Your Bonsai Age

[pebble]

I first noticed and took a liking to bonsai when I was renovating a house as an apprentice, the owner had an amazing big collection of bonsai and the first thing I said to him I think was oh you have lots of those little trees like on karate kid haha . But didn’t get my first bonsai till a few years later, think it was a trident maple which I had killed with in a few weeks through what I now know to be over watering and lack of sun light.

[Starfox]

I guess my bonsai age is zero still, about 4-5 months.

My first tree is an Chinese Elm which is going quite well and ready for a repot and clean out, manged to kill a serissa already though.
My first exposure of bonsai was years ago and one of my Dads fishing buddies had a collection in Adelaide but can't really say that had much impact on me other than I can still recall it.
I kind of stumbled into bonsai in an effort to find some Aussie natives for our home garden here in Spain and I found what is most likely trees from members here and was a little blown away by it all so I started seriously looking into it more.

I still don't have an Aussie native as a bonsai or in training yet and that is my goal in the long run.

[Lane]

I too have left my age at 1 despite having had a few bonsai for the last five years, however, they sat and were watered although I did nothing but keep them alive throughout this time.

It wasn't until early last year that my interest started to build, I started to increase my collection and do some heavy reading, joined this site and actually gave my plants the proper care and attention they deserved.

I was a landscaper for a couple of years and looked after a large vegie garden at work for several years too which I believed has attributed to me not having killed one, yet.

[melbrackstone]

Like Boics I started playing around with bonsai back in the 80's....such a long time ago....

One thing after another stopped me from spending enough time actually learning enough, then a huge drought came and took my last remaining trees, so I gave it away completely for 8 or so years... then my interest was piqued again, and I found this place, just last year... and my knowledge has grown so quickly I think I'm at least a 3 year old.

[Sean M]

I started when my wife was given a bonsai. She didn't look after it and I adopted it. I bet she wishes that she looked after it now that I have amassed a small forest of potensai.

[dibly_w]

Mmm first bonsai ... a lovely fig , has been through mamy battles since then including being snapped in half during a big storm !!!
One way to reduce the height haha

[etaeater]

Mmm here goes, been a member for a while but sitting in the background watching! Bonsai age in truth about forty years, in reality about 10. First bonsai was given as a gift in 1984, a Caesalpinea Ferrea or Leopard tree. It is still alive but not too pretty.
Not posted anything before but about to try and add photos and questions.

[Steven]

Thought it might be a good idea to prompt everyone to update their Bonsai Age since it's been a year since I last posted this.

As you probably already know, in everyone's profile there is a field for our Bonsai Age. This is how many years we have been practising bonsai.

Bonsai age 1.jpg

This field does not update by itself so I would like to encourage everyone to take a moment and update or enter their bonsai age.

To do this you need to:
1. Click on your 'User Control Panel' in the top left hand corner of the board.
2. Click on the 'Profile' tab.
3. Update the 'Bonsai Age' field with the number of yours you have been into bonsai.

You may like to update the other fields while you are there.

Bonsai age.jpg

While we are at it, why not post a reply in this thread explaining how you first got interested in bonsai and what your first tree was.

Regards,
Steven

[benrobertson4730]

My bonsai age is 2 years as of last month. I've always loved trees and grew up in a bushy suburb of Melbourne. I went to a local nursery looking for some orchids and came across the small bonsai section. In hindsight, they weren't great (although better than most, Bunnings etc) but it sparked a curiosity and as soon as I got home I got on the internet and came across the YouTube pages of graham potter and bonsai empire and I was blown away. I visited Lindsay Farr's nursery and bought myself a little trident maple. It is now dead but I have since learnt a lot and have way too many trees, most of which have a lot more potential than that initial tree. After lots of experimenting, a few dead trees and a whole lot of fun I can now say I have never been more passionate about anything in my life.


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[John(JP)]

Steven,

My bonsai age is just over 3 - could have been lots more but when became first interested(25yrs ago) I rapidly killed two(2) gifts of bonsai mostly because I knew everything and refused to be taught or listen.

I retired and a good golf friend talked me into starting again - I now admit to being a child - joined CBS - joined Mirai Live - joined Morton Albeck's site - volunteer at the Arboretum as much as I can - am surrounded by great books, great people with great advice and great experience and am now glued to Ausbonsai.

Small trees - big dreams - loving it.

[SueBee]

I revised by Bonsai age down- After reading so many posts on this site I realised I know nothing- even though I had a dozen Bonsai 20 years ago and they died while I worked overseas,I travelled into Bonsai alone and taught myself. Now I realise I taught myself nothing. So thank you to all who share on here because you make it possible for beginners to learn....even when they THINK they know. oi,oi,oi.

[fae]

We are always learning SueBee, that’s part of the attraction to Bonsai and for me being outside.

Fiona

[Jan]

I've had plants most of my life, grew up with gardens. I had mostly house plants for my younger years, moving around as I did at that age, but started dabbleing with posensai in the late 1980's when I wanted to grow something that was not suited to my area and the winter snow - grew it as a "sort-of" bonsai so I culd bring it indoors for the winter. As we all do, I've added to the collection over the years, changed direction from traditional bonsai species to focus on plants with "provenance" - mementoes of family and friends (cuttings and rescues from their gardens), souvenirs of travels and connections to areas where I have lived and currently live.

The collection has included natives for some years now and any new additions have earn their place on the bench by having a significant connection/provenance. That's my way of keeping the numbers under control - that, and the fact that I am a horticultural disaster (my plants truely are survivors!)

So what "age" am I? Well, I've been dabbling with potensai since the late '80s but still wouldn't class any of my plants as worthy bonsai. I enjoy the doing and the experimenting, I'm constantly tinkering so none will ever be "real bonsai", - maybe I'm no "bonsai age" at all.

Jan.