Spotted in the Wild
Historical Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and RSS posts previously curated by the club (2017–present). Not authored by the club — preserved here since the original source feeds no longer carry this history.
Hornbeam Collecting & More
Subtle Changes, Big Impact
Bonsai Odds & Ends – Hornbeam, Water Oak
Repotting a collected Sierra juniper
For those who have worked with a lot of collected junipers, this post can be summed up with two photos. Sierra juniper before repotting- 31″ tall Sierra juniper after repotting I acquired this tree in the pot pictured…
Developing cascade black pine
The first batch of cascade black pines I started are now five years old. After decandling the trees last spring, it’s time for cutback and wiring. Five year-old cascade black pine Right side There are a number of spots…
2019 BC Collecting Trip #2
Cutback on young quince
I’ve been pruning and wiring my young quince twice a year – once in spring and once in fall or winter. I’ve been doing this work to set the shape of the trunk before I let the trees grow on and thicken up. Five year-old…
Reducing internodes on Japanese maple
The small Japanese maple below has proved to be quite vigorous. In an effort to slow the tree down and produce shorter internodes, this past year I pinched spring growth, applied very little fertilizer, and fully…
Bonsai Odds & Ends – Swamp Maple, Privet, Water-Elm
2019 BC Collecting Trip #1
A Scots Pine Bonsai
I like Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris and also many of it’s different cultivars. This bonsai is the common Scots pine, not a special variety. It began as a one gallon pot seedling in 1970 which cost me $5. The tree…
Pot selection exercise – semi-cascade ume
Years ago, my ume bonsai grew upright as an informal upright tree. After losing all but one of the branches several years ago, I decided to change the tree to a semi-cascade style. When it was ready to go back into a…
What’s Wrong With This Huckleberry Picture?
Teach Yourself Bonsai #1: When do I repot my bonsai?
Common wisdom holds that the best time to repot bonsai is in early spring. This is good advice, but it’s not very specific. If I were to refine the statement, I’d suggest that a good time to repot bonsai is when they…
A Quick Cedar Elm Styling
American Hornbeam #3
A Few Trees At Year-End
A dwarf wisteria bonsai
About ten years ago, I picked up a young dwarf wisteria made from air layer by Boon Manakitivipart. Boon had grown the parent tree for some time before it bloomed, and when it did, he started several layers. The tree…
American Hornbeam Work
A Big BC For 2019
Cutback on Chinese quince
A few months ago, I brought a small Chinese quince into the garden. Chinese quince The tree is relatively refined, but the branch structure has a ways to go. The best way to fix it is to cut the branches back to short…
2018 6thWinter Silhouette Bonsai Expo
The 6th Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo was held on December 1-2, 2018 at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina. This unique venue is an elegant building, marble lined with a four story atrium,…