Allan is well known for his involvement in the Penjing Institute of Australia with Kingston Wang and his role previously in maintaining the bonsai and penjing at the Chinese Gardens of Friendship at Darling Harbour. Allan studied bonsai for fifteen years but penjing is where his heart is. Trained in China, Allan is the creator […]
I am sure not many of you (if any) spent time in July pruning back your figs but that is exactly what I found myself doing at the start of the month. I had noticed sooty mould on some of my figs in June, so sprayed with Confidor, to hopefully eradicate the scale that was
What is it about these two photos of the same tree taken the same morning? What is the subtle but marked difference? Why is the modified style in the second photo better? It is all about TAPER, the natural progression from thick to thin that balances a tree. In the first photo a twin apical
Neil Ryan’s theme for the AABC Conference this year was how to move a tree that had been aesthetically pleasing and well styled in the past into its next iteration. Tony Bebb’s demonstration last month was a lesson in how to achieve this. Tony chose an old Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora) that while still
Ian joined the BSA in 2000 after leaving both South Africa and his bonsai collection to come to Australia. Since then Ian has rebuilt a significant collection of both native and exotic trees. Ian is a skillful communicator whose deep knowledge of bonsai and artistic flair makes every demonstration he conducts interesting and informative. This
The recent rain and generally calm weather has meant that my bonsai haven’t needed a lot of watering or attention, although this cannot go on for much longer. I am aware that there is still plenty to do, so I need to get on with it! Winter has well and truly arrived, and it’s time
NSW Camellia Research Society Inc presents its 50th Annual Camellia Show. Happening at Ravenswoon School for Girls Henry Street, Gordon, this July 13, Saturday from 1.30PM to 4.30PM and July 14th Sunday from 10AM to 4PM.
This year we will again have our show at the Harvey Lowe Pavilion (20-22nd September), so put the date in your diary and this is and seriously consider displaying one or more of your trees. The Harvey Lowe Pavilion is a very large space and for our show to look its best we will need
I have had a Kunzea ambigua for many years… say fourteen. It has gone through several dramatic style changes, a few pots and I finally kinda felt I was on the right course but it just wasn’t quite right. Okay, it got second at the Royal Easter Show but there was still something that I
Please note that photos are from the exhibition and descriptions are from the show catalogue that are used to illustrate Marcela’s points. For many years Australian native species for bonsai were overlooked in favour of exotics and while some were experimenting with them, overall, most people believed that natives would not make good bonsai. However
