May has been quite cold this year, but at least we haven’t had too many windy days. Hopefully, you have enjoyed some autumn colour from the deciduous trees in your collections, especially as we have had a bit of a break from the rain. The sun moves lower in the sky during the colder months, […]
In bonsai, a raft is one trunk along the ground supporting a number of ‘branches’ that have become trunks in their own right. Rafts come in straight and sinuous and are usually developed when a stock plant has branches on one side only. Plants that are good for rafts are privets, figs, crabapples and junipers,
This month we are having two workshop meetings, with our special one in the main hall on the first Tuesday and the normal workshop on the third Tuesday night in the activities room. May continues to be a good time for tidying up the foliage of evergreens such as conifers and other non-flowering bonsai, although
Sean is an extremely talented bonsai artist who has been practising bonsai for over twenty years. From a modest beginning in a small nursery on the Central Coast and a period of study with Lee Wilson, Sean’s skills now, span bonsai of all sizes, from spectacularly massive olives and privets to perfect Shohin pines and
Autumn has finally arrived with cooler nights and crisp mornings. It’s a good time to take a breath for now and take stock of how the trees in your collection have improved during the last year. We’ve had a lot of showery weather of late, so watering thirsty trees has probably not been a priority
Water Gum (Tristaniopsis laurina) is a great choice for bonsai, particularly in the Sydney area where it is commonly used as a street tree and thrives with little or no attention. Shiny, attractive foliage with bronze tips in spring, easily reducible leaf size, clusters of small yellow flowers and beautiful bark which flakes off in
At last month’s BSA meeting, Joe Morgan-Paylor from Nichigo Bonsai (https://nichigobonsai.com) used a Podocarpus lawrencei propagated by Jarryd Bailey (https://www.montanebonsai.com) in 2014 and bought from Tree Makers (https://treemakers.com.au/) recently. Podocarpus lawrencei or the Mountain Plum Pine is a sub alpine/ alpine evergreen shrub that is widespread in the mountains of SE Australia and Tasmania at
AABC visiting tutor, Andrew Edge is the owner of Edge Bonsai Studio, and a well-known and admired bonsai artist from the Central Coast. He is passionate about bonsai and brings a deep knowledge of horticulture and Japanese techniques to his demonstrations. Not to be missed.
The end of summer and the start of autumn have been pleasant in the Sydney area. We have had occasional rain, but plenty of warm, sunny days to get out amongst our bonsai collections. During the heat of summer, it’s more difficult for many to work outdoors, particularly in the hot afternoons, myself included. For
A bonsai exhibition of solely Australian native plants is always a pleasure. Seeing the species that grow around us is exciting, and the Canberra Bonsai Society’s show did not disappoint. This year’s theme, ‘The Australian landscape in the palm of your hand’ displayed 31 trees. Below are some, with their catalogue descriptions. Alpine Baeckea Baeckea
