Some nice colour on some of the Willowbog Collection bonsai.

Whilst doing a little bit of autumn tidying up  about  the nursery today, I noticed how nice one or two of  ” Mr. Greedy’s ” bonsai looked !

This Japanese Mountain Maple [ Acer palmatum ] is one of my favourite trees !  Purchased about 5 years ago from our main supplier it is a real high quality bonsai. Before importation it had suffered a little neglect in Japan having apparently been part of the collection of an elderly enthusiast. When I first saw it without leaves it was clear that the ramification needed work. In fact I cut  8 to 10 cm. of  overly heavy ‘ fine ‘ branches away and have since been re-growing this part of the tree.  Nearly there now though there is still a bit of work to do in the apex , this will be apparent when I get a current photo after leaf fall.

Leaf size is a little large but that’s not a big deal at this stage. Time to focus more on that next year.  This tree features a really good nebari and is potted in a classic Japanese container.

This is the other maple in the Willowbog Collection. Nearly as good as the last bonsai and as you can see a clump style. Also showing nice fall leaf colour. The grey bark extending well up the trunks and into the canopy indicates a mature tree.

This bonsai was from the same Japanese collection as the previous tree and has required similar treatment. However, I have a bit farther to go with this specimen in terms of re-growing ramification.  We find it very easy to grow moss naturally on the soil surface of bonsai at Willowbog ! It looks very nice of course, but does have to be removed from time to time as it does obscure the nebari , this tree also has good root spread but it is well hidden by the moss !

Two elms now, first the very familiar Chines elm [ Ulmus parvifolia ] , this is the only Chinese tree in our collection but worthy of its place I think. Developed from fairly cheap imported ” indoor bonsai ” stock this tree was developed by one of our customers over a number of years. I used to look after his entire collection each year when he went on holiday and I always admired the way he had transformed this from the typical Chinese sort of styling. Sadly following dramatic changes to his domestic situation he gave up bonsai a year or so ago and his trees came here to be sold.  Upon hearing of my admiration for this tree he very generously donated it to the nursery’s collection saying that at least that way he could continue to see the tree from time to time !

Though not showing up so well against the background this elm is the Siberian elm [ Ulmus pumila ] Looking very much as though it has been created from an air-layering, this tree will in time develop a very good nebari. I really like the ” mother and daughter ” style and the winged type bark. In fact I originally thought this to be the Winged spindle [ Euonymous alatus ] but the leaves reveal that it is definitely an Ulmus !  Apart from development of the nebari there is still a fair bit of branch work to be done but there is just something very appealing about this tree and I am very pleased that it failed to sell whilst it was priced and on the selling benches !!

I sometimes feel that the only 3 folk in the whole world who really like this tree are Jean, myself and Mr. Warren. It is the ubiquitous Sycamore [ Acer psuedoplatanus ]  Not the easiest species to make bonsai from and of course, this specimen will never make classic bonsai. It is our ” wacky ‘ bonsai !  Like many favourite trees it has a history and a personal connection . Many years ago we had a good friend who lived on a Scottish island and before being ” confined ” to a nursery we would go and stay with him. I dug this tree up from a beach near where he lived, it was growing in pure sand not far up from the tide line which explains the curious hollow and disfigured trunk . It tries ones patience attempting to build a branch structure, goodness knows how far off I am starting on ramification !!!

As it is nearly supper time I will content myself with just posting the photo of this European beech [ Fagus sylvatica ] in glorious autumn colour and re-post again after its leaves have fallen and at that time relate the story that goes with this Willowbog tree !

About these ads