BrianBay9
Masterpiece
I'm getting to love crape myrtle in the heat here. I'm sure they'll do well for you. Good luck with some of those monsters. I wouldn't want to think about buying pots for them!
Dream bonsai situation - progression of several hundred high quality pre bonsais
- Thread starter Living Tribunal
- Start date
BonsaiManic
Chumono
A labor of love. It's not work if you love doing it. This is already beautiful. Can't wait to see how it looks when you make it your own, with your fingerprints all over. Keep up the good work! You're in a perfect area for a yard like that!
Living Tribunal
Yamadori
I’ve been thinking about that. There are more trees than I could ever realistically manage for bonsai purposes. I also want to stop them from killing each other. I started the arduous process of killing the bamboo in the front section and discovered 4 dead Japanese maples.
Living Tribunal
Yamadori
Morning from TX.
My idiot self curiously enabled “smart” mode on my hacky b-hyve sprinkler controller. Despite the sprinkler program being disabled and recent rain, it ran my creek stairs and pool programs leading to some root rot it seems.
Fine tuning irrigation is proving harder than making the Mrs happy.
At least the Mexican petunia, cestrum, Turks cap, begonias and drum roll… crape myrtles are in full bloom here in TX. Going to be a good day. As the Italians say, Alora.
On a brighter note, I randomly tossed out clover seeds and some compost to try and combat God tier giant rag weed/hairy crab weed and it’s germinated effectively overnight.
I cleared out the right side of the stairs in what I can only describe as a seven kinds of smoke renegade haphazardly tossing both clover and zennia seeds like some kind of wild man. We’ll have to see what happens.
I highly recommend a blow torch for clearing weeds from larger areas. Saves me hours a day.
My idiot self curiously enabled “smart” mode on my hacky b-hyve sprinkler controller. Despite the sprinkler program being disabled and recent rain, it ran my creek stairs and pool programs leading to some root rot it seems.
Fine tuning irrigation is proving harder than making the Mrs happy.
At least the Mexican petunia, cestrum, Turks cap, begonias and drum roll… crape myrtles are in full bloom here in TX. Going to be a good day. As the Italians say, Alora.
On a brighter note, I randomly tossed out clover seeds and some compost to try and combat God tier giant rag weed/hairy crab weed and it’s germinated effectively overnight.
I cleared out the right side of the stairs in what I can only describe as a seven kinds of smoke renegade haphazardly tossing both clover and zennia seeds like some kind of wild man. We’ll have to see what happens.
I highly recommend a blow torch for clearing weeds from larger areas. Saves me hours a day.
Attachments
Living Tribunal
Yamadori
Sorry to use this thread as therapy but these puppies ain’t small, towering 7-14 ft. To control the giant ragweed, and the other marginally aquatic weeds ever taking the creek (I’ve never resented anyone more than whoever planted morning glory seeds in my creek), I’ve started moving the Indian shot canna to the creek with tremendous success.
At least I can thank the original home builder for the hundreds of canna popping up.
This creek only has flowing water following a storm after temps surpass 93F but it’s just enough to keep the canna and dietes bicolor happy.
For context, I deweeded the creek a week ago…
At least I can thank the original home builder for the hundreds of canna popping up.
This creek only has flowing water following a storm after temps surpass 93F but it’s just enough to keep the canna and dietes bicolor happy.
For context, I deweeded the creek a week ago…
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Living Tribunal
Yamadori
Here are some more bonsai prospects in the backyard with three junipers I’ve been eyeing along our front driveway. Would love some feedback on these as I’ve never bonsaied any of these outside of the junipers. They may not be fit for bonsai.
Two roses bushes, one I just discovered while clearing the stairs. It was so shaded that it didn’t produce any blooms which is why I never noticed it. The trunk shape on the first by the stairs is compelling imo.
The Chinese wisteria trunk is also insane. Side note, follow the guidance of those who instruct not to plant this incredibly beautiful yet equally invasive wisteria. It will dominate you.
The trunk has naturally cascaded itself in a nearly demented way all the way to the creek… Material here or no?
Here is the thorny olive. I doubt it’s worthwhile but once again the trunk is insane.
Two roses bushes, one I just discovered while clearing the stairs. It was so shaded that it didn’t produce any blooms which is why I never noticed it. The trunk shape on the first by the stairs is compelling imo.
