Virtual bonsai

Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic Swindon Bonsai Club Members have kept their hobby going virtually through a fortnightly meeting on Zoom. It is not quite the same as meeting up in person to discuss and work on your trees but it has proven to be a good method utilising existing technology to still be able to discuss our bonsai trees with each other and share knowledge and advice. We tend to have a theme for each zoom meeting and the most recent one was unusual bonsai.

  • Mike Partridges Mame display in lockdown

Many other bonsai clubs and societies are also doing this and some have set up WhatsApp groups to share photos of their bonsai tree development and set up.

There is also a Virtual Bonsai Show which has been organised by the UK Bonsai Association, so check out their website for more details.

Chinese Elm project tree 2020

This year we still wanted to ensure our club members were busy with bonsai so we have proceeded with starting another Elm project with them. We managed to source earlier in the year 20 Chinese Elms and are now offering our club members the opportunity to join in with the project trees again for this year. If you would like to take part then purchase a raffle ticket (an e-mail has been sent to club members with the details of how to purchase a ticket). This links to a corresponding ticket on the Elm and that tree will be allocated to you and we can arrange for a suitable collection location.

Key things to remember

Keep it in a pot of your choice so you can bring it back into the club nights to be photographed to monitor your progress

Work on it yourself

Do not create a group planting

Style it how you want

Feed it with your own feeding regime

Keep it alive and let the project begin……

Collette’s Bonsai in Fordingbridge

Collette received a stunning bonsai gift from a friend

If you are looking to start the hobby of bonsai and need some advice or are looking to buy your first tree or even add to your existing collection then contact Collette’s Bonsai Trees on Facebook call 07867 688614 or email bonsaitrees@live.com. She has an array of bonsai trees suitable for the beginner right through to more advanced and established bonsai trees. She is now based in Fordingbridge so contact Collette to visit her new nursery.

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LV Bonsai new trees 2020

Update from Lee: My new Bonsai trees have arrived from Japan and are now available for sale. Contact Lee directly for more details and to discuss the new trees he now has in stock or visit his website.

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What Dianne did next… my 12ft air layer

Before a very sick cherry

To continue the story of what Dianne did next with the story of her 12ft air layer which is strange but true!

As it was to be our airlayering workshop last week I thought I should tell you about the one I’ve just done. It all began when Graham Simpson sent me a photo of his lovely Cherry Bonsai which was just my kind of tree – flowers AND autumn foliage.

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Juniper bonsai just for interest

Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii owned by Michael Partidge

Just for interest this Juniper (Sargentii – I think) which I bought at the Swindon Club around 20 years ago when we had a member who had a little bonsai sales business. (He moved to York I believe). The tree was then about pencil thickness. There is a long upright back branch which has been treated as a Shari. It can just be seen above the foliage.

Literati Pine development by Michael Partridge

This pine was originally grown as a patio plant in my parents’ garden. When my mother had to move I acquired the pine which impressed me with its small needles. I moved it to a new pot and fed and watered it. I then discovered the small needles were the consequence of lack of watering. It grew and grew. 

After a few years I took the tree to a workshop were the demonstrator suggested reducing the foliage leaving two trunks coming from a fork about one third of the way up from the soil level. (Above photo)

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Photos from Graham

Re potted this year in its new pot made by David Jones [Walsall Studio Ceramics].  It’s a lovely pot, but now the tree needs some attention.  Hidden in the foliage are some half decent trunk and branch lines, but Graham is already thinking that they need to be revealed.  A garden centre purchase some years ago.

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My Ent in the making, what Dianne (Bradshaw) did next…

The finished End so far, pre cut paste

Dianne has kindly shared her Ent journey, even though as she said people perhaps don’t plan Ent trees do they!!!

For those of you who know me know I have a specific way to find my bonsai trees. They’re either full of beautiful blossom or have stunning autumn leaves. I found this Zelkova Elm for sale at a show with super autumn colour on every leaf and knew I had to have it except it was not quite a root over rock but more exposed roots.

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