Bonsai grouping/layout/organization/placement

[namnhi]

Bnutters,
Not sure how many having these many trees to actually have to think about this.
Do you organize you bonsai based on pot size, species, sun/shade tolerant. Am curious what is your style and why it is a work well for you?
I need to do this soon.

 

[vp999]

My nice trees are in primary position benches and by shade/sun tolerant also, the pre bonsai is either on the side or on the ground lol.

 

[Shibui]

Mine are arranged according to sun tolerance and then by water requirements, including pot size, to cater for small variations in water distribution of the overhead sprays.
Pines, junipers and many Australian natives are in full sun. Maples, azaleas, etc are in most shaded area.
I do also have a display area where the older and better trees take centre stage.

 

[namnhi]

My nice trees are in primary position benches and by shade/sun tolerant also, the pre bonsai is either on the side or on the ground lol.

By your bonsai standards, my are all pre bonsai and can be place anywhere.

 

[pandacular]

Currently, mine are wherever I can fit them. This reminds that I need to find some time to build another bench or two.

Positioning is certainly a challenge to figure out, as different trees have different requirements throughout the growing season. I’ve been listening to a lot of Bonsai Wire podcast, and one thing Michael Hagedorn discusses is the importance of micro-positioning—keeping a close eye on a plant and getting it into an ideal location. I’m still very new to this, so I don’t know exactly what that entails, but I’m going to keep working on that first part.

The only real constraint I have on my garden is keeping my hawthorn as far away from my junipers as possible to prevent cedar-hawthorn rust. Similar constraints apply for other rusts and I’m sure other pests.

My nice trees are in primary position benches and by shade/sun tolerant also, the pre bonsai is either on the side or on the ground lol.

This reminds me of another conversation from Bonsai Wire: the idea of a dunce bench. A prominent place you put your WORST trees, so that you’re forced to either get rid of them or fix them.

 

[Paradox]

Summer: arranged on the benches in correspondence with their sun needs/ heat tolerance and sun exposure the bench gets.

Pines and juniper in the sunniest spots. Maples where they get afternoon shade, etc.

Winter:
Most cold tolerant: along the outside edges of the coldframe or if very cold tolerant, not in the cold frame at all.
Less cold tolerant: along the foundation of the house in the coldframe.
Least cold tolerant but still need to be outside: in the window wells in the coldframe.
Tropicals: inside the house.

 

[coachspinks]

During early spring until winter, mine are arranged by sun exposure. Half of my garden gets 4-6 hours of direct sun while the other half gets 8+. One small corner gets 2-3 hours of morning sun and dappled later in the day. That area is for plants that may not be healthy or recently repotted and for specific plants that would get burned with more sun. I'm not too picky about mixing smaller trees with larger ones but I do have one bench for my largest trees. I try to have all my trees in bonsai pots or terra cotta pots and avoid black nursery pots. There is a grow bed in my garden where some trees are planted and left to grow.