2 Alders cleanup 30th August 2016

And, after 2 to 3 more weeks growth, two of my Common European Alders (glutinosa) got a bit of a cleanup. Very happy with the results I got in only 4 months time from lifting them up from the garden into their first pot/basket. And, some more weeks to go, this Alder species still grows through the month of september (allbeit more modestly).

European Hornbeam - update 29th August 2016

Last update was 19th May 2016.
European Hornbeam, carpinus betulus, harvested from a 20yo hedge in 2012.

This was its first pruning this season, growth had allready stopped for 2 or 3 weeks. This year and next 2 years is all about letting the main brances thicken. So, pruning is left aside until after the end of the growing season. Little wiring done.

Top needs finishing, deadwood needs finishing,...all in due time, not a priority for now.

In 3 to 5 years a nice pot could be possible? A rough 'normal' pot, or maybe a rough slab-like pot.

And, back in May 2012:

A very rough virtual, made in febr 2013:

- In between things -

What do I do in between things...

Starting my first selfbow ever. I want to craft a (or several) true longbow(s). Feels like a 2nd hobby may be lurking. The wood is Robinia, which I cut in january. The wood preferably needs to (air)dry first. Now I've split the trunk and again let it dry a few weeks or months. Next comes the shaping/carving of the stave. Crafting a longbow is quite a processus, you need the right part of the wood, splitting technique, sap wood vs heart wood etc.

Fun times, especially in summer.

Winterflowering Cherry - update 16th aug 2016

Winterflowering Cherry (Prunus Subhirtella, autumnalis 'rosea')

This tiny one (about 20cm in height) just..grows...
No real training yet. Obviously I've let the lower right branch grow freely, checking possibilities.
The grafted branch (backside) does great, so I'm very certain it will survive in the future.
Maybe next year it will get its first bonsaipot, even with lots of ramification ahead. Could work in a bonsaipot, because it is a very small tree anyway.

Rowan #1 - update 15th aug 2016

Update of my selfgrown (seedling sjnce 1997) Rowan (Sorbus Aucuparia).
A bit of a messy look for this small tree, but I've selected which of the second flush of green could grow freely. All will look better by next spring.

3 common Alders - update 15th august 2016

Update for 3 of my common Alders (alnus glutinosa) raw material, preparing as prebonsai since this year. Last update was in may (see blogpost archive). Grown in wiring here and there, but not too much of a problem with these Alders. With growth persistint through september, these scares will be gone by winter. I'll 'cut' most of the pruning for this year and will cut back either late autumn or late winter.

Update airlayer Ulmus Procera

Here is how my Ulmus Procera has done, since I airlayered it in april (see blogpost of 10th april 2016).

Obviously roots starting to appear from underneath the airlayer pot. That is a good sign.

Plans for this tree? Well I must be honest, I never really had a satisfying feeling with this litlle tree, so what the future will bring is still a mystery. I actually quite dislike the image it had, I don't really want to train it like that any more. I will even consider cutting it back to half the size and put it back in the ground again after I removed the old roots in late winter 2016-2017, and go for a more dramatic look or even informal 'dramatic' broom style.

I can't seem to stop thinking in 'project terms' with many of my trees which I am not 100% satisfied with.

Silver Birch update - august 2016

Silver Birch
from a 3 inch seedling in 2008.
Refining has really begun this year, even with the top that is still behind in thickening and developing; this I can do whilst refining the rest. It has had its first leaf pruning in june. I will repeat this next year and see where I am at. I have to take into account that this is a small size tree, for a Birch, it is about 45cm high.

Rowan #2 - update august 2016

Common (european) Rowan.

Update, just 3 months after previous post where I showed the freshly done carving and buds after initial cutback in winter.

Has established some good new branches which I can use for further canopy development.
I am happy with this very small sized tree.

Next year it needs a repotting, using my adapted substrate mixture, I will look for a more suitable trainingpot too I think.

bonsai rocks and stones

Collected just a few of many millions of stones and trillions of kilogrammes of rocks and stones from holidy in France, Dordogne. I saw many many thousands of 'useless' bedrocks that could be useful for bonsai purposes, at least for trees in the more informal and natural look.


Varying in size between 10 x 10cm and 15 x 25cm.


I'll use them next spring, to start more root-over/on-rock bonsai with seedlings and very young material (Oaks, maples, wild apples, and ulmus laevis).