Year Two

acousticco

Year Two:

I don’t think I set out any specific objectives in this, my second year of bonsai participation. Year one taught me to better anticipate weather changes and of the folly of buying expensive tree without any experience with that particular species, especially when they aren’t anywhere near hardy to my environment. Year two was the year of unfocused activity, and of reckless acquisition. It wasn’t all junk, but none of it really got me any closer to my goals. I’ve also been rationalizing purchasing tropical species, saying that it’ll give me something to do during the winter, despite the fact that I have very little indoor space available and am far from providing an ideal environment for them. They do however; seem to be doing okay, but its cost me the use of most of my studio during the winter.

If I did come to any conclusions regarding my activities, it would be that it is well worth my time to concentrate on fewer species, and concentrate on native species. I think I made that resolution last year as well, but now, with a new house (AND YARD!!) the bonsai budget has shrunk, so I’ll have to stick with it. I think with the hours I spend flipping through books and magazines, looking at masterpiece Zelkovas, Japanese Maples and Black Pines, I’ve failed to take a really hard look at what’s growing around my neighborhood. Native tree discoveries this year include Larches, Hemlock, Birch, Spruce and native Pines… I don’t know how the hell I missed those…!

Year two also saw me diving headlong into micro-sized dwarf alpine plants, and waxing philosophical about the psychological effects of being bigger than everything around you. If I ever get a hold of a digital camera again I’ll post some pics of my miniature daisies, they’re blooms are about the size of a dime rising from a puff of foliage about an inch… Mind blowing!

So fellow newbies, what has 2004 taught you?

-Cody from Calgary

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Alasdair

I had been thinking about using daisys, digging one up from my lawn (where it is effectivly a weed). How long did it take to miniaturise your daisy? any care tips? I was also thinking about dandilions aswell because of the shape of their leaves and complex yellow flowers.

As for 2004, i didn't learn so many lessons about my trees, that was mostly the previous few years. This year has been mostly a waiting game whilst i allow my previously collected trees to grow on and develop branches, i don't think i aquired any more. What i have found invaluable is certain threads on this forum which have opened my eyes to the etiquette of being in a bonsai community. Making mistakes is useful in learning.

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ALDEVAUX

I agree with you 100%. I also found that non native species like japanese and trindent maples are very much trouble to keep alive in our very harsh winters. The native species I am trying (crab apple, red maple, white oak, little leaf linden, paper birch, white pine, balsam fir, juniperus sp. thuya sp., larch, weeping willow, siberian elm, etc.) need very little winter protection and are vigorus growers in our short summers. I am also trying only two non native species ( Grewia occidentalis and Duranta repens) because they are easy to keep indoors in the winter like tropicals with good fluorescent lights and seem easy to style and are also very fast growers in summer.

Forest Reef

"Year two was the year of unfocused activity, and of reckless acquisition. It wasn’t all junk,..."

[LOL!!!]

I'm into year three. I don't know that my year two activity was 'unfocused'. I'm quite focused. In about a hundred directions. Reckless acquisitions? Nailed. And, I'm not sure I'm done yet. My limiting factors are growing space (read: sunny spots in the yard) for summer and overwintering facilities since I persist in getting all manner of trees (Japanese maples included). I do have natives - plan to increase that. I've my eye on some to dig when I think my skills advance to that point. Yes, I've asked permission. ("Self, can we dig that tree in our woods come spring?" "Why, yes! And that one over there - they're shading our (landscape planted) hemlock & sourwood!")

I've bought & bought from the local landscape nursery (with some bonsai efforts - but, sadly, the former owner (who knew bonsai) passed on). Teacher recently started a (bonsai) nursery, but it takes time to build up prebonsai stock. (Read: my opportunities to shop/buy a wide variety of potensai (beyond 'landscape nursery' grade) much less good (fat trunk) prebonsai are...limited. Roadtrips.)

I am working on 'the list' of bonsai species I REALLY want....this is preliminary to getting me to consider reducing numbers (didn't say I agreed to it!!!) But, a positive plan to focus on more developed (valuable, time consuming, etc.), more DESIRED specimens may blunt that reckless acquiring habit I've developed. Maybe. But, 'nursery diving' is such FUN!!

