Recent Bonsai Travails

These last few weeks I haven’t been working on my own bonsai much. But I’ve been doing bonsai stuff.
I had my demo for the Brevard club and then the NoNaMe study group meeting.
Last weekend I visited Durostone Nursery in Vero Beach, Jim Smiths nursery.
There are still many trees for sale but, unfortunately he’s not propagating anymore.
This ficus

gives you an idea how long he’s been growing trees. There is a pot under there.
Jim is still holding his 4th Sunday workshops so take the time to see this Old Master at work.
This was a tree someone had brought for him to work on. I saw a face…

much to the owners chagrin.
Do you?
Does this help?

While in Vero I also visited Old Florida Bonsai to pick up some stock and check on the big podocarpus I carved in February

Richard repotted it and its growing well.
The carving is ageing well too

3-4 years and it’ll be a show stopper. It’s in good hands with Richard Turner. He has the artistic vision to realize the tree to its full potential.
Speaking of art, let me fulfill the “art” portion of this blog. It is, after all, in my contract.
First, some woodcarvings

The faces are carved from red cedar (juniperus virginiana). A really beautiful carving wood.
Here are some sketches, an interior

And a self portrait

What is art?
Are those sketches art?
The carvings? The bonsai?
Maybe. That’s another blogpost.
I’ve been expanding at the nursery with Dave and Guaracha’s help

We took out an old above ground pool and I’m now using the space it took up.
I plan on reusing the steel side as roofing material on a classroom that’s in planning. Soon, Adam’s Art and Bonsai Studio Nursery will be high class and full service.

But, as I keep telling Dave and Guaracha, one thing at a time.

In the bonsai world there is some sad news

I saw this on Facebook and then read this post from Crataegus Bonsai.
The American bonsai scene really could have used a West Coast equivalent of William Valavanis’s National Show.
Like it says, it will give us all 2 more years to get our trees ready.
Don’t tell anyone but whenever I heard “Artisans Cup of Portland” I saw a cement planter

Portland cement, artisanal urn…. Sorry.

On a different note, I had my last trimming duty at Epcot with the trees in the Japanese Pavilion.
I took some pics but I won’t do a full blown report.

That’s a Nea Buxifolia.
I had an epiphany while trimming this nea.
When this species first begins to grow, it’s always the interior shoots that grow best and quickest. Where there isn’t any light.
It seems counterintuitive.
I’ve been talking with Guaracha, who is one of the best collectors of yamadori in Puerto Rico. He says that nea grow in the shade.
Two and two and the conclusion is- nea respond to shade with better growth.
Their leaves are even greener and glossier.

Here is what a cone on a bald cypress looks like

Not to be confused with a cypress twig gall

Caused by a midge. Cut those off and burn the growths.

Please indulge me with some artsy shots
Ooh

My tree; I trimmed it well,

Now is the time to go to see the show, only 2 1/2 weeks left and all the trees are looking good (I did just trim them after all)
And my final pic

See y’all on the flip side