Yamadori Hawthorn

Finally managed to bet the camera out to take some pictures of this Hawthorn I collected late last year.
Not too difficult to collect, as the rabbits living underneath it had done most of the job for me.  It has a good amount of root on it, but only time will tell if it lives.  It has spent the winter under cover in the cold greenhouse, covered in frost protection fleece and will receive some tlc for the next couple of years to help it establish in the pot.

Fingers crossed!

Bonsai in Wales 2012 Event

Trees for the exhibiton are now being selected, so if you have a tree that you would like to be considered, contact
peter@bonsaiwales.org.uk.

Amazing what you find in the loft

While fitting insulation and boarding out the loft space of our house, we had a much needed clear-out of the accumulated junk that has been sitting up there for some years now.

Looking through some boxes of books (destined for the charity shop) I found these two unusual books.  I have no idea where they came from, but one being written in German, it is very likely that I brought them with me when I immigrated to the UK.

What makes them unusual is they way they are bound.  The pages are printed on one side of a continuous length of paper and then folded concertina fashion to create the pages (like so: /\/\/\/\/\). These are then sewn together and lay loose inside the hard cover.

They have no ISBN numbers, having been printed in the 1950's, so I have contacted a couple of specialist book sellers to see if they are interested.

I have no use for them, so if you are interested, make me an offer and I will happily part with them.

Compulsory Websites 4

Bonsai Eejit

Ian's blog from Northern Ireland shows what a good Bonsai blog is all about.

Daily posts record his bonsai activities, covering everything from working with his trees, countryside walks for inspiration and the practical side of growing bonsai in our changeable climate.

Ian is an avid watcher of the bonsai scene, both national and international and he uses the blog to highlight lesser known but very worthwhile bonsai content on the internet.

A special treat are his 360 degree pictures of bonsai, a must see!

I an is a member of the Northern Ireland Bonsai Society and their website is well worth a visit.

Compulsory Websites 3

Walter Pall Bonsai Adventures

Walter Pall's blog is a constant source of inspiration for me.  His inimitable style and no nonsense advice is just so refreshing.

Walter is in my view the premier bonsai artists in Europe.

His website features pictures and progressions on some amazing bonsai, as well as travel reports, Articles and videos.  Luckily Walter post the majority of his blog in English, rather than his native German. I am lucky to be able to speak German, so the fact that some of the articles are only available in German is no problem to me, for anyone who does not speak the language, Google translate does a reasonable job.

Make sure to have a look at his articles about modern growing substrate and his feeding and watering regime

Compulsory Websites 2

My second suggestion is a relative newcomer to the scene (blogging that is, not bonsai).

Yamadori and Bonsai material from Tony Tickle

Tony Tickle's new blog was started just over a month ago and has attracted great attention from bonsai enthusiast all over the world.

From the title you would think that the focus is on yamadori bonsai and the care of collected material,  but you will also find a wealth of general bonsai knowledge as well as reports from his travels to visit exhibitions and fellow bonsai enthusiasts.  The post are well written and the articles, photos and videos are of great quality.

Tony is well known in the European Bonsai Scene for his work with indigenous species and is a sought after speaker and demonstrator at club meetings and exhibitions across the UK and Europe.

Compulsory Web Sites

Mid winter boredom is setting in, so while all is quiet in the bonsai garden, I thought it might be a good idea mention some good on-line reading.
I follow about 30 Blogs and Websites that provide me with information and inspiration.

No.1 on my list is www.bonsai4me.com.

This site was started many years ago by Harry Harrington and has since grown to one of the premier UK based knowledge resources for bonsai enthusiasts, attracting over 2 million hits per year from all over the world.  

The amount of information is staggering, from basic bonsai care to advanced techniques, all easily accessible.

He has posted some great progression articles with plenty of pictures and explanations and a wealth of other  articles covering all aspects of bonsai.

Harry has recently released his second book, Bonsai Inspirations 2, which promises to be a good read.

'Bonsai Inspirations 2' is divided into 5 chapters, each chapter covering the progression and development of a bonsai over a period of many years, illustrating in great depth how impressive and majestic bonsai can be created from humble beginnings.

In-depth articles, diagrams and many hundreds of photographs have been inserted into each Chapter to help explain and illustrate the techniques involved in the development of each bonsai.

Species covered in detail within the book include Linden or Lime, Small-Leaved Cotoneaster, Japanese Maple and Chinese Juniper. Each chapter includes indepth articles covering subjects such as Juniper Styling Techniques, Creating Deadwood by Hand, Approach-Grafting New Roots and Photographing Bonsai.

'Bonsai Inspirations' has been written to provide interest and inspiration as well as information to bonsai enthusaists of all levels, whether they are novices looking to learn how to look after their first trees, experienced growers or bonsai professionals.

BSA 6th Annual Exhibition

This is another one for the diary!

If you like your bonsai in small sizes, this is the place to be.

Held at Willowbog Bonsai, there will be plenty to see and the line-up of demonstrators and speakers looks impressive.

See the BSA Website for the full event schedule.

Swindon & District Bonsai Society Winter Image Show

Just a timely reminder.  Unfortunately I will not be able to make it there, but to my mind it is among the best Club shows in the UK.