Gumpo Azalea 1

Gumpo Azaleas are a satsuki hybrid with particularly small leaves, making them lovely for shohin bonsai. Classically, they are white, but pink (light), Fancy (pink flowers with a white margin) and red (dark pink) are available. Though less common in the Northern USA, these have been grown in parts farther south and in Japan for a long time. Usually considered suitable for zone 7 and warmer, we've only seen these little gems available regularly up here in the last ten years or so, as the winters have been slowly warming. They still require winter protection in my area, mostly from drying winds.

Intersting tidbit - Gumpo translates to 'Group of Phoenixes'.

This weekend I was considering a piece of stock I picked up at the end of last season. I got it for a song from the back of a large nursery, along with several of its brethren gumpos. Ostensibly a bush, the base is what drew me, and as I cleared away a lot of the old soil I was rewarded even further.



Originally, the soil line came up above the funny elbow looking branch on the right, with the whole bush being tilted to the right, hiding the root flare on that side. Fine roots had started to grow in the gap between the branch and what has now become the exposed nebari. I cleaned these out, since I had more than enough healthy roots to work with in more appropriate areas. Below are shots of the base and nebari from two different vantage points, both offering very different thoughts about a front for me.


The tree is a little wierd and kooky from this angle. I would actually rotate it slightly, so that the lack of roots on the left hand side is not so glaring, if I were to chose this angle. There *are* roots on that side, just not nearly as flat and spreading as the ones on the right in the above picture.

From this side, the nebari is not nearly as dramatic, but it still has something to offer, especially if I want to go with a heavy cut down and start the branching entirely from scratch. It could make a potentially powerful little shohin, which the leave size lends itself to very well. Less dramatic, more sedate. This was the side originally exposed, and what made me bring it home in the first place.

I will be letting this piece recover from the repotting while I deliberate possibilities. Extensive removal of branches (there are a lot of them that will play no role in any future work) will wait. I intend to remove the flower buds, and once vegatative growth starts up again here, doing light, selective pruning, with an eye on encouraging back budding. If I had a clearer idea of which direction I wanted to take this, I might be more daring with cutting it down, but for now, I am in no rush.

Suggestions and thoughts, as always, are welcome.

Bonsai Plant Profile; Witch Hazel

Hamamelis; Witch Hazel

I wish I knew who to attribute this to/where it came from. All I know is that the folks selling Witch Hazel seeds online seem to love this particular image. Not that I can really blame them.

Winter flowering bonsai are frequently overlooked in comparison to their more multi season friends; pines, maples, junipers.... and for good reason. Many shrubs and trees that flower in winter or very early spring make challenging bonsai specimens. Witch Hazel (of which several varieties are currently in bloom here on Long Island) for instance has large leaves that do not reduce well, and which grow at awkward appearing angles from the branches, making them mostly single season interest trees. Take the tree below, from the Chicago Bontanic Garden collection. Hamamelis japonica, Japanese Witch Hazel, in summer leaf.




Untidy, isn't it?

But take a look at the same tree in its winter dress.




Whole different ball of wax.

Some tips on growing Witch Hazel:

-There are dozens of species of Witch Hazel, many of which have different bloom times, usually lasting for about a month, ranging from October to February in northern areas. Hardiness ranges from zone 8 to zone 3, so be certain that the species you are choosing is appropriate for your winters. A cold frame or hoop house style green house can mitigate those requirements.

-Related to the above, several species have different coloured flowering varieties available. They come in whites, pinks, oranges, reds and bronzes. Many are not as vigorous as the typical yellow flowering varieties, and may prove more susceptible to disease, or may not be as cold hardy as the species. Keep this in mind when experimenting with different cultivars.

-Because you will be showing this tree when it is naked, the ramification and fine branch structure is incredibly important. Witch Hazels can have lovely, fine and delicate branching with some work, and are well worth the effort.

