We have had a few new members join at our recent show, and I’m bearing in mind that some of you might be quite new to the bonsai adventure. Even if you don’t yet have many trees to work on, attending a workshop can give you valuable information and tricks to then go home and
Marcela Ferreira does not like traditional forest plantings which are usually very formulaic. She finds them ‘anally retentive’ and boring. They don’t evoke anything in her mind. Marcela stressed that the bonsai artist needs to find their own voice in bonsai. With natives, suckering is desirable. More of an effort is needed to create an
I was introduced to Zeolite and Enfield Produce in Sydney by a bonsai mentor Rob Clausen and have been using 2-4mm Zeolite at about a 10% additive for about 30 years. As a relatively inexpensive mineral additive it attracts and retains fertilisers and releases them when the plant needs it, preventing soil nutrient leaching. Zeolite
September is a good time to repot many evergreens, such as pyracantha and buxus. Azaleas can also be repotted while they are in flower, although for many September will be too late in the season, as once the new flush of growth has come behind the flowers, you shouldn’t repot. Chinese elms can be repotted
Michael Kempson will share his tips and techniques for preparing trees to show. There’s more to it than just putting a bonsai on a stand and grabbing a companion plant. Join us as Michael walks us through his routine to get the best possible result from his material.
Marcela Ferreira is a Melbournian passionate in her interest in Australian native trees as bonsai. Marcela has dedicated her bonsai interest in working with hundreds of natives from tube stock to yamadori and has achieved a reputation as an authority on these plants. Her attitude is- grow lots, kill lots, learn lots. Marcela gets a
This month you can start bringing dormant deciduous species for repotting and styling. If you are planning to put your tree into a bonsai pot for the first time, be sure to bring at least a couple of pots you think might work well with the tree. Sometimes it’s hard to tell, when a tree
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
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
Bought at the Illawarra show last May, the basic plan for this old trident maple (1991) was to deal with the congestion at the apex, remove the highest root on the right-hand side and change the angle when repotting. The original sandy soil mix, which was drying out too quickly, was to be replaced, so