Yes - we discovered accent plants in 2004, too. Daisies with foilage 1in across? Genetic dwarfs (alpine) or cultural dwarfs ('bonsaied', so to speak)? Cool. If it's a naturally small species, what is it? (I wonder if I can mailorder from a US-ok source (not sure I could order plants from Canada - all those phyto regs). I recommend some of the dwarf cultivar hostas - it is fascinating how small they are compared to 'normal' landscape material.

2004 was the start at moving beyond, "What soil mix?" and "When do I repot this species?" "Is it a trunk yet?".... Starting to consider the details of branch refinement (learn it so when my potensai get there - I'll be ready). Tertiary branches? Naw - still doing primary & secondary on most of mine. If not still working on the trunk. 2004 was our first participation in a real show! I showed my first tree (it wasn't a hit, but so what! I got in!!), so I'm learning display skills.

2004 was a great year. 2005 will be better!

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Anita

Nature, time, and patience are the three great physicians.

rowan57

I am also just starting my 2nd year of bonsai. I have taken 2 courses so far, both with John Hanby (My Teacher) and i am due to take a course with Danny Use in february, then maybe another with John soon the first year has been incredible for me, i have one tree which i have styled from scratch (although John did a lot of the styling this was my first time wiring and cleaning a tree up) and 3 which i consider nearly finished which i have bought from his nursery. Hopefully the 2nd year will be more productive for me, more trees styled and more wiring skills aquired and watching my seedlings grow will be good

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cbobgo

acoustico, is it just me, or is your avatar a pic of Darth Mahl playing the bass?

;-)

Year 4 and 5 are much better - keep at it guys!!

- bob

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acousticco

The daisies that I’m growing are Erigeron montanensis, dryland alpines native to Montana. The seeds and plants can be ordered from Beaver Creek Greenhouses. I’m never dealt with them so I can’t exactly recommend them, they do have an extensive online catalog, and they ship to the US (linked below).

I have mine growing in a tufa trough (the kind popular with alpine growers), I don’t give it any special treatment, and I don’t think I watered it at all last summer due to an unusual volume of rain in Calgary. It’s buried under snow at the moment and will hopefully stay that way until April…

Alasdair, I have a small book I found at a thrift store called ‘Quick and Easy Miniature Bonsai’ by Zeko Nakamura, published in 1973. It has a picture of a Dandelion bonsai on page 3. The book is interesting because it doesn’t differentiate between woody and herbaceous plants. Everything is bonsai!

Also, since I wrote “Year two was the year of unfocused activity, and of reckless acquisition.” I’ve purchased yet another tree. I found a lovely young Pomegranate in a flower store in an Asian mall. He also had some giant Rosemarys that were 1½-2 feet tall with 1½-2 inch trunks, if I had the space I would have picked one up. I also found some nice unglazed pots (which are in short supply here in Calgary).

btw, that’s me playing the bass at a concert in 2001.

Peace


http://www.rockgardenplants.com/bvcreekmain.htm

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jo schmoo

i believe 2004 has taught me a couple of things. one, i have learned that all the reading in the world is nothing compared to actually wiring, etc. i have also learned that i need to get some nursery stock that i can start working on right away. this year i'll probably try to persuade my parents into letting me get couple of nursery stock junipers or the such, so i can practice the design aspect, wiring, etc. later in the year i may even get a pine so i can learn about them. they take longer to develop, but i'm going to college in a couple of years. if i plant it in the ground it can really thicken up and i can still come home from college to decandle, etc.

i think this year taught me that i need more experience than knowledge right now.

also, for those of you with very harsh winters, if you want a maple like the trident i would recommend the the amur maple (acer ginnala). they are hardy to zone 2 and i believe Canada and the n. states (like me) are around zone 3 or 4. i got one this year instead of a trident, and let me say it grows like a weed (20 pairs of leaves on ONE branch at the apex and the least was 15 pairs farther down on the tree).

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