- Well cared for and fertilized, many species of Witch Hazel can take a lot of insult and heavy pruning. Limit the majority of your pruning to early spring to early summer, to allow the tree to rest and form buds for the following winter if you expect to show it.


-Witch Hazels like full sun to partial shade, and when grown in the landscape can tolerate quite a bit of shade. In a bonsai pot especially, offer protection during the summer from midday sun, and their leaves can scorch.

-In the summer, Witch Hazels tend to like a lot of water, and while good drainage is required, these trees should be allowed to remain moist and never allowed to dry out.

-Witch Hazels are largely pest resistant, though occasional scale and aphids will be a problem, especially if over fertilized in mid to late spring. They are also a loved food of certain caterpillars, but this is less of a problem in bonsai cultivation than it is in the landscape. H. mollis, Chinese Witch Hazel is sometimes noted with Powdery Mildew.

-Fertilizing is fairly standard for an average deciduous tree. An occasional dose of an acidic fertilizer can be beneficial, as they prefer slightly acidic conditions.

Having bonsai that look good year round is a great thing, so great as to be impossible to overrate really. But the joy of a winter flowering bonsai cannot simply be ignored by those of us who live in temperate climates. When this quiet time of year rolls around, the winter and early spring flowering choices, both on the bench and in the landscape, keep my heart warm during the quiet months. I look forward to each new flowering as they come. The fall flowering camellias and seven sons tree. Winter hazels, sweet box, mahonia, persian ironwood and erica. Before we even get to plum and cherry, the wintersweet, winter jasmine and forsythia brighten our days. Some of these are suitable for bonsai; others are very much not (I imagine trying to bonsai a mahonia would be a lesson in abject pain and disappointment for any practitioner. But then, there *are* people who bonsai poison ivy, so to each their own). And each winter flowering species has its challenges and disadvantages. But these are trees that personally at least, I would like to try to work with more frequently.

Carpinus betulus 'Columnaris'

So its become pretty obvious that I don't really like to share my trees. Knowledge, tidbits, photos, yes, but my trees? Not so much. There are a couple of reasons for that, many of which sound like excuses, even to *me*. But the most important one is this:


I don't really have a lot of trees worth sharing yet. For a number of reasons that are relatively unimportant right now. Living in an area far away from anywhere I could collect, limited funds of a family where despite a love, bonsai gets ranked toward the bottom of needs, and the dying nursery business on Long Island (we've lost both of our bonsai nurseries here in the last four years or so), leave finding really good stock difficult, and leaves me instead with many pieces that are definitely 10-20 year projects. Which is good, because I'll be doing this the rest of my life! But bad for showing work on a blog.


Well, I'm going to do my best to change that. Some of the pieces I have I *can* share, and the only thing preventing me are unspoken excuses. So while they aren't anywhere near finished (though what bonsai is) I'm going to bite the bullet and start putting them up here.

Carpinus betulus 'Columnaris'. Columnar European Hornbeam. I picked this piece up at a place called Peconic River Herb farm about three years ago. I wish I had pictures from that year, but the computer they were all on is vindictive and cruel. I brought the height down by almost half. It is currently 30 inches tall. I have a lot of thinning out to do, after a season of unrestricted growth, and this tree seems prone to sending out shoots right above each other. There is a spot in particular where a very thick branch comes off of the trunk on the right hand side that I will probably remove. It contributes to the silhouette, but the branch is nearly as thick as the trunk at that point and while it looks good in leaf, that particular issue is a lot more obvious this time of year. It will leave a rather large bare spot, but a bit of a rotation will help that, and the tree is very good at sending out copious quantities of new shoots at the slightest provocation.

I know I should shorten the tree to give it a heavier look. And I know that I *should* wire down the branches. I will probably shorten it a bit, but since this is a columnar form I'm hesitant to do too much in the way of fighting mother nature on the wiring down issue.

