My Old Man Treatise

[Potawatomi13]

Yes, indeed.
But growing them in small pots is instant gratification that never quits.

I grow all kinds of things that pop up in my yard. In Phoenix I think of Aleppo pine, palo verde, possibly CA juniper, fiddle with minimizing stuff in the local garden centers - its all fun. Keep it alive, clip it, snip it, wire it, bend it, let it grow. Grow old together.

Norway maples View attachment 174110 Vine maple View attachment 174111

Camellia cutting View attachment 174113 Forsythia View attachment 174114

Horse chestnut View attachment 174115 Juniper View attachment 174116

Douglas firs and more.

WHO said chestnuts do not reduce leaf size? Observe.

 

[Shima]

By the way - I just want to point out that west Phoenix Valley is USDA Zone 9B... so you actually get more cold degree days than I do. If I can grow it - you can - and I have a LOT of tree species. You might have to provide some shade cloth in the summer due to sun intensity, but I assume there aren't many people who don't have sun protection of some sort or other in their yards there.

There are even some natives like Texas Ebony that you can grow in full sun and they wouldn't bat an eye at Phoenix summer heat...



Last year the only thing I grew from seed was Texas Ebony, but this year I have some Kinzu Kumquats in addition to my thousands of Japanese Black Pines. I also will be planting some rose seeds because one of my vendors from Hong Kong sent them as an add-on and I am just curious what pops up.

I freely admit I am not as much of a seedling guy as some on this site - because for me I can get three years head-start with cuttings, and five years (or more) with an air-layer.

Yes! Air layer! Instant, well not really, gratification. But a lot further along than seeds or cuttings. But do them too. You may find that propagation is rewarding. And you'll have stuff to trade/give away. And join Phoenix Bonsai Club.

 

[sorce]

“old fart rambling”.

There's a lot to learn in the ramblings of an old fart.

I appreciate the words.

all the processes are done, I just sit there, waiting for things to happen and stare at my plants

This is the point where I plant a little plant in a little anything!

Kusamono is a good idea.
There is no end to the combination of tiny plants and tiny containers you can create!

But hey!

Staring at plants is a process!
One of my favorites!

It's when we admire them, respectfully, not expecting anything from them, not doing anything to them.....
Just staring...
That's when they Speak to us!

When we are still enough to listen!

"I had my, hip broke once and my, neck twice, and on my worst day I'll beat the Hell out of you"

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

Forget about your age and dive in!

 

[Anthony]

How about instead we say ----------- adjust for age.

Use all that life experience gained to make Bonsai simpler.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[M. Frary]

adjust for age.

Work smarter,not harder.

 

[JudyB]

You can always buy nursery trees like 3 gallon ones, and cut them down. That way you get a trunk to work with of reasonable size and not huge $$ outlay.
Ever thought about doing some physical therapy or yoga/tai chi to get your range of motion/strength improved?
Also take a look at this thread. If I had time, I'd totally get into these.
https://bonsainut.com/threads/the-accent-companion-plant-thread.20282/

 

[Vance Wood]

Forget about your age and dive in!

Just dive in and have fun. I am 72 and though I have been doing this for a number of years there is nothing more pleasing for me than to find a piece of nursery material and make it into a bonsai. It is not having a bonsai that is fun for me it is making a bonsai that floats my boat. After all, if all you do is make a mess, when it comes time for the great dirt bath you're not going to be the one who has to clean up the mess.

 

[DeanoAZ]

I find myself asking "What would the Duke do?"
I suspect he wouldn't care what others are doing.
What specifically drew you to bonsai? Begin there and move forward as you are able to.
Well, I'm not really just starting. I have always liked it and went through a couple of previous passes at it. Things got in the way to where I couldn't continue those.
78 and starting a new hobby... nice!

 

[DeanoAZ]

Growing seedlings is definitely a young mans game, but that doesn't make it any less fun for anyone!

Not every tree has to be a Japanese import that costs thousands. There is nothing wrong with nursery stock from Bonsai Nursery's, Mom and Pop Shops, or even big box stores. Ryan Neil had multiple videos on picking nursery stock that I have found very helpful! There are many different facets to this hobby, find what interests you.

I figure if I can get seedlings up to a transplanting height, I can use them in mame, kusamono or suiseki.

 

[DeanoAZ]

As we get older, the attractiveness of Shohin bonsai calls to us.

The fun thing is you have much more freedom with pots! Let’s say you had two olives, one was in a bright yellow pot, and another was in a hand painted geckou, they would look entirely different. Or, maybe you would prefer an unglazed pot. With Shohin, you can be very creative!

We think alike. That's what I believe.

 

[DeanoAZ]

@DeanoAZ

I'm young only 34 and compared to your experience in life, I'm an amoeba

But I will say this

Great idea to stick to mame/ shohin sized trees as they will show you results and you will get to see the changes you are looking for,

but more importanly I feel.........


Focus on starting good tree and let the rest fall into place. Age doesn't matter, if you create great starts to build ramification onto and one day create amazing trees....your legacy will go on. You can pass them down, or they will find their way into the hands of a bonsai artist that will take the tree further!!!!

There are many trees that have been passed down for hundreds of years in families.

For me it's all about the end goal.

I'm already thinking like you! Starting to piece together a legacy to leave my kids


Sorry for the young buck rant!!!!

