AusBonsai

You know autumn is close when the crabapples ripen. Most of these apples have fallen now.
Autumn colour is developing rapidly here helped along by a watering malfunction in the last couple of days. I'll get some pics to post soon.

we rarey get any autumn colour here, you need frosts for it... and we rarely get much.. your collection looks awesome, well set out too... have you got an overall shot of how it's set up?

neil i hope all the trees are ok as it has been warm? pretty strong cold front moving in sunday they reckon i dont think much rain with it,i would like some.
Paddles can do.

Matt, I reckon I caught the water problem jus in time. Plenty of shrivelled tips but no real damage to branches or trunks. There's a few small starter tridents in small plastic pots that look a little worse and will probably shed the leaves but will probably shoot next spring.

A couple more pics of how the colour is coming on here:
This first one always produces a good red colour but not so good for bonsai as it does not ramify very well. Has not been repotted for a few years and just at the edge of watering so its on the dry side most of the summer which probably hasens and intensifies the colour. These ones are more normal Trident colour And just down the road the garden trees are just starting to colour up. Those are trident maples with an english elm far left.

Thank's Matthew & Shibui

For the great Autumn colour there amazing, it's a great time of the year, it's still a bit warm down here in Frankston but hoping to get some nice colour soon

Regard's The Hacker

Autumn , whats that, the first frost has hit last night and snow on them there hills yesterday , Winter is apon us .Forecasting more snow today down to 800m and another frost tonight .Mother natures going to shock a few tree's around here . Must be mighty white out your way Mattew .If i get a colour it will be short and sweet thats for sure .

Cheers Alpine

It was at the AABC convention in Brisbane a few years ago where I came to the realization that the warmer parts of Australia do not get the autumn colours.
I no longer take it for granted.
It must be very special for you Matthew, having moved from a warmer climate to one of the most colourful places in the country.

shibui, that second picture you posted with the tanks in the background and im presuming your hand in the bottom... that trident. What manner of sorcery or witchcraft have you used for the leaf size reduction?! They look like absolutely positively microscopic leaves. I didn't realise it was a trident at first at then only after seeing the caption - has it spent most of it's life defoliated/have you tinkered in some sort of black magic, or is it the perspective of the photo? Either way, beautiful trees and thanks for sharing to you and Matthew.

Good eyes Teamac!
No sorcery involved. I have a copuple that have settled down to producing quite small leaves. Theres another one on the right in the 3rd pic. I'd like to claim credit for the small leaf size due to the great ramification and large number of twigs these trees have developed - constant pinching during growing season then judicious thinning in winter but possibly also due to lack of feed, etc?
Light frost here this morning too but forecast for warmer this week and bright sunny days - the best conditions for autumn colour.

Neil frost here this morning enough to freeze water features etc. A more severe one tonight with -2 predited here. Im glad i brought the figs into the hothouse temporary last night That wind yestaday was wild

cool here today too
9 Deg here when I left and had to get out my winter gloves before leaving for work. Twas a bit nippy on the bike

Ken

The cold always seems to set in early down here, I'm growing increasingly more paranoid about the effects of it as this is my first real winter, its already starting to drop below 8... Nicer today though.

whatever the exact reason is shibui, I don't think I've seen a trident with smaller leaves. I haven't had much experience, but regardless I really like them both.

update
Had afew minus last couple of days and sunny days things have started abit more to turn but neil seems to be winning atm i suspect things to kick in fast now. heres a few at present change. None of the elms, ginko or linden tree has changed yet.Update as it happens

Hi Matthew,

Very nice thank's for the up date on the hint of autumn, & very

Ps that Larch is looking exceptionally nice yep I do like it very much

Regard's The Hacker

Same here matthew, maples have started but the elms not even a bit. Very nice collection you have btw. I'm with envy.