NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

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Rory
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NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Rory »

NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition
The competition is to create the most natural looking Australian native bonsai that you can.

Competition is open.
Please submit all entries by 31st January 2019
Competition closes 31st October 2021

Please update your entries with a photo by the following dates:
31st January 2019 (1st photo with tape measure showing 1cm guideline)
30th April 2019
31st October 2019
30th April 2020
31st October 2020
30th April 2021
31st October 2021

-Material must be no wider than 1cm in diameter at the base of the trunk.
-Please include the name of the genus/species if known, where you acquired it from and cost.
-Please include a clear photo of your tree with each update, preferably with a plain background or something that makes the tree identifiable, like a plain fence or wall.
-Please include a brief description in each update of what you have done, so that others may learn.
-Your first photo must include a ruler or tape measure/device to show the trunk is no more than 1cm at the base.
-You can submit an entry with more than 1 tree if you are intending to make group plantings, but you must make sure each individual stand-alone tree is equal or less than 1cm in diamater at the soil line by also including a photo of the trunks with the tape measure.
-Material should not have been worked on previously, (apart from an initial cut-back / trunk-chop / repot).
-Maximum 3 separate entries per person and only Australian native material.
-The final result can be as big or as little as you want.
-If your entire entry dies, it is no longer eligible for the final vote.
-Please advise of the height of the tree for scale in the final update.
-You can update your thread as many times as you like within each cut-off date.

Please start your entries in the contest board:
posting.php?mode=post&f=36

In the subject please include the phrase [NATURAL] to help with grouping them
Example:

[NATURAL] Casuarina cunninghamiana - Rory

Voting:
Grand prize: Awarded from a select group of experienced Ausbonsai users.
1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th prize: Awarded by a poll for all Ausbonsai members

Prizes:
5 Bonsai pots, with pictures to be followed up.
Please note I can only post the winning pots to an address in Australia.
Last edited by Steven on November 23rd, 2018, 11:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Pearcy001 »

Great job Rory.

Can I confirm the relevance of listing the price? I didn't see a price limit in there anywhere.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Starfox »

Yeah Cheers Rory for taking the time to do this. Should be a good opportunity to learn a few things.

I'll post one up and hopefully it is fine, let us know.
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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Ryceman3 »

Thanks for making the effort with this Rory, looking forward to finding/figuring out what I’ll have a crack with.
Good job.
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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Mbunro »

nice job rory...

as im pretty inexperienced with natives, can anyone possibly suggest a few species to keep an eye out for. Possibly something that is somewhat forgiving, and that actually has the potential to make a decent tree in the alloted time frame from tubestock.
got a native nursery near me with a massive range of tubestock so shouldnt be too hard to find something suitable.. just dont really know what to look for at the moment..

EDIT: also can we have a bit more of an explanation about the term 'Natural'. like should we be aiming for the natural form of that particular species or just a somewhat natural looking australian style.
Last edited by Mbunro on November 23rd, 2018, 9:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by MJL »

Thanks Rory, I am in - I really appreciate people going to the trouble of creating a comp like this. I reckon it’ll be ace to participate ... as much as anything else ... to see the wealth of ideas that will be presented and learn from the progressive photos.


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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Rory »

Pearcy001 wrote: Can I confirm the relevance of listing the price?
It’s only for interest sake for others. :)
Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Rory »

Mbunro wrote:can anyone possibly suggest a few species to keep an eye out for.
EDIT: also can we have a bit more of an explanation about the term 'Natural'. like should we be aiming for the natural form of that particular species or just a somewhat natural looking australian style.
Hi mate,

If I was new I’d be going for something that is hardy:

Casuarina cunninghamiana or glauca
Melaleuca linarifolia claret tops
Banksia integrifolia
Leptospermum cardwell
Eucalyptus crebra

Otherwise just ask your nurseryman what is hardy for your area.

In regards to natural styling.
If the natural style of the species is a shrub, then you can let your imagination run wild.
A lot of threads on here about wild dug material can give you inspiration.

A natural looking tree is open to a lot of interpretations.
This is what will make the competition so fun and interesting.
There are no right or wrong answers here, so some advice is to let trees growing in nature be your guide.

There are quite a few threads on here about natural looking trees. They make for very interesting reads.
Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by MJL »

This site might help too or it might be rubbish - not sure - I am passing time in a queue waiting to vote - oh the joy!

https://www.anbg.gov.au/bonsai/bonsai-anbg-2006.html


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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by MJL »

This can’t be the worst starting point... not entering it yet but I purchased it with the competition in mind!
IMG_5567.jpg

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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Beano »

No it’s not the worst... my entry is an ungerminated seed...
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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by MJL »

Beano wrote:No it’s not the worst... my entry is an ungerminated seed...
Beano .... I hope you are confident that you know the seed otherwise it will be a .....’mystree’ .... [WINKING FACE]

See what I did there MelB and Kirky... Yep, I blatantly stole Kirky’s - play on words .... from another thread

I just had to use it .... blame it in the hangover!


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NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Beano »

Hopefully it’s a mystree red box euc. The leaves should confirm pretty quickly, if they sprout at all! Then into the ground and hopefully work to achieve something of a size that will fit the leaves...
Last edited by Beano on November 25th, 2018, 10:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Rustyck »

If anyone is looking for some great nurseries, Bonsai World (Rory mentioned this place in other native based posts) is awesome.
I went in on Saturday (as I knew Sunday was their workshop and it would be busy), I was the only one there and David basically gave me a personalised shopping experience and recommendations - it was awesome - walked away with 4 plants, 2 bags of their soil, all for around $40.
Picked up a Sydney blue gum, Melaleuca Snow in Summer, Agonis flexuosa and a Baeckea (unknown var so wont be entering with it not being a native anymore potentially - and David mentioned that they are a slow grower)

also, Terrigal is not far from Jilliby so if you want to bring the better half and the dog, there in a very large off leash area near the lagoon, so I got my bonsai shop in, romantic beach walk for an hour and a half, and the dog got to run around. great day.

can't recommend it enough for getting some Native stock! - will post my entries soon, a little nervous as I am travelling from Dec 18- Feb 2, so we shall see how they go under the Brother in laws supervision....

also, this is my first comp as I am relatively new, and using this as an excuse to buy more plants and to learn so very excited. thank you again Rory for putting this all together.
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Re: NATURAL Bonsai Progression Competition

Post by Rory »

============================================
Hi everyone, here are the pot prizes for the competition:


1st Prize: Large Keishin tokoname bonsai pot. Beautiful texture. The potter Keishin has been honoured as a national treasure in Japan. In my opinion the best Japanese potter. He is retired now and only makes pots occasionally.
bonsai5.jpg
2nd Prize: Pat Kennedy freeform pot from Adelong. Pat is retired but also occasionally makes pots. His pots are a personal favourite of mine.
bonsai2.jpg
3rd Prize: Joan pot from Victoria. Joan makes very unique pots, each one very different and unique. Lovely pots.
bonsai1.jpg
4th Prize: Pat Kennedy crescent moon pot from Adelong. Pat is retired but also occasionally makes pots. His pots are legendary.
bonsai3.jpg

Judges choice award: Large Tokoname dragon pot. Sorry can't remember the potter, but I'm happy to post a photo of the signature at the bottom if someone wants to know.
bonsai4.jpg
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Rory
I style Bonsai naturally, just as they would appear in the wild.
Central Coast, NSW
Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

Buying and repotting Native nursery material: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=30724

Growing tips for Casuarina as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=244995#p244995

How to reduce moss from the trunk without damaging the bark: viewtopic.php?p=295227#p295227
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