Huge Olive Stumps Off Craigslist - Your Opinion?

[meushi]

I get really jealous how easy it sems to be (straightforward?) to get permission to collect. Here, I would not know where to start. None of the public lands will allow it, afaik.

One can collect in Germany, you just need to get the authorization from the appropriate forstamt. It requires explaining exactly what species you'd like to collect, and being very explicit that it would be mostly trees that have no commercial value otherwise (crooked, stunted, ...). I had received approval to collect (restricted to some parcels) in the forest attached to my Stadtteile, from the forest manager who happened to be the son of a neighbor. I also had authorization (with restrictions on species) for a piece of public land just outside Saarburg, through a friend. In the end, there weren't that many trees worth the effort on either pieces of land.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

This blew my mind! His trees are amazing. Seems like such a good guy. A bit of a gross question, but I wonder what his total inventory is worth. I hope he's insured!!!

He is not a retailer. He is an enthusiast. I don't know that his trees are for sale, per se, though he would probably sell some if offered the right money. If you look at his place, 90% of the space is dedicated to trees that are in development.

That said, his cotoneaster that I loved (the one that I posted about in another thread) he said he had only had out of landscape a few years - perhaps four or five (I can't remember). At the time he was a little embarrassed to be showing it, because he didn't feel it was refined enough yet to be in a show.

 

[Graft]

He is not a retailer. He is an enthusiast. I don't know that his trees are for sale, per se, though he would probably sell some if offered the right money. If you look at his place, 90% of the space is dedicated to trees that are in development.

That said, his cotoneaster that I loved (the one that I posted about in another thread) he said he had only had out of landscape a few years - perhaps four or five (I can't remember). At the time he was a little embarrassed to be showing it, because he didn't feel it was refined enough yet to be in a show.

I can see why he is a bonsai hero of yours. Even his developing trees look fab!

 

[Housguy]

Tom is my mentor for sure, I learn a lot from him, especially in collecting trees, grafting, air layering etc... He had a fire at the house not to long ago and thankfully the family and family of trees did not get hurt or damaged! He is rebuilding the house currently and I will be checking it out once it is done. His backyard of trees is absolutely priceless to him and he is reluctant to sell his trees, but will sell if the price is right. Most of his trees are really big, so you need to like big trees and have some muscle if you want one of his pieces.

 

[Firstflush]

His healing recovery sick bay misters were really well done. ”You run these during the day? No, at night every few hours.” Their native habitats would indicate only night or early morning moisture would be plausible.

 

[SeanS]

That said, his cotoneaster that I loved (the one that I posted about in another thread) he said he had only had out of landscape a few years - perhaps four or five (I can't remember). At the time he was a little embarrassed to be showing it, because he didn't feel it was refined enough yet to be in a show.

Could you post it again?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Could you post it again?

It was this one:

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Tom is my mentor for sure, I learn a lot from him, especially in collecting trees, grafting, air layering etc... He had a fire at the house not to long ago and thankfully the family and family of trees did not get hurt or damaged! He is rebuilding the house currently and I will be checking it out once it is done. His backyard of trees is absolutely priceless to him and he is reluctant to sell his trees, but will sell if the price is right. Most of his trees are really big, so you need to like big trees and have some muscle if you want one of his pieces.

I am going to send him a text and see if he would be willing to answer some questions about his black pine air-layering. Not having been to his house, I didn't even know he was doing it. Or perhaps you would be willing to chime in, if you are familiar with his process? The only other person I know who was doing regular black pine air-layering was George Muranaka, but he was only working with the apexes (apices?) for shohin development. I honestly can't recall seeing anyone doing it with mature cork bark trees before.

 

[Clicio]

Here's a video tour of Tom Vuong's crazy nursery/garden

[EDIT] Hope you don't mind, I'm going to put a video link here for the same content, since I find it so uniquely inspirational -BNut [/EDIT]

@leatherback we know you like big trees; you must see this video, his nursery is amazing!

 

[leatherback]

@leatherback we know you like big trees; you must see this video, his nursery is amazing!

Saw it pop by on the fakebook. Some insane trees there, indeed! Too big for me!

 

[thomas22]

This guy is awesome and is in my own backyard. Maybe 10 min drive. I may have to look into that club he belongs to.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

This guy is awesome and is in my own backyard. Maybe 10 min drive. I may have to look into that club he belongs to.

I don't know how many local shows you go to, but try to make the GSBF SoCal events and you will meet the same people over and over Go to the Bonsaiathon in the spring up at the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. Whatever you do, plan to stay for the Saturday night dinner and silent auction drawing. Every single person in that room is someone you want to know if you want to be connected in the GSBF bonsai crowd. Tom Vuong normally exhibits trees there, and is sometimes one of the demonstrators. But as much as I think highly of Tom, there are a lot of other folk who keep a relatively low profile you should check out. Another "do not miss" is going to be Peter Macasieb - aka @maria kapra. Super laid-back guy and someone who swings by the forums every now and then

 

[thomas22]

I don't know how many local shows you go to, but try to make the GSBF SoCal events and you will meet the same people over and over Go to the Bonsaiathon in the spring up at the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. Whatever you do, plan to stay for the Saturday night dinner and silent auction drawing. Every single person in that room is someone you want to know if you want to be connected in the GSBF bonsai crowd. Tom Vuong normally exhibits trees there, and is sometimes one of the demonstrators. But as much as I think highly of Tom, there are a lot of other folk who keep a relatively low profile you should check out. Another "do not miss" is going to be Peter Macasieb - aka @maria kapra. Super laid-back guy and someone who swings by the forums every now and then

Thanks for the tips. I am familiar with Peter both here on the forum and his shohin videos but I never heard of Tom. Thanks for the tip on the shows. I feel I have some trees pretty close to show ready for but I never pulled the trigger on joining a club or getting to know any serious local bonsai people. Someday I will get in the mix.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Thanks for the tips. I am familiar with Peter both here on the forum and his shohin videos but I never heard of Tom. Thanks for the tip on the shows. I feel I have some trees pretty close to show ready for but I never pulled the trigger on joining a club or getting to know any serious local bonsai people. Someday I will get in the mix.

The Bonsaiathon doesn't have a competitive show. They have an exhibition of many show quality trees that had won awards in the past. Add to this many workshops, as well as numerous demos, a large vendor area, and the social activities. They are trying to be very welcoming to beginners, while still having enough "meat on the bone" for the advanced crowd. I would not be frightened away from going to these events. There are tons of people who walk in off the gardens and who have never heard of bonsai before... and that's a good thing! (@michaelj checking out some of the garden's large pots )