Root stands

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Eucalyptus root stand
Eucalyptus

Swindon club member Kit has been very busy recently, he has been whittling these beautifully crafted root stands. I have always adored these unique pieces of craftsmanship; you won’t often find these stands available through retailers as they just aren’t commercially viable to produce because of the investment of time it takes to produce each and the return on this. This only makes them more alluring.

6000 year old Irish bog oak
6000 year old Irish bog oak
Eucalyptus root stand
Eucalyptus

So you can see the final product is great, but the process is always just as interesting for me. Kit took some photos as he was developing the stands, mistakes are part of the process sometimes. See if you can work out which bit Kit removed unintentionally.

Safety first, always
Safety first, always

 

Winter protection

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Snow in Pine

Ask any bonsai enthusiast here in the UK about what they do to protect their trees during the winter and you will usually get a very confident answer; although there does seem to be variation in what people say. I will offer one piece of advice straight away, the smaller the tree the more protection you should give it, this is all dependant on conditions of course and there are no right or wrong answers. The more options you have the better off you will be, the more precautions you take the better off the tree will be. You can extend the growing season by using good protection and lessen the possibility of ill health or worse death. The vast majority of trees do require a period of dormancy however. Continue reading →

Information for 2015 ‘Winter Image’ show

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Railway bridge closure, November – April 2015

This information is for anyone attending the ‘Winter Image’ show on the 22nd Feb 2015.

I wasn’t going to post this just yet, but a number of people are already arranging their accommodation within the Swindon area and they may find this helpful.

It affects anyone attending the show venue, from the town side of Grange Drive. The railway bridge on the B4006 at Greenbridge, has been closed and will remain so until April 2015 while they renew and raise the bridge for the electrification of the main London railway system. There is a diversion signed, but it takes you back towards the town centre. See Map

The railway bridge on Ermin Street, which is off the A419 Swindon bypass, A420 Oxford Road junction is no problem and may be your best route to the show. It is controlled by traffic lights which keeps the traffic moving as it is busy at peak times. Luckily the show is on a Sunday as traffic is lighter.

San Jose Juniper

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San Jose Juniper Bonsai owned and created by Simon Temblett
San Jose Juniper Bonsai owned and created by Simon Temblett

Simon Temblett gave an evening talk to Swindon Bonsai Club and during his talk he ran through some of his bonsai creations. One stood out, his San Jose Juniper (Juniperus chinensis) which he bought 25 years ago as a tiny plant from a garden centre.

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