The post August tree of the month appeared first on Swindon & District Bonsai.

Longtime blog readers may know that two of my hobbies are birding and tree watching. Out on a hike I’m open to both, and depending on the day, one goes better than the other. On a recent vacation to the coast the tree watching had the better of it. I took one hike that snaked […]

It would seem the perfect solution. Water softeners are often used in homes to prevent white scale buildup from hard water. Why not use it to prevent the hard water that can weaken our bonsai? Trouble is, water softeners introduce sodium to our water. It’s only a small amount, and plants do use very small […]

For many, the large domes of foliage on bonsai that are popular around the world are ridiculous. The “helmet head” label is accurate enough—they look not unlike the impressive headgear of Lord Dark Helmet in the movie Spaceballs. Rather intimidating. And, top heavy. To give the critique credit, such large domes are often out of […]

The post September tree of the month appeared first on Swindon & District Bonsai.

This evening, members were invited to bring in the trees that have been in their collection that they do not know how to progress with. I think every enthusiast has at some point ended up with a bit of material that has stumped them for want of a better expression. This was an ideal opportunity for club members to get some different ideas from the entire club, all at once.

This is a large Siberian Elm, which bifurcates at the same point into two strong leaders. A symmetrical appearance is not always desirable for bonsai aesthetics.

A Trident Maple was up next; this group was leaning towards one direction with one tree pointing in the opposite direction. The crown was dense.

The trunk on this cedar was straight, the tree had already been wired at the top to provide some shape.

Lastly, an Olive in recovery after the central leader had died. The tree was beginning to create buds further down the truck creating interesting potential.

The post Tree critique appeared first on Swindon & District Bonsai.

This bunjin featured in a recent post. Like many bonsai, it has several design options. Shore Pine after a couple years of free growth. Though it has been styled once, each reset is an opportunity to disagree with the earlier one. What other design might work? With some branch bends, we could go in any […]

Due to warping in firing, or poor planning, some bonsai pot drainage holes don’t do their jobs. A pot that doesn’t drain well may make bottom roots sit in water, which isn’t ideal for species like pines. A willow or wisteria wouldn’t mind. You might also wish to address antique pots, which often have tiny […]