Recent content by VAFisher

Yes, it is the Bougle. I own this one, that I keep loaded with a 5 weight line, and the smaller version with a 4. Best reels I've ever used. If you hook a good fish, everyone within 300 yards knows, because they sing loud when a fish takes line. I also own a Hardy Lightweight that's a sweet...

Not quite in the garden, but just in the woods about 10 yards behind my old bench area. I use that area as a vegetable garden now so maybe it's waiting on the maters to get ripe. Can you spot it?

I repotted my big crape myrtle this spring and removed a bunch of large roots, so it fits a little more comfortably in the pot. It could probably benefit from a wider pot with about the same depth, but that's going to require some cash. It'll be fine in this one for now. With the root work, I...

My winged elm is having a good 2025 so far. It's been pruned several times already and growing strong. The tree is 9 years old this year and I'm waiting patiently for the bark to develop. Hope it doesn't take another decade!

Just a quick update on this little tree. I lost a branch in the middle of the trunk over the winter. It leaves a bit of a gap in the structure, but such is life. I've been letting the branches extend out and down in an attempt to make it look like an old Live Oak. I decided to try it on this...

Yesterday, I took 24 cuttings from the Japanese Maple in my yard. I'm determined to have success this year. And then I pruned and put a little wire on this small winged elm. It should be clip and grow from here.

The lawn is looking nice and green with the recent rain here in VA, so I took a few pics. And the veggie garden that now resides where my trees used to. I rebuilt last year after my old benches got a little too rotten.

I have one mugo that I've been working on for close to a decade now. I've settled on late winter/early spring for repotting. I almost killed it with a summer repot back in 2021, but it managed to live thankfully. I know summer worked for Vance, but it doesn't for me. Never had an issue...

It is. Quick pic in the rain. I haven't had a chance to take any good pics yet this year.

This one didn't make the cut a few years back when I was downsizing and trying to upgrade my collection. I unpotted it and planted it somewhere in the woods behind my benches. I don't remember exactly where. I need to get out there and search around to see what it looks like these days.

Yes! I actually have that pic saved on my phone as inspiration. My plan is to really try to thicken the branch that's becoming the secondary top and make it more integrated with the primary top. If that makes sense.

I love this progression. It would have never crossed my mind to change the angle so drastically. Very creative and instructive.

No, it's just the exposure on the pic. I'm not sure if it's a setting on my phone or maybe the result of the black background.

Thanks. I appreciate the kind words.

I recently wired my BC and figured I would post an update. The top was thinned significantly in order to get the wire on. It's usually a lot more full than this. I find this tree difficult to get a good picture of. Something about the height and perspective I guess. It always looks a little...