integrefolia. I also bought a heap of Mallee trees in tubes (some were in flower) and only about 10-15 cm tall. If I can stop my dog from pruning them for me I am going to have a lot of fun over the next few weeks.
I certainly have developed an interest in Natives.
Cheers
Dennis

Dennis, could you please photograph the local "bonsai"? Many of us will never make it out your way, and the tree shapes and trunk and branch details that interest us don't appear in botanists books. It would be very helpful. Frinstance I'm trying to grow mulga bonsai, but the only photos I can find are just blobs on sticks. Not a lot of inspiration. There's a beer or six in it for you if you ever get to Canberra.

Gavin

Will do Gavin, I am going down that way in early June. There are heaps of Mulgas in the forests along that road. If I was just looking for Bonsai instead of zooming through I would stop along the grader lines. Graders have been knocking the tops off trees for years and the digging is in sand. Too easy. Each group of Casurina seem to spread out from large to smaller and small. Dont know if they are suckers of seedlings. Will take the spade and find out. Unfortunately some of these beautiful old trees are fair game for fire wood.
Regards
Dennis

You may find digging from the wild fairly unrewarding, as the roots will probably go miles downward, just to survive. Best of luck. Will be interested in the photos.

Gavin

I bought a book 30 odd years ago called "Bonsai with Australian Native Plants" by Dorothy and Vita Koreshoff. They list quite a few different species to work with...and the photos in the book show they'd been doing bonsais with natives for quite a long time before that...

IBSN 0 908175 663 if anyone is interested