With some down time over the Christmas holidays, I finally got around to re-styling THIS TREE. It had been growing mostly untouched for a couple of years and had well and truly outgrown its former style. As it had been left to grow a lot of the growth had become leggy and a lack of […]
Growing a Japanese maple is relatively easy, with the tree hardy to a lot of punishment. It loathes too much water but will be one of the first to show you if you happen to miss a watering. This will keep you on your toes a little over the warmer periods in the season. I
What a great start to the year our first demonstration was, full of interesting and timely information all delivered up in Andrew’s (www.edgebonsaistudio.com.au) friendly and amusing style.Andrew brought several trees in various stages of development to illustrate seasonal and/ or developmental work. To start, revisiting a tree from a previous demonstration Andrew started with a
Text: Well known as a national demonstrator, Joe Morgan-Payler brings a deep knowledge of bonsai and great creativity to all he does. Joe grew up in the temperate rainforests of the Otway Ranges in south-west Victoria and so has always been influenced by the complexity of nature. Interested in bonsai from his teenage years, Joe
Newcomers may shudder at the way we attack figs in October, cutting back hard and defoliating. The process actually traumatised one visitor some years ago but it is the way figs are treated. I was visiting a friend and saw a fig in a pot growing into the ground. It was about 1.5 metres high
Defoliation techniques for Ficus bonsai help refine the tree, improve its structure, and encourage balanced growth. An added benefit is that defoliation allows you to better see branch and trunk lines, enabling improved design assessment of what requires wiring, adjusting, or removal. Wiring is also easier to perform on a defoliated tree. To defoliate a
Jarryd has practised bonsai from 12 years old, completed an apprenticeship with Michael Hagedorn (Crataegus Bonsai) and now operates Montane Bonsai Garden (http://www.montanebonsai.com) on the northern slopes of Mt Wellington in Hobart. Whether refining advanced nursery stock, yamadori or unusual or difficult stock, Jarryd brings the best out of all material.
September had quite a few windy days, which have continued into October, so hopefully you’ve all been able to manage the demands of your trees to keep them healthy and thriving. I repotted several junipers last month, and it’s been challenging regularly spraying the foliage to increase humidity and prevent the trees drying out or
So, after some time nurturing and styling your bonsai, the time has come when you think it has reached a stage where you would like to put it on display for others to appreciate what you have achieved. At this stage, presentation is very important to make your bonsai look its best regardless of whether