Epcot Flower and Garden Show 2011

Long overdue photos, taken during the Epcot Flower and Garden Show last February. I wish I knew who all these trees belonged to. I know they are trees from the members of the Bonsai Socities of Florida. I should have written down all of the info on the cards, but wrangling the family made just getting the snap shots a priority. Some of them I can still read in the photo if I zoom, so any information I can share that way, I will. If anyone knows additional info about any of these trees, I'd love to share it.

Click photos for full view.

Ficus nerifolia, Willow Leaf Ficus

Ficus nerifolia, Willow Leaf Ficus detail.

Ilex sp.

Ficus microcarpa "Green Island". Years in training: 10. Presented by: Erik Vigert

Details of Ficus microcarpa "Green Island". Plus little friend.

Podocarpus macrophyllus, Japanese Yew. Years in training: 10. Presented by: Charles Michelson.




Bouganvillea glabra, Paper flower. Years in training: 1. Presented by Tony Stewart.

Elm.




Casuarin




Ficus nerifolia, Willow Leaf Ficus. Years in training: 30. Presented by: Charles Michelson.






Details Ficus nerifolia.



And simply because it made me smile.....

Panda topiary!

All this talk of pots, part 1

There has been a lot of talk of pots lately it seems. Partly, I know, spurned by the reproduction Ming Dynasty pots Robert Steven has available via AOB. (If you are interested in more info/seeing the pots, here you go: http://www.aobkobstore.com/)

I ordered one. Regardless of collectability, I really like the way it looks, and I have a soft spot for Asian history that most think is limited to Japan. Focused on, perhaps, but not limited to. But this post isn't about Steven's pot in particular. Just wanted to share a few pots that I've come across in the last months that I was particularly fond of, for one reason or another, or that just caught my eye.

The first pots were actually posted by Wayne over at http://bonsaibark.com/ , though, unfortunately, we don't know who made the fourth one, or really much about it at all. Time to ramp up learning kanji now that I'm set on hiragana and katakana! The first with the crickets (my favorite of the three, though all of them are made by him) is by Master Potter Gyozan Nakono.

Next set of pots by Andy over at Stone Monkey Ceramics (http://www.stonemonkeyceramics.co.uk/). The last one is one of the pots I purchased from him last year, along with the accent pot from the Thyme post last week.

More to come at a later date I'm sure.

Parsley, sage, rosemary and....

Thyme.

Thyme and three mosses, pot by Andy over at Stone Monkey.

I might retake this shot later, around five this evening when the light will be a bit more diffused. Just to see if it looks nicer. Click on the images, since all of the details are lost in the thumbnails.

A slightly better shot of the pot, because I love this pot....

Memories of Golden Bonsai

While I was sorting through old files on my computer yesterday, I came across some pictures from Golden Bonsai Nursery, before it burned down, some of which I don't think have ever seen the light of day. Just thought I'd share them.

Little Azalea

I don't frequently share my trees online. There are a couple of reasons for this. Partly, the work I do and time I spend on my trees is a highly personal experience for me. But there is a far more concrete reason as well. None of my trees have been in cultivation for more than two years and I'm just not ready to share them. With the divorce and the move from Ohio, it was a complete restart... well, with everything, not just bonsai.

However, I figured I am overdue for a couple at least. Below is an azalea I picked up last summer from Edna over at Green Garden Nursery. I almost walked right past it, because it was so large and scrawny, my eyes just cast over it. It wasn't until I was on my way back through to the front of the nursery, and caught a glimpse of the 'back' of this that I pulled up short. I hadn't even been looking for an azalea that day, but then, I always leave Edna's with more than I intended on.



The above picture was just taken for my own reference, so forgive the mess in my work area. Anyway, this year I repotted and did a serious pruning. It has backbudded very well, and growing very well in general, so I'm pretty happy. Obviously, this is no where near complete. I'll let it grow out for the next year and see where I'm keeping the new branches. In two years, I might cut it back even further, as the lower trunk would make a pretty powerful shohin. Right now, it is about five inches high, the trunk is just under three inches wide. The picture makes the roots look a lot messier than they are, though they do need work.

