I’ve had this Ficus macrophylla (the Moreton Bay fig) for twenty years, inheriting it when I bought the property and nursery, Bibo Bonsai, in Peats Ridge. For many years it has been kept alive and just moved with me when we sold and moved to Green Point. The tree has a large base with excellent […]
This is a great time to bring tropical species such as figs to work on. Root pruning and styling are both possible, so make sure you bring everything you’ll need if you want to spend your evening developing your figs. Pruning the foliage and styling of your deciduous trees and conifers is also appropriate during
Hugh Grant, of Tree Makers Design, is a bonsai professional from the upper Blue Mountains of NSW. Tree Makers is a garden and studio specialising in quality design and techniques. Hugh manages clients’ trees, offering styling and maintenance services and professional development of bonsai. He also travels to teach study groups and lecture at
After a dry September, October has had a mix of showery and sunny days, some quite cool as well, but all your trees should be in active growth by now. This will continue in the coming months, and one must be mindful of keeping vigorous trees trimmed to encourage short internodes and an improved design.
The Victorian Native Bonsai Club hosted the 10th Symposium of Australian Native Plants as Bonsai in Melbourne at the end of August. The two day native infusion was well planned, superbly delivered and the delegates got a lot of facts and hints on growing natives as bonsai. The following are random notes taken during the
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
Clinton has once again agreed to demonstrate for our club. It’s always a pleasure to see Clinton in action. Clinton has worked full time in the family nursery since 1989 and holds a Nursery Trade Certificate. He was the president and taught at the School of Bonsai for many years where he shared his deep
September was an unusually dry month, with quite a few windy days, so hopefully you’ve all been able to manage the demands of your trees to keep them healthy and thriving. I repotted several natives and junipers in my collection last month, and it’s been challenging regularly spraying the foliage to increase humidity and prevent
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
