Yearly Archives: 2015

Bonsai @ Kew 2015

If you haven’t visited Kew gardens then this is a great time to go as they have a range of activities during the festive season including seasonal illuminations otherwise book a trip for 2016 and see the Orchids in February or just pop along and check out the amazing trees as well as the bonsai house. 

Yu Yuan Gardens, Shanghai

The Yu Garden or Yu Yuan Gardens (豫園, s 豫园) in China were stunning, an amazing place to visit whilst touring around the country. The architecture was wonderful with traditional roof tops and decor to be admired and so much history it was inspiring to learn more about the cultural aspects of China here.

Eelworms or Nematodes

What are eelworms, well they also called nematodes and are mostly microscopic worm like animals and some are significant plant pests. They are very species specific so you find a certain type of eelworm on one particular species, but those that are considered a pest have one thing in common they feed on the host… Read more »

Hong Kong tree roots

Tree roots are fascinating things and there was no better place to see the diversity of tree roots than amongst the streets of Hong Kong. Roots are the anchorage for the above ground element of the tree and they search out water and nutrients. If you are looking for inspiration for your bonsai artistry then… Read more »

Whats in a name?

Scientific names go further than just allowing us to easily talk about trees on the same level they can also go as far as to describe more about the tree or plant like where it originates from, what habitat it lives in or a particular feature about the plant and some are even named to… Read more »

Binomial nomenclature

Binomial nomenclature is the formal naming system for living things that all scientists use from plants to animals, fungi and bacteria. The scientific name of living things uses latin and therefore ensures that plants or trees for example are easily identifiable worldwide with the use of one common language.

List of awards

At our next Winter Show we will be using a panel of judges, similar to the system used at several recent bonsai events. It will be made up of professional and experienced amateurs, each judge will select three trees in each category. There is no need to select 1st, 2nd & 3rd, so the order… Read more »

Scientific or Common?

Often in bonsai it is hard to tell or confirm a tree species as some of the characteristics of the tree change quite considerably when maintained as bonsai. Leaf size for example may be many times smaller than it would usually be on a wild specimen of the same species of tree. One way to ensure… Read more »

For lovers of Pines…

The main pines at Pinsongqiu, Daliang County, Shunde in China were that of Pinus massoniana (马尾松) which are commonly known as the Chinese red pine, Masson’s pine or horsetail pine. They are a species native to Taiwan, central and southern China and Hong Kong plus northern Vietnam. In their natural environment they grow at low altitudes… Read more »

Big Banyan Fig in Yangshuo

Whilst staying at one of the most idyllic hotels called the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat in Yangshuo, China we walked to visit the nearby tourist attractions and one of these included a majestic Banyan Tree of epic proportions. It is located around 6km southwest of Yangshuo and set alongside the Gulin Li River and is a… Read more »