Garden Photos

I took more photos than usual of my garden this year. As in, I normally don't take any. Some of these are from my own house, and some from the nursery I work at. Enjoy.



I blame the peonies for my photo craze. These were the pride of my yard a few weeks ago. Can't tell so much in the picture, since there is no frame of reference, but the larger blossoms were the size of dinner plates this year, and I had more than two dozen of them. Gorgeous.

Close shot, same bloom.

Stella d'Oro Daylilies, first of the season a little early.

Rhododendrons on a shrub (I say shrub, but it's taller than my house) that's estimated at around 200 years old.

Mock Orange (Philadelphus) Blossoms. I love the way these smell, like a cross between orange blossoms (hence the name) and jasmine.

Astilbe.

Magnolia.

Yarrow in pinks and yellows around a weeping cherry tree.

More Stella d'Oro.

Hydrangea.

Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, your pick

A recently passed birthday has given me the perfect excuse I need to finally purchase some pots from Andy over at Stone Monkey. I've been admiring his pots for some time, and frankly, was overdue to get a couple from him. So while his recent post at Knowledge of Bonsai was labeled as "Merry Christmas", I'm happy to call it "Happy Birthday" in my head.

My photoclient is being all buggy, but you can view the pots here:
http://www.knowledgeofbonsai.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=2924

The very first one (accent plant), and the very last one (the green glazed shohin), are the pots I've ordered, and I am happy as I wait for them to arrive. I hemmed and hawed between the green one, and the grey rectangular pot above it (you'll see what I mean... I love the glaze on that one too). Really beautiful batch all around.

Marco Invernizzi Demo

Marco Invernizzi is an absolutely amazing individual. Not only owning to his apprenticeship in Japan under Kimura (sometimes known just as "The Magician"), but also a history in art both in training and through his family, Marco has an eye for bonsai that is clearly well trained and intuitive combined. A friendly, charming and most importantly, humorous man, he brought a new level of workmanship and knowledge, turning the evening into a fun and informative event.

For more Marco's webpage, please visit: http://www.marcoinvernizzi.com/
There is also a profile and interview with him hosted at the AoB forum. Art of Bonsai Profile: Marco Invernizzi

The stock was brought in by one of our members. Paul actually found this tree on a junk heap left over from landscapers, and rescued the tree, potting it and letting it recover. Now showing vigorous growth, it was clearly ready for its first styling. The tree is a Chamaecyparis obtusa, Hinoki Cypress, in an unknown dwarf variety.

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I admit now to having a difficult time photographing Marco. He simply didn't stop moving!After passing around two albums and sign up sheet for his mailing list, Marco dove right into the tree. He showed us some of the most desirable details, especially in the lower trunk, as well as pointing out some of the flaws that are inevitable in collected material. With great taper up until the top portions of the trunk, some wonderful natural shari and deadwood on one side of the nebari, and an unsightly grafting line that was visible from one side, we had a pretty clear idea of what the strengths and weaknesses of the tree were.

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There had been a dieback on the trunk due to the natural deadwood on the one side of the nebari. Several branches had died back and been removed. Though the bark still clung to the trunk, it was brittle and dead, ready for a shari up much of one side of the trunk. Marco let us know that as it would be a nearly necessary part of the end design, we would clear that section first, and then choose a front based on the different angles of that shari.

As he worked he talked about life lines on the tree, pointing out several that could become shari at some point in the tree's future if so desired.

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Only the roughest base of the shari was completed, just enough to give us a clear idea of the shape. Details could be decided later by the eventual owner (this tree will be raffled off at our Christmas event). There was a challenge in choosing a front, as both possible sides had pros and cons. One side, featuring more elegant, almost literati lines, was marred by the bulge and line of the graft and a poor removal of a dead branch, the scar remaining prominent and unworkable at the moment. The other side showed the shari and the deadwood nebari to better effect, making that view more dynamic rather than elegant. The first branch however was coming directly out from the front on this view, and would have to be dealt with.

