This tree was dug a couple of years ago and has spent the last year or so in its first bonsai pot. I particularly like the colour of the branches, which can’t be appreciated during the other seasons because it is covered with foliage.

The branches need a bit of wire but that will happen over the next few months. The trunk has some character that is not apparent in this photo.

Not the best title for a post and it does sound a bit selfish but the facts around it are all understandable.

I estimate that this year I have missed about nine or ten bonsai related outings and trips because of the Corona virus and the latest to get cancelled is the Central Coast Bonsai Club’s bonsai open event. This is a bit disappointing as I was hopeful that I may get a display selected to exhibit in that show. The plan was to show a couple of deciduous trees in a three point display. I was excited because there are very few opportunities to show deciduous trees in their “winter” state anywhere around here. Nonetheless the opportunity for me is lost, however I thought I would show the trees here with an idea of how they were going to be setup. The setup is just an idea, the actual setup would have been much better had my trees been selected, and there would have been more work on the trees and presentation.

Now that disclaimer has been done, here are the trees. The fine ramification of these trees can only be seen and properly appreciated in winter so I hope you enjoy.

Both trees set up to give an idea of the proposed display.

Where I live it gets quite cold for Australia during the winter months but this year it has been reasonably mild and I think this has encouraged a few trees to flower, perhaps prematurely. In any case it is very nice to have flowers at this time of year even if it is fleeting.

When I say it has been mild, it was minus 5 degrees Celsius a couple of days ago, but there has not been been a period of sustained low temperatures and the days have been sunny and warm. Well, warm for this time of the year.

The first tree is a flowering apricot which has produce just one flower. Of course I would like more but I hold out hope that in the coming years there will be plenty.

The next is a Rosemary and I believe that in a week or two this will be covered in flowers, but just in case there is a turn for the worst in relation to the weather, here are the flowers as of today.

This ash was dug from my neighbors place last year and planted into a bonsai pot (using the theory of planting recently dug trees into the smallest practical pot) and then put on the bench to recover.

It settled in very well and grew as if nothing had happened.

So this year I decided to cut off nearly all the branches and start the development process from scratch. A little bit of carving to improve the taper and I am hopeful that there will be plenty of buds popping to give me a number of branch selection prospects.

For now its back on the bench and we will see what happens in the next twelve months or so.