What did you do today? Show us Pic Required

[KWag]

Yesterday I finished up the Old Gold juniper from the garden. First photo as it came out of the raised bed and the next the pot up and wired tree. Installed a false bottom filled with perlite to spread the roots in the pot. There were two branches competing for dominance. Had to hard wire one branch down so cushioned the wire with a piece of old soaker hose. Turned the other branch into the leader with smaller branches wired as the top


Then today I started trimming the Old Gold Juniper I potted up a few weeks ago. Discovered one branch had been turned up during the nursery stage and could be easily lowered as a cascade. The tree splits into two sections near the base of the trunk so really need to study the options. Will definitely need a repot in spring if I stick with the cascade.
First photo what I thought would be the front until I found the long limb on the back side.
Second photo shows the limb wired and turned down.
Third photo shows the limb structure on the cascade side of the tree. Need to consider what to remove or keep. Did a little trimming on the foliage to start thickening for pads.
Fourth photo shows both trunks. Each side has several limbs…all competing for dominance.

Going to ponder a while and sketch some ideas.
Would welcome any suggestions.

 

[PastryBaker]

It wasn't today. It was more like a weekend. I followed the Phoenix Bonsai Society on part of their bus trip.
We started at the Chino Bonsai Club show. It was amazing. Such great trees. @Ruddigger put on a great show. And I won a nice pot in the raffle.

Then went to a bonsai swap meet. Picked up a bougie, silverberry, BRT and a Japanese gray bark elm.
Then off to the Huntington Library and Gardens. Where we got a behind the scenes tour of the bonsai collection and nursery with the curator Daniel Deephouse.
And got to ask many questions.

 

[rusticana]

Did some wall to wall carpeting. Moss used to be my friend until I pulled a telemark ski maneuver marching down the driveway and had to get my kneecap sewn back together. The last time I did this it was looking great until some bird or animal tore it all up. Its already gone through Bills roast. I call it "breakdance"

 

[Wulfskaar]

Its already gone through Bills roast. I call it "breakdance"

Because of him, I now call my sweet gum forest "The Silent Disco".

 

[KWag]

Today not bonsai related: cooked a big lunch of pinto beans with a hambone, liver and onions, carmelized carrots, buttered peas and a big pan of cornbread. Then after cleaning my kitchen, I repotted two rubber tree plants into one pot, combined 5 small parlor palms into one big pot.

Bonsai related: potted up two Benjamin Ficus into short quart pots to grow more roots, and spread roots on two Trident maples and put each in a training pot with a flat under the roots.

Since I haven’t taken photos today here is a picture of the oldest book in my bonsai library…a 1957 edition:


I’m playing bridge tonight with my siblings…two in California and my sister in Oklahoma. We use Zoom for the meeting and play the game on the Trickster app. Great way to stay connected.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Today not bonsai related: cooked a big lunch of pinto beans with a hambone, liver and onions, carmelized carrots, buttered peas and a big pan of cornbread. Then after cleaning my kitchen, I repotted two rubber tree plants into one pot, combined 5 small parlor palms into one big pot.

Bonsai related: potted up two Benjamin Ficus into short quart pots to grow more roots, and spread roots on two Trident maples and put each in a training pot with a flat under the roots.

Since I haven’t taken photos today here is a picture of the oldest book in my bonsai library…a 1957 edition:
View attachment 616557

I’m playing bridge tonight with my siblings…two in California and my sister in Oklahoma. We use Zoom for the meeting and play the game on the Trickster app. Great way to stay connected.

I like the caption on the book...

"Secrets guarded jealously by the gardeners of Old Japan now revealed here for your easy comprehension!"

 

[defra]

Unwire unwire unwire unwire

 

[Jetson1950]

Non bonsai related, but all I have to talk about right now. Got all my stitches out today and the Doc has cleared me to drive Back to Florida. Can’t wait to get back and see what’s grown well and what maybe didn’t. Neighbors are doing a great job taking care of everything for me. First project will be to check my air layers and cuttings to see how they all did. Well, I guess I have to provide a picture, so here it is. Just call me “Metal Man” now. Fibula (right in picture) shattered so metal plate and lots of screws. tibia (left in picture) was a clean break, so two screws holding it together. One is right in front of the other. I was lucky. All tendons, ligaments and joint pads were intact with no damage. I’ll be able to walk on it in about a month. Then physical therapy starts. Can’t wait for my next airline flight to see how many bells and whistles I set off.

 

[Paradox]

Brought all the tropicals in. Weather predicting chances of frost tonight and tomorrow. Here they are temporarily on my breakfast counter in the kitchen. Need to hang the lights over the shelf in my office where I'm moving them to for winter now.

 

[Darth Masiah]

unwired and some rewired shoots and cuttings i wanted to grow out for airlayers.

some type of prunus 1 and 2



winged elm


silverberry 1 and 2

 

[rutulus]

A black cherry I saw today while collecting. Its base is at the upper left of the photo. At the lower right you can see where a branch lies on the earth. It had naturally layered along the length of that branch in contact with the ground. The thicker trunk sections were as big as my thigh.

