October 2021 I saw this tree at Flower Power and fell in love with the beautiful flowers. The trunk had nice movement and the price was reasonable, so it joined my collection as an apprentice bonsai.

Leptospermum Wiri Athena- late 2021

I have had mixed luck with leptos, losing four in one season after very careful repotting, including one with tremendous potential as a future bonsai. So I bought this one with some trepidation but it started developing with gusto. I benched it in last year’s Royal but in a class of three it didn’t get anything, the judge didn’t like the way I had designed it. So the back became the front, I repositioned some of the branches and the judge was right – the alteration really improved the tree.

It hasn’t flowered this year and I’m glad. Last year it produced three full loads of flowers, an amazing effort. I am glad it is resting this year. I style my trees so they hold their own as bonsai with or without flowers so flowering is a bonus. I am hopeful that next year it will produce again but I love it regardless. It has been in a very classy Maria Hewartson pot which suited it but recently I got this pot from Denise Edgerton and it brings out and compliments the beauty and colour of the twisted trunk. It is potted too high but I didn’t want to remove too many roots as the weather cools and will lower it in the pot next potting season.

Position before moving a little to the left.

And I have just moved it a bit to the left so it is better balanced in the oval pot. It’s funny, I saw this pot at a sale last year and admired its quality but thought it too busy. When I saw it this time, I bought it and I’m very glad as it emphasises the Australian nature of the leptospermum.