A Trip to England

[Hartinez]

My family and I will be visiting England from June 2-13. @TomB already gave me I nice little list of potential bonsai excitement while there and unfortunately it doesn’t seem I’ll be into much of that based on where we’ll be and when we’ll be there. All good!

We are spending 4 days in London, 4 days in Scotland and 3 in Bedford where my brother in law lives. We are traveling entirely by public transit, trains, busses etc. so going off the beaten path may be tough. And I’ll be with my entire family which will present its own challenges .

So I thought I’d throw it out to public discourse. Any thoughts on bonsai without renting a car? Any members who live in the UK wanna grab a beer with me at a pub?

Insights and thoughts welcome!

@BobbyLane
@Woocash
@ConorDash

 

[Mike Westervelt]

My family and I will be visiting England from June 2-13. @TomB already gave me I nice little list of potential bonsai excitement while there and unfortunately it doesn’t seem I’ll be into much of that based on where we’ll be and when we’ll be there. All good!

We are spending 4 days in London, 4 days in Scotland and 3 in Bedford where my brother in law lives. We are traveling entirely by public transit, trains, busses etc. so going off the beaten path may be tough. And I’ll be with my entire family which will present its own challenges .

So I thought I’d throw it out to public discourse. Any thoughts on bonsai without renting a car? Any members who live in the UK wanna grab a beer with me at a pub?

Insights and thoughts welcome!

@BobbyLane
@Woocash
@ConorDash

Sounds like an awesome trip for your family Danny, not sure where they are all located but Tony Tickle, Graham Potter, Will Baddeley, Harry Harrington would all be on my radar if I were traveling to England.

 

[Nera]

What a fantastic opportunity! Post photos of your bonsai experience there if you can

 

[Berra]

Peter Warren lives south of London, not sure if his garden is open to visitors

 

[Tommy lemmings]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/garden-highlights/herons-bonsai-walk

 

[Hartinez]

Sounds like an awesome trip for your family Danny, not sure where they are all located but Tony Tickle, Graham Potter, Will Baddeley, Harry Harrington would all be on my radar if I were traveling to England.

Thanks Mike. Yes to all of those on that list that’s for sure. On my way up to Scotland I’m hoping we may be able to put stop in Nottingham to see Greenwood Bonsai. But we’ll see. Not renting a vehicle will be my biggest limitation.

 

[Arizona bonsai]

Herons bonsai is south of london. I don’t know about public transportation

 

[BobbyLane]

If you're anywhere near South London, I would highly recommend https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/richmond-park

Explore the spectacular Isabella Plantation with its extravaganza of bright azaleas, venture up King Henry’s Mound to admire distant views to St Paul’s Cathedral or hire a bike to enjoy a leisurely cycle as you take in the sights.

Around the perimeter of the park, you’ll find the Tamsin Trail – a scenic route of just over 7 miles, popular with joggers and hikers. For a more leisurely visit, head to pretty Pembroke Lodge. This historic Georgian mansion boasts elegant tea rooms and picturesque gardens with sweeping views over the Thames Valley.

Spend the day in the company of kestrels, fallow and red deer, and meadow butterflies. Richmond Park is a National Nature Reserve, a haven for rare or endangered species such as stag beetles, bats, and moths. The park is home to a variety of natural habitats, including ancient anthills that date back 150 years and an oak tree estimated to be 750 years old. The 600-strong herds of red and fallow deer have roamed the park since 1637, providing a unique connection to the park’s past.

If you’re into history, there’s plenty of it here. The park can trace its origins back to 1625, when Charles I brought his court to nearby Richmond Palace to escape the plague sweeping through London. He turned this landscape into a hunting park, filled with red and fallow deer. Amazingly, some of the trees that Charles would have ridden past still stand today.

 

[keyfen06]

Thanks Mike. Yes to all of those on that list that’s for sure. On my way up to Scotland I’m hoping we may be able to put stop in Nottingham to see Greenwood Bonsai. But we’ll see. Not renting a vehicle will be my biggest limitation.

Greenwoods is definitely a great place to visit, some quite impressive trees on display there and a great selection of stock even if you won't be able to take anything home with you. It's about 15-20 minutes outside of Nottingham if I remember correctly and just off a main road, so I think the best way to get there would probably be a taxi. I believe they're also close to Sherwood Forest which is full of ancient oaks and such which might be nice to visit while you're in Nottingham. Also of course Sherwood Forest is the home of the legend of Robin Hood if you're interested in that sort of stuff.

 

[rockm]

Greenwoods is definitely a great place to visit, some quite impressive trees on display there and a great selection of stock even if you won't be able to take anything home with you. It's about 15-20 minutes outside of Nottingham if I remember correctly and just off a main road, so I think the best way to get there would probably be a taxi. I believe they're also close to Sherwood Forest which is full of ancient oaks and such which might be nice to visit while you're in Nottingham. Also of course Sherwood Forest is the home of the legend of Robin Hood if you're interested in that sort of stuff.

Don’t know what their pot selection is like these days but back in the day it was pretty nice. Lots of great English potters

 

[AshleyMammal]

Aww man, I hate to say it but you might be struggling to find any bonsai related places using our horrific public transport! Bonsai places here tend to be off the beaten path. David Cheshire in Coventry is probably the closest to Bedford that I know of. Greenwood is a pig to get to, worth it though!, all things bonsai in Sheffield is really really close to the M1 motorway - but you probably won’t be on that anyway.

 

[AshleyMammal]

Don’t know what their pot selection is like these days but back in the day it was pretty nice. Lots of great English potters

They’ve recently, in the past few years, opened up a huge new pot display shop - best I’ve seen!

 

[keyfen06]

They’ve recently, in the past few years, opened up a huge new pot display shop - best I’ve seen!

Definitely agree, the shop is amazing. They've got pretty much everything you could ask for and a massive wall full of pots. Even a huge tree in the middle of the shop that might be a bit hard to turn into a bonsai now.

 

[rockm]

They’ve recently, in the past few years, opened up a huge new pot display shop - best I’ve seen!

Back in the day they carried beautiful work from Petra Engelke Dan Barton etc

Unlike trees you can bring pots home with no problem. If I were going to bring something “bonsai” back from the uk it would be a pot I couldn’t get easily here in the states.

 

[Woocash]

Ah nice one Danny! It's a great time of year for coming here. Good suggestions from the guys. Kew Gardens is well worth it as well. You'd need a full day at least but you'll be hard pressed to find a better collection of plants anywhere in the world and they have a bonsai house too with 60 or so in rotation and some pretty decent examples.

As for bonsai specific places, I can't really help as I've not been to any myself. Herons can be reached by public transport though from London. Take a look at their website www.herons.co.uk

 

[Hartinez]

Arrived. Walking around Kensington, I stumbled across and was treated with, a Peter Warren tree at the Japanese House. Inside they had a free admission Japanese carpentry exhibit. Great first day after a horrible night of sleep on the plane.

 

[Hartinez]

Kyoto Garden in Holland park London

 

[Hartinez]

This is from an art exhibit I visited in Kensington Park. Giuseppe Pinone carved into these old beams exposing the tree as it once was decades ago. Following the knots back to young wood forming branches and a thin trunk. Amazing idea and execution. I feel like this could be done on a bonsai with the tree kept alive.

The carvings were in a room filled with these big steel mesh wall tiles that held millions of Italian laurel leaves. The room was so fragrant.

 

[Hartinez]

Something else that has been so great now that I’m in the English country side, is seeing some of these deciduous trees that I love so much. Tree types that grow so well here, but not back home. The Beech, maples, birch, hawthorn and more.