A friend visits the NBPCA

[NBPCA]

Here is an article written by one of the Canberran visitors to the collection. Thanks very much for the permission to put on the website.

The National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia.
By L.K 28th January 2010.
Entering the airy shelter of the collection is always an adventure and a thrill, especially when you haven’t seen the trees for a while. Last time I visited was during Floriade, now we are in January.
The Atlantic cedar at the entry, on the left, has been restyled in the meantime and the trunk and branch lines of this Literati are much more dramatic than they used to be! Grant still has long term plans for the tree, but, as he says, “it’s coming along quite well”.
Straight ahead the imposing Montezuma cypress group is fully in leaf now, crowning the classical design with its rich feathery foliage; while one can just see behind it the delicate crowns of the Melaleuca forest. What a lovely contrast!
Even from this distance, one can’t miss the tall Angophora, that great rarity in the bonsai world. In October it was already a striking tree, but now it is also frankly beautiful. Grant and the volunteers have done a lot of work on the branching and foliage, which are now both tidier and more luxurious, complementing the curved, smooth trunk. The evocation of a gum in the wild is just perfect. Nowhere in the world, except Australia, would one find a bonsai like that!
The deciduous trees are in full glory and I marvel at the healthy emerald foliage of the Japanese and trident maples. As a complete contrast to the so-Australian Angophora, I see the European beech forest for the first time in its summer apparel. The leaves shine in the sun; the trunks are surrounded by moss and the whole group sits on a magnificent, thin, stone slab.
I wander around, stopping at my favourites, which all are growing beautifully; and now and then I talk with some of the visitors. It’s always great to see how much they appreciate the collection. There has to be some recompense for the huge amount of work that is done to keep it in its impeccable state, and I am glad for Grant and all the volunteers that the visitors express their pleasure so often and so freely.
L K.

Part way through the work..JPG

Note the close attention to detail even wearing a blue shirt.JPG

After many hours of work.JPG