My 'Ben Oki' azalea

[Brian Van Fleet]

One more shot...

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Winter colors...

 

[JudyB]

Real nice coloration with that pot, do they loose their leaves over winter?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Real nice coloration with that pot, do they loose their leaves over winter?

This loses probably 75% over winter, retaining mostly leaves surrounding the flower buds. Considering moving it to a nicer pot next year, but it's actually been a good fit for a long time, so I may just stay the course. Change bad.

 

[LanceMac10]

For sure diggin' the leaf size!! So tiny!!

Colors kind of get lost with the background but so what, you get to see it in the "flesh", as it where...

Like this pot, great glaze....could there be better?

Nice image through all the seasons....that's so cool!

 

[JudyB]

This loses probably 75% over winter, retaining mostly leaves surrounding the flower buds. Considering moving it to a nicer pot next year, but it's actually been a good fit for a long time, so I may just stay the course. Change bad.

If that pot had patina on it, it would be more perfect... but it's so nice.

 

[Rob_phillips]

Cheers for sharing this progression. Stunning tree you have there i would love to find some material like that in my garden and work on it.
It must have been really rewarding too, keep up the good work.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

If that pot had patina on it, it would be more perfect... but it's so nice.

Repotted yesterday into the second bonsai pot it's been in since I dug it up in 2001. It has spent the last 10+ years in that cheap green Chinese pot. Yetsterday it moved into this big old Koyo. About 2" wider to 18.5", and same depth. It's subtle, but I think a good pairing. Should be good for another 5 years.

 

[JudyB]

Yeah baby, that is so nice! Love the leaf color with the new pot.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Flowers opening on top of winter foliage color. Haven't seen it this pronounced before.

 

[JudyB]

love love love....

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

That's dark winter colour. Nice pink btw.

 

[fredtruck]

Very nice, Brian!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

A few blooms peeking out at the sunshine...

 

[JudyB]

Sweet!

 

[cmeg1]

Yea,that whole tree just glows!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Getting close...

 

[Bonsai Nut]

What I like about this tree is that I have had the feeling only too often of "knowing" that you need to reduce a tree to its bare bones in order to fix some basic structural issues, and when you are finished you are left with a skeleton that doesn't make you very happy Even though you have a vision, it may take years for the tree to grow into that vision.

However the worst thing you can do is to delay major work because you are too scared of what the tree will look like in the short-term. When you do this, you end up not enjoying the tree in the short term, either, because you know you eventually have to "fix" it, and you just lose the time that the tree could have already been recovering.

After blooming I think this tree would benefit from a haircut You're losing a lot of your definition. However I am sure you already know this and have a plan

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

What I like about this tree is that I have had the feeling only too often of "knowing" that you need to reduce a tree to its bare bones in order to fix some basic structural issues, and when you are finished you are left with a skeleton that doesn't make you very happy Even though you have a vision, it may take years for the tree to grow into that vision.

However the worst thing you can do is to delay major work because you are too scared of what the tree will look like in the short-term. When you do this, you end up not enjoying the tree in the short term, either, because you know you eventually have to "fix" it, and you just lose the time that the tree could have already been recovering.

After blooming I think this tree would benefit from a haircut You're losing a lot of your definition. However I am sure you already know this and have a plan

I agree to a point. I know now it was an error to keep the right trunk when I styled it in 2005, and who knows, maybe one day the right side will die off and I'll remake the tree from the left side. But I don't plan to force anything that drastic at this point. I like how it's aging and widening, so I won't be hard-pruning and pushing it into razor-sharp pads, but graceful clouds.

 

[LanceMac10]

error to keep the right trunk when I styled it in 2005

Interesting. I really like what's presented here. Some thoughtful, minor branch removal/reduction could "lighten" the image? Guess that's why I'm "rubbin' two sticks together" and your "throwing Zippos" around.


Reminds me of a drop-top caddy in candy flake with a squad of Homecoming Queens in pink!!


Killin' it!!