They’re a common tree in my region, but rare in the vicinity I collect in. They’re removed with great urgency because their foliage will cause pregnant mares to miscarry.

 

[KWag]

Non bonsai related, but all I have to talk about right now. Got all my stitches out today and the Doc has cleared me to drive Back to Florida. Can’t wait to get back and see what’s grown well and what maybe didn’t. Neighbors are doing a great job taking care of everything for me. First project will be to check my air layers and cuttings to see how they all did. Well, I guess I have to provide a picture, so here it is. Just call me “Metal Man” now. Fibula (right in picture) shattered so metal plate and lots of screws. tibia (left in picture) was a clean break, so two screws holding it together. One is right in front of the other. I was lucky. All tendons, ligaments and joint pads were intact with no damage. I’ll be able to walk on it in about a month. Then physical therapy starts. Can’t wait for my next airline flight to see how many bells and whistles I set off.

View attachment 616608

First air flight to Hawaii I took after Achilles tendon surgery my leg swelled up during the long flight. On the return flight support stocking/socks were essential! Glad to here you are healing.

 

[Ozz80]

- Initial styling of two nursery Mugos. (after twists and curls some of the wires got loosened, due to wrong angle choice)

- Removed wires, pruned some of the vigorous shoots and applied lime sulphur to this neglected Sabina Juniper. Thinking of changing the front, removing unnecessary deadwood and branches in future.

 

[Attmos]

Yesterday I finished up the Old Gold juniper from the garden. First photo as it came out of the raised bed and the next the pot up and wired tree. Installed a false bottom filled with perlite to spread the roots in the pot. There were two branches competing for dominance. Had to hard wire one branch down so cushioned the wire with a piece of old soaker hose. Turned the other branch into the leader with smaller branches wired as the top
View attachment 616368View attachment 616369

Then today I started trimming the Old Gold Juniper I potted up a few weeks ago. Discovered one branch had been turned up during the nursery stage and could be easily lowered as a cascade. The tree splits into two sections near the base of the trunk so really need to study the options. Will definitely need a repot in spring if I stick with the cascade.
First photo what I thought would be the front until I found the long limb on the back side.
Second photo shows the limb wired and turned down.
Third photo shows the limb structure on the cascade side of the tree. Need to consider what to remove or keep. Did a little trimming on the foliage to start thickening for pads.
Fourth photo shows both trunks. Each side has several limbs…all competing for dominance.
View attachment 616370View attachment 616371View attachment 616372View attachment 616373
Going to ponder a while and sketch some ideas.
Would welcome any suggestions.

I just bought a Golden Mop. It's an intimidating shrub....

 

[Attmos]

- Initial styling of two nursery Mugos. (after twists and curls some of the wires got loosened, due to wrong angle choice)

- Removed wires, pruned some of the vigorous shoots and applied lime sulphur to this neglected Sabina Juniper. Thinking of changing the front, removing unnecessary deadwood and branches in future.

View attachment 616727View attachment 616728View attachment 616729View attachment 616730

That is more cut paste than any I've seen before.... will it heal?

*picture is deadwood on live, before the tree died.. lol

 

[Attmos]

Got my good camera back online so I thought I'd take a few pictures.

Another piece I found at Volunteers of America, but I think I like this one too much to repurpose it into a bonsai pot.

 

[Ozz80]

That is more cut paste than any I've seen before.... will it heal?

*picture is deadwood on live, before the tree died.. lol

I really hate the bumps on the internodes of nursery pines, so I made deep cuts with concave cuttter . I did something similiar on a JRP this summer and it survived, I don't know if it will heal though.

 

[Attmos]

I'm now convinced that Oaks are the Rabbits of trees. They "breed" so freaking easily and quickly...
Looking at a volunteer oak I decided to let grow, I noticed a half-eaten acorn and a brand new oak sprout in the same pot.

Then I noticed another sprout in another pot.

I'm a little surprised squirrels and oaks don't dominate the planet.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I'm now convinced that Oaks are the Rabbits of trees. They "breed" so freaking easily and quickly...
Looking at a volunteer oak I decided to let grow, I noticed a half-eaten acorn and a brand new oak sprout in the same pot.

Then I noticed another sprout in another pot.

I'm a little surprised squirrels and oaks don't dominate the planet.

I've probably got 20-30 oak volunteers, all planted by squirrels last fall.

 

[SailDesign]

Stared (again) at the orphaned Bald Cypress I rescued from the garden centre earlier this year. It's no beaut, but it is vigorous so there's hope.

I have sprung the lower branches down to try to open it up a bit while I ponder. At this point, it is merely going to come inside for the winter when it gets cold enough, to an unheated but closed in front porch, and then if it survives I may torture it a bit oin the Spring when I've made up my mind. Or plant it out and see if it can survive a Rhode Island winter by the coast.

Thoughts?

Yes, other sticks in pots awaiting a similar fate, but I have plans in place for those.