The common name for this species is swamp paperbark, but I am yet to see any bark peal off this bonsai. That is probably because it is too young so I will hold out hope that occurs in the future.

The only reason I have posted this particular tree is because it is in flower. If you are a regular looker at this site you have probably noticed that I post a lot of bonsai while in flower and that is simply because I like that aspect.

It is a good show this year on a small tree (its about 22 cm tall) and if it would have flowered on the left branch as you look at it at the same time as the other flowers it would have been very nicely balanced, but still good this year. All the flowers will be cut off in a few days and then back onto the ramification process.

This is just a fun small bonsai. The cotoneaster was was dug a couple of years ago and had a hard life before rescue and re-location to my yard.

I made this pot this year and they appeared a good “fit”. The pot is supposed to represent a sandstone coast that is battered by the wind, and the tree hangs on for life but even in that struggle it manages to flower.

One of the great pleasures of growing bonsai of the flowering and fruiting type is that you get to appreciate the significant changes throughout the seasons, bare in the winter, flowers in the spring, fruit in summer and leaf colour in autumn. Such substantial changes you do not get in conifers.

I enjoy plums as bonsai and at this time the fruit is just beginning to set and I like the look now as the fruit size is more in keeping with the tree size. This tree was dug from the bush somewhere and has been in proper training for about four years or so. It still needs work on its ramification and the jin and shari but that will all come with time, for now I just enjoy the seasonal changes.

A close up so you can see the fruit

I am often asked can you eat the fruit, and the answer is yes, but it is very sour. This bonsai has about 6 or 7 fruit and if they continue to mature I will take a few more photos in the summer.

Anyone who knows me would know I don’t like being wrong, but there was an error in a recent post titled the Canberra Bonsai Society – The Winners contained some incorrect information. The person who I relied on for the information at the exhibition has let me down so he has now been sacked as an informant but the buck stops here and I need to correct the winners list.

The third place getter was incorrect and here is the real third place-getter, a juniper and the hawthorn has been relegated to the also runs..

So, this one is in third place……..

Juniper

And this one is out.

I have been working on this literati for quite some time and I think sometimes it looks OK and others not so good. Its a seasonal thing.

This photo is of it recently with all new soft foliage, and although there is probably a bit too much foliage, I like this look.