Silver Birch Mame In Winter

Larry

Well, a certainly am interested in bonsai as i have been growing them since 1986!(Sadly my earliest trees, including a literati elm I had for many years, are all history now as I had to leave them behind when I moved!) I do not just want to make small trees in a pot, I love the whole philosophy of bonsai culture. I was just led to believe that mame were a 'style' of their own. As there is such a dearth of books on mame, the ones you do see tend to be labelled simply mame or shohin, rather than say semi-cascade or informal upright. Also, i am not interseted in my trees being missed by a judge, they are here to please me and anyone else who might like to look at them.

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Jonny D

Quote: "I was just led to believe that mame were a 'style' of their own".

Mame simply refers to the size i.e.: miniture, like shonin means small. Shonin bonsai have individual styles as do mame (i thought you would no this growing them for so long). And i think you missed my point about the judgeing, I used it to illustrate that the best feature of the tree is being overlooked, in your example why do you think the tree is shown with a few flowers? You wouldn't, or at least I wouldn't and i think most people here woudn't, grow a flowering bonsai in the hope that it never flowers, that would be rediculous, why should this be different. These were and are my opinions, and I will endevour to give them even if they are not welcome.

Your absolutley right they are there to please you, but i was trying to offer constructive critiscm as I always do, your the one who posted, sorry if its not what you want to hear.

I think I spoke to you on Garden web quite a while ago about willowbog bonsai and that you might be close to it, did you look into it? Also I think that there is definatley one book i no of specifically on mame bonsai (anyone no it?) that I have seen knocking around, might be worth tracking down or asking further questions on the mame section of this website.

Jonny

Larry

I do frequent Gardenweb but havent a clue what willowbog bonsai are! And tho I have been growing(or trying to) bonsai for a few years I have not always met with success and certainly do not count myself an expert(I gave up on it for a while, in fact i gave up on everything for a while, but thats another story).
Mame are so few and far between , and even more so when I started! I prefer the small ones living in a tiny flat with a small garden, and a tight budget . I like to make my own, using whatever material I can, and am using the silver birch because I found them growing at work and was allowed to take them home.
I have never bought a bonsai, tho would like a chinese elm of some so-called indoor bonsai(if I can keep the cats from eating them!) It is a small tree, easy growing ,perfect for beginners, and as I am just this year getting back into it I wanted to start with something fairly easy, and this seemed the ideal subject(its certainly fast growing!) I also have a Black Alder(Italian?) that I also found at work, and am unsure what to do with that one.
Basically, as regards plants, I'm an opportunist. Comes from a long time with no money and a long passion for growing things.

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Jonny D

Ok, i'm fairly sure it was you i told over there but I could be wrong, willow bog bonsai are in Hexham and being in the north east you might not be far from them, worth a look go to www.willowbog-bonsai.co.uk

Jonny.

Carl_Bergstrom

With respect to books specifically on mame and/or shohin bonsai, my bookshelf includes the following.

• The Mini-Bonsai Hobby Katayama, Tei'ichi
• Miniature Bonsai: A Complete Guide to Cultivating Tiny Bonsai Kuo-cheng, Lin
• Miniature Bonsai. Gustafson, Herb
• Bonsai Miniatures: Quick and Easy Nakamura, Zeko
• Illustrated manual of mini-bonsai for maple (In Japanese). Gun, Kyosuke
• Illustrated manual of mini-bonsai in three years (In Japanese). Gun, Kyosuke

Many of these can be obtained very cheaply, used, over the internet.

Best regards,
Carl

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Larry

Ah, now I remember! (Thinking, Bog willow, whats one of those, DUH!)Yes, Hexham, not too far from me, but unfortunately I have no transport and at the moment, having just lost my job,no money!(We dont travel, cant afford to with xmas coming up AND a new baby!
Interesting site tho.

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mkonig

Hi Larry

Take it from a fellow english man(with a tiny garden and even tinier income ), bonsai does not have to be expensive. Have a walk around your local woods and you can pick up loads of seeds and seedlings of indigenous trees. Hornbeam, Larch, Hawthorn, Oak etc., the list is endless. A little patience and a little space is all that is needed.

By the way, even if your birch will never be a "proper" mame bonsai, it will teach you how to keep a tree alive. No effort in practice is ever useless.

Keep enjoying the hobby.

Mike

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