Today's Bonsai Class with Will Fletcher at Island Bonsai

[Japh]

Today was a fantastic day up at Island Bonsai with Will Fletcher. The class was great fun, and it was really good for me especially as a beginner to have someone with more experience to guide me through taking a tree from being just a young plant, to being a Bonsai.

I used a Native Olive (Notalaea Ligustrina). I wish I had taken some more shots to show the progress throughout the process, but I was so caught up in it that I forgot! So all you get are the finished product once I had it home:

native_olive.jpg

I also brought home a Saw Banksia (Banksia Serrata) that I'll be having a go at on my own in the next week or two!

saw_banksia_1.jpg

saw_banksia_2.jpg

saw_banksia_3.jpg

[Jordy]

I also attended this wonderful lesson and i'll soon post my pics too!

[Japh]

I also attended this wonderful lesson and i'll soon post my pics too!

Feel free to just post them in this thread to save on duplication

[Jamie]

japh, thats a nice banksia, do you have plans on removing the long branch at some time? i think you have a lot of potential there mate

[Japh]

japh, thats a nice banksia, do you have plans on removing the long branch at some time? i think you have a lot of potential there mate

Thanks! Not sure which of the branches you're referring to... I do have a rough plan, but will formulate it as I gaze out the window at this plant every day for the next week or two as I work

You're more than welcome to put together a quick and dirty virt to show me what you mean though!

[Jamie]

hey japh, here it is, very dirty, and quick, sorry mate, but it gives you the idea, two options i see. one twin trunk, cut the major right hand branch of and rebuild a smaller trunk.

and two. cut of and clean up and work with single trunk, this one has the line i see, look at the left hand red line of the trunk, nice movement, the right line shows some nice shape of the buldge i think this has more to offer in the long run, especially when you build up the branching and ramification.

excuse the virts, my net is running slow as and i am getting frustrated with them, it not that i didnt want to put time into it, just i use pixlr and it was running slow too. sorry mate it gives you the idea of what i see anyways. the twin trunk would need a lot of time to rebuild. you would have to remove the entire branch and rebuild it all from scratch. but thats bonsai, its a time thing

regards jamie

[Japh]

Thanks, mate! I appreciate the effort

Will give me some perspectives I hadn't considered to mull over this week!

[Jamie]

cool mate we all get blinkers on sometimes and see what we want to, its good to get different perspectives and opinions on things, it opens are minds, and its good to have an open mind

[Japh]

cool mate we all get blinkers on sometimes and see what we want to, its good to get different perspectives and opinions on things, it opens are minds, and its good to have an open mind

Absolutely! That's the main reason I posted the photos of the banksia, to get some input such as yours

[Jordy]

Too dark to take a photo of my bonsai now, i'll take one tomorrow sometime.

but you forgot a lighter etc. in the pic with your bonsai though Japhie!

[Jamie]

that is true there is nothing to compare size to but i think i can get a fair idea of the size of the tree. the trunk at the base would be about 10-15cm across and the height would be about 40-50cm approximatly???
if you dont mind me asking japh, would love to know how much you paid for stock like this, the bark looks quite mature if you dont mind?

regards jamie

[Jordy]

I was referring to the Bonsai not the potensai jamie

He forgot one with the Olive, although i suppose the Brickwork backdrop does help, but Meh!

[Japh]

that is true there is nothing to compare size to but i think i can get a fair idea of the size of the tree. the trunk at the base would be about 10-15cm across and the height would be about 40-50cm approximatly???
if you dont mind me asking japh, would love to know how much you paid for stock like this, the bark looks quite mature if you dont mind?

regards jamie

I don't mind you asking at all. The Saw Banksia was $50. Grown from seed at a Bonsai Nursery, and approximately 6 years of age (that's my best-guess, awaiting confirmation from Will, as I forgot to ask before I left.)

[Jamie]

wow, good buy mate and only six years old??? hmm the bark matures well on these dont they, i can get them up here but they dont have any where near the size base like this. i will have to wait a couple of years till i go to brisbane next time to northside. i will probly end up getting something else though

[Japh]

A correction to my previous post. The Saw Banksia is actually 8 years of age currently, grown from seed planted in 2001.