There are no specific activities planned for this month’s workshop, but last month was spent mainly tidying up conifers, particularly junipers. If the foliage is opened up it allows more light and air to penetrate, which is particularly important during the colder months of the year.

May continues to be a good time for tidying up the foliage of evergreens both conifers and other non-flowering bonsai, although major pruning is best not done in late autumn. You may also want to do some wiring if you want to improve the styling or structure of any of your trees.

Deciduous trees should be worked on (including repotting) during the winter months, so leave them at home for the present. If you are planning to do a group planting of deciduous trees at our July workshop, now is a good time to start organising the plants you will be using. Remember that an odd number of trees will work best in your design.