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Though both sides were viable options, and after each member was given a chance to explain why they had a preference for each side, the side with the better view of the shari was chosen. The club was split right down the middle on preference, and Marco's deciding vote was cast due not to the positive aspect of the side, but due to the graft mark on the other side. There was nothing that could ever be done to mask that, short of radically extending the shari, and that was the deciding factor for the front.

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Though Marco would be removing a bit of foliage, he assured us that it would not be "too much" for the tree to handle. He still left enough foliage for the tree to flourish, and as we've had (and are slated to continue having) a very warm and mild autumn, there should be no risk to the tree. He stressed that he only touched what he was going to prune. Something he learned from Kimura was that trees "don't like to be touched." Touching of foliage, especially buds can slow their growth."Touch the tree as little as possible."

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After the pruning and the addition of two small, but well placed jin, Marco started wiring. He always works in an order, finishing one job before starting on the next, rather than jumping around. As the shari and pruning had been finished, he moved on to moving the position of the front "eye poker" branch. Rather than anchoring the wire to a higher branch, he wired the branch and then secured the guy wire that would pull the branch back to the wire already at the base of the branch, eliminating any unsightly wires hanging all over the tree.

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Marco wired each and every branch. Every last single branch. This was the longest portion (for obvious reasons) and he opened it up to questions. Few were about the tree itself, rather focusing on his training with Kimura (difficult but eye opening), his favorite material to work on (Larch), his time in Japan, among others. When we did talk about wiring, he showed us how to keep it not too tight, but tight enough, as well as some other little tips and tricks especially for wiring small branches. When the whole thing was finished, when viewed from the top you could see just how well spread out all of the branches were, how much work and detail he had put into separating the foliage pads. Due to some of the larger bends he'd put into the branches, he'd also been very careful to make certain that all of the foliage was facing up. Cypress (and most other trees for later matter) are sensitive to light on the underside of leaves, and having the bottom of the leaves facing up is a recipe for leaf burn.

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I was pleased to see no "instant bonsai" in this demo. The tree still clearly has a long way to go, but the groundwork has been laid for a truly beautiful bonsai at some point in the future. Between good stock and a great artist, this Hinoki Cypress, often considered one of the more difficult types of trees to work with and keep beautiful, will make a stunning addition to one of our member's collections this Christmas. Marco went over with us all some of things that could be done in the future with this tree, different options, some work that will need to be done, but enough that the next owner will have a strong hand in the continued shaping of this tree.

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We offer sincere thanks to Marco Invernezzi who took the time to work with our club on this piece. It was a learning experience for the club, and one we won't soon forget.Thank you Marco. Your friends in Bonsai. -The Bonsai Society of Greater New York

Pond and Garden walk

I do yard work and light landscaping for a friend of the family's. Every year she has a pond viewing tour, or, more accurately, there is one for the Long Island area and her house is one of the stops. The last two weeks before the event had been spent really getting down and dirty to get everything ready. The last two days before I spent eight hours just cleaning twigs and tiny weeds from the stone area around her koi pond. She requested that I bring a couple of my trees down so that she could display them during the tour. Now, I haven't shown any of my trees.... ever. I've never participated in anything (other than the internet) where I put my trees on display for other people can see and study them. So while I was a little nervous about it, I also didn't feel like I could pass this up... sort of like baby steps into eventually showing my trees. I brought over two, the Indigo that I've posted on previously, and a Juniper that as yet has not made an appearance here that I brought home after this years club auction this past August.

Thought I'd share some of the photos here, mostly of the koi pond, and not a great one of the trees, but eh. I'd originally had the trees shown in seperate places, but apparently the morning of she moved them both to the same table because she liked the way it looked. As it wasn't an official bonsai display, and it was *her* yard, I didn't have the heart to tell her I'd seperated them for viewing purposes. Whatever makes Mrs. Cheslak happy, makes me happy!