The Chinese wisteria trunk is also insane. Side note, follow the guidance of those who instruct not to plant this incredibly beautiful yet equally invasive wisteria. It will dominate you.
The trunk has naturally cascaded itself in a nearly demented way all the way to the creek… Material here or no?
Here is the thorny olive. I doubt it’s worthwhile but once again the trunk is insane.
BonsaiManic
Chumono
Next thing I would do is get rid of the poison ivy around the thorny olive! 
I don't think any of these are a waste of time if they bring you joy. Some of them may never be "show trees," but that doesn't mean they aren't worth your time.
I don't think any of these are a waste of time if they bring you joy. Some of them may never be "show trees," but that doesn't mean they aren't worth your time.
Living Tribunal
Yamadori
That’s how I’m feeling. Some might not even be worth it still contingent on ramification/other variables. Will see what happens after allowing them to grow.
What you’re looking at fortunately isn’t poison ivy. It’s pokeweed. I did get poison ivy from the front yard recently. Going to figure out how to get rid of it. I was about to torch the area it so thankfully I didn’t.
What you’re looking at fortunately isn’t poison ivy. It’s pokeweed. I did get poison ivy from the front yard recently. Going to figure out how to get rid of it. I was about to torch the area it so thankfully I didn’t.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
to be honest nothing in the photos is all that exceptional. Some of it is pretty good, but no real gems. That wisteria trunk is pretty good, not exceptional or old. I would dig it up just to make sure it doesn't take over the place as it is beginning to. You will find that in ground it is mostly a pest if left to itself. A trunk like that will work for a medium sized bonsai pretty well, but it looks like it's got some dead areas on it. That tends to spread once they're in a container. Next spring before it pushes leaves, you can probably saw it out of the ground by sawing all the roots off ten inches out from the trunk and putting into a large (ish) pot with 1/2 topsoil and 1/2 bonsai mix. Keep it wettish for a couple of months.
I wouldn't bother with the rose.
I wouldn't bother with the rose.
Living Tribunal
Yamadori
In agreement on the roses. I do like the trunk on the first but may be best to let them grow.
Regarding the Chinese wisteria, It’s got a trunk diameter of 4” at the base and spans 20 or so feet from top to bottom. I’ve dealt with them overrunning a garden before so definitely want to dispose of it or use it for bonsai at least.
It’s a larger Chinese wisteria from the ones I’ve come across, looks about 20 years old at least. I think it would make for a good semi cascade given the left winding trunk lean and naturally cascading apex it’s performed itself. Let me try and dig up some of the base to see what else it offers.
Living Tribunal
Yamadori
Goes down kind of deep will work on exposing it a bit more when I get a chance. 
Living Tribunal
Yamadori
Will follow through with your suggestions, I appreciate the guidance!
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
That wisteria trunk is very rotten. If you dig it, you will likely have only a fraction of what's there once in a container. Wisteria tend to die back on their trunks for a few years post collection and that can eat up a good trunk substantially. FWIW, keep looking, wisteria is prolific (although it might be a bit slower down there because of the long heat in summer) so this one might have pushed runners. With collected wisteria, bigger is better. More to work with.
Here in Va., we are apparently in their sweet spot for heat and winters. They're everywhere here in the woods. The one below is growing in an overgrown thicket behind my house.
Also, fwiw, I had a very large collected multiflora rose as a bonsai. It was wild 'rambler' (as opposed to a cultivated cane multiblooming variety). It was a pain. It grew massively and overtook everything near it just like a wisteria, but it had cat claw thorns. It had a seven inch diameter trunk, but it was rotten on the inside. Rose "wood" is susceptible to rot. They're a hassle.
Here in Va., we are apparently in their sweet spot for heat and winters. They're everywhere here in the woods. The one below is growing in an overgrown thicket behind my house.
Also, fwiw, I had a very large collected multiflora rose as a bonsai. It was wild 'rambler' (as opposed to a cultivated cane multiblooming variety). It was a pain. It grew massively and overtook everything near it just like a wisteria, but it had cat claw thorns. It had a seven inch diameter trunk, but it was rotten on the inside. Rose "wood" is susceptible to rot. They're a hassle.
