AusBonsai

Olives are one of my favourite species - they're easily (and freely) available, can show good character and are hard to kill. So with a rare couple of hours free on a Saturday afternoon I went to my super-secret-patent-pending olive hunting ground to see what I could dig up.

The best trees (with the most character in the trunks) are up a 45 degree slope. I had to crash through some hawthorn trees to get up there, so I dug out a couple of those too for good measure. I've previously collected hawthorn in late winter and early spring and didn't any luck so I'll see how I go with these Autumn-collected ones.

Very little taper, but at least some nice bark on one of the hawthorn (I'll cut them shorter at some point):

Two somewhat-interesting olives:

After sweetly serenading my neighbours with the chainsaw at 8am on a Sunday:

Potted up:

Hmmm being in Adelaide and crashing through hawthorn's on a 45 degrees slope, your super secret patent pending spot sounds very familiar....... Hehe

Describes about half the Mount Lofty Ranges I reckon

But I guess if we each limit ourselves to about six thousand trees we should be okay to share the same spot!

Hi Greg, I'd love to get in on some hawthorn yamadori action if you are so kind as to share your spot via PM? I promise to leave your olives alone

Ha! I was thinking I'd like to get some hawthorns too! I'd be happy to buy any decent hawthorns you want to get rid of.

It's always nice to see happy croweaters tromping through the hills and digging up trees! The recent rains means that digging season is open. If you're a member of the S.A. Bonsai Society I'm chasing permissions to do another dig in the Onkaparinga gorge. The ranger is happy but is just waiting on guidance for the ever changing COVID guidelines.

Matt.

SquatJar wrote: ↑May 17th, 2020, 4:43 pm Hi Greg, I'd love to get in on some hawthorn yamadori action if you are so kind as to share your spot via PM? I promise to leave your olives alone

PM sent!

Matt S wrote: ↑May 17th, 2020, 5:09 pm If you're a member of the S.A. Bonsai Society I'm chasing permissions to do another dig in the Onkaparinga gorge. The ranger is happy but is just waiting on guidance for the ever changing COVID guidelines.

Hi Matt, I'm keen - please keep me updated and I'll come along with my membership form

Matt S wrote: ↑May 17th, 2020, 5:09 pm Ha! I was thinking I'd like to get some hawthorns too! I'd be happy to buy any decent hawthorns you want to get rid of..

I reckon I owe you a hawthorn as belated payment for that thoningii. I'm hoping to check out a different area in the next few weeks so I'll let you know if I find anything interesting.

Matt S wrote: ↑May 17th, 2020, 5:09 pm Ha! I was thinking I'd like to get some hawthorns too! I'd be happy to buy any decent hawthorns you want to get rid of.

It's always nice to see happy croweaters tromping through the hills and digging up trees! The recent rains means that digging season is open. If you're a member of the S.A. Bonsai Society I'm chasing permissions to do another dig in the Onkaparinga gorge. The ranger is happy but is just waiting on guidance for the ever changing COVID guidelines.

Matt.

I was wondering if there was going to be a dig this year. The ones i collected last year from the dig are thriving and i also noticed the leaf size of the ones collected in the Onkaparinga gorge were much smaller than those collected in the eastern Adelaide foothills

Hi Ketut,

We're just chasing permission to dig in the Onkaparinga gorge again. The ranger is happy with us going but he's chasing the rules we'll need to follow regarding social distancing and group numbers.

Matt.

Geez I wish I lives near you folk.... sounds like fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MJL wrote: ↑May 26th, 2020, 5:41 pm Geez I wish I lives near you folk.... sounds like fun.

Olive digging road trip when the borders reopen!

greg27 wrote:

MJL wrote: ↑May 26th, 2020, 5:41 pm Geez I wish I lives near you folk.... sounds like fun.

Olive digging road trip when the borders reopen!

Had no idea there were folks in Adelaide going Yamadori hunting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Had no idea there were folks in Adelaide going Yamadori hunting.

There's a big community of yamadori enthusiasts here. Olive, Dessert Ash, Hawthorn, Eucalyptus and Firethorn are the most commonly targeted.

Cool. Where do I sign up?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

All revved up and ready to go Matt.
Keep us informed on the upcoming date.
Be there with bells on