To do good bonsai wire is a necessity but some people can’t seem to see the reason. Cruel, they say. Can’t you do it another way? Not really. You have little control over the shape of a branch using weights and clip and grow is slow and tedious and doesn’t help styling on a more
Dothistroma needle blight is more commonly known as red tip or red band disease. To the best of my knowledge it first appeared in the radiata pine forests around Cooma NSW and is rumoured to have been introduced to Australia from New Zealand on forestry workers’ equipment used in this area. I first came into
Anatomy of a Shohin Display is reprinted by courtesy of Jonas Dupuich and Bonsai Tonight Anatomy of a shohin display One of the first displays to catch my attention at this year’s Gafu-ten exhibit featured six trees and an accent plant. Unlike the display of larger bonsai, shohin display entails complex relationships among all of
Enjoyed by members and visitors alike, Joe Morgan-Payler’s visit was a great success with an excellent demonstration and a full day and evening of workshops. For a change, members were invited to bring trees they would like Joe to work on and he would decide which tree he would develop. There was plenty to choose
Hugh Grant is an Australian bonsai artist from the Central Coast of NSW whose work explores bonsai from the perspective of natural sculptural form and ecological references. For Hugh, bonsai is used as a medium to initiate a collaboration and a direct immersion of the landscape, creating an understanding of trees and plants. Hugh has
Bending Branches Obviously the most common way to bend branches is with wire but there are times that you need to use different techniques for the sake of the health and the type of tree you have. Using corks to pry apart brittle branches (especially azaleas) and at repotting times to pry apart stubborn roots.
Anchor wire to two branches so you have maximum strength- no movement. Always use a heavier wire when in doubt. Old Japanese saying, ‘When the wind blows, the style changes.‘ Pinch last wrap and use the wire to turn-forming a coil around the branch and snug it up. Wire gently. Do not use the branch
Last month Joe did a demonstration and workshop for Bonsai Central Coast. While it is a bit of a drive to Tumbi Umbi, it is certainly worth it to see Joe in action- his easy way of explaining the how and why of his design decisions makes every demonstration a pleasure. (If you haven’t seen
A great demonstration from Ray Mackaway last month, where all things wisteria were explained. Ray’s main message was that wisterias are hungry plants that need regular fertilising and love sun (six hours plus during summer) and need good pruning to maximise their flowering. At this time of year you’re basically reducing whippy canes back to