Its okay with me if you rant. My only concern with passing something on to family is the world we live in these days. In today's world, our kids and grand-kids have no interest in the things we did and don't want those things we have collected. One of my past lives was making stained glass pieces (windows/lamps) and we have a house full of it. My wife has collections of china/crystal. The younger members of the family aren't interested in them.

 

[DeanoAZ]

Bnut is 92 next month and still planting black pine seeds!

I like his style!!

 

[just.wing.it]

Its okay with me if you rant. My only concern with passing something on to family is the world we live in these days. In today's world, our kids and grand-kids have no interest in the things we did and don't want those things we have collected. One of my past lives was making stained glass pieces (windows/lamps) and we have a house full of it. My wife has collections of china/crystal. The younger members of the family aren't interested in them.

It's sad, but mostly true...
Just watched another interview with a bonsai professional, saying that in Japan, no young people are interested in Bonsai....which lead him to say that we in the west have to carry the torch and keep bonsai culture alive! (Paraphrasing Mr Morales)

FYI, I'm 31, and I love stained glass art!

 

[DeanoAZ]

Yes, indeed.
But growing them in small pots is instant gratification that never quits.

I grow all kinds of things that pop up in my yard. In Phoenix I think of Aleppo pine, palo verde, possibly CA juniper, fiddle with minimizing stuff in the local garden centers - its all fun. Keep it alive, clip it, snip it, wire it, bend it, let it grow. Grow old together.

Norway maples View attachment 174110 Vine maple View attachment 174111

Camellia cutting View attachment 174113 Forsythia View attachment 174114

Horse chestnut View attachment 174115 Juniper View attachment 174116

Douglas firs and more.

I like your pic's. That's the area I am going to spend my future pursuing.

 

[DeanoAZ]

I'm a 71-year-old beginner, I've been "into" bonsai only 6 years or so, and I love doing every bit of it. I think I'm getting better at it every year, and my goal is to be a better grower/developer/designer/putterer every year until I shuffle off this mortal coil. Like you, @DeanoAZ , I love the doing of it. It's fun, it brings its own satisfaction, and for someone with my strong OCD tendencies, it presents me with all sorts of challenges I may never overcome. Striving is what it's all about.

Neither of my children have any interest in maintaining any of my trees (sticks in pots) after I'm gone, and that doesn't concern me at all. I'm doing this for my own enjoyment, I have enough two-year seedlings, nursery plant adaptations, air layers, etc. to keep me busy, and the three or four "real" bonsai I've acquired are surviving well at this point. I'm happy.

And I'm happy to have a live-in supporter who actually encouraged me to start this hobby, so I have a goal in all of this. Every time she tells me something looks good, I'm thrilled and feel like I've achieved as much as anyone else around.

Everything you said strikes a chord with me....I just love the "doing" of it. I guess someone will be able to tell when I am gone by the wilted/dead bonsai in my backyard.....nobody plans on taking/caring for them when I am gone. In the future, I am just going to be happy with the "doing" and make the projects smaller.

 

[DeanoAZ]

It's sad, but mostly true...
Just watched another interview with a bonsai professional, saying that in Japan, no young people are interested in Bonsai....which lead him to say that we in the west have to carry the torch and keep bonsai culture alive! (Paraphrasing Mr Morales)

FYI, I'm 31, and I love stained glass art!

I'm afraid there are a lot of great things in this world that are going to be lost to future generations and that's sad. I remember that a lot of things were passed on to my parents and their generation from my grandparents. That doesn't happen anymore and I wonder why?

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm afraid there are a lot of great things in this world that are going to be lost to future generations and that's sad. I remember that a lot of things were passed on to my parents and their generation from my grandparents. That doesn't happen anymore and I wonder why?

I think the answer is this:
There is a huge gap between generations nowadays....for a couple reasons.

People are having children later in life nowadays, so there is a larger age difference between generations.
Also, and probably more to blame is technology....
My parents were born in the mid 50's, their parents were born in the 30's.
The way people lived in the 30's compared to the way they lived in the 50's wasn't really all that different....hence similar interests between generations.

Look at the way kids grow up nowadays compared to the 50's.....it's like a whole new universe!
There is almost nothing that hasn't been touched or changed by technology.....
Everything has changed, from the way we educate ourselves to the tools we use everyday, to the social interactions between people.
Everything is different now.
This creates a huge gap between generations, and the things that are important to the respective people.

 

[DeanoAZ]

Just dive in and have fun. I am 72 and though I have been doing this for a number of years there is nothing more pleasing for me than to find a piece of nursery material and make it into a bonsai. It is not having a bonsai that is fun for me it is making a bonsai that floats my boat. After all, if all you do is make a mess, when it comes time for the great dirt bath you're not going to be the one who has to clean up the mess.

One of my favorite places to do a nursery crawl is Wally World (Walmart). I have had some pretty good luck finding some bedraggled specimens on their sales shelves.

 

[DeanoAZ]

I think the answer is this:
There is a huge gap between generations nowadays....for a couple reasons.

People are having children later in life nowadays, so there is a larger age difference between generations.
Also, and probably more to blame is technology....
My parents were born in the mid 50's, their parents were born in the 30's.
The way people lived in the 30's compared to the way they lived in the 50's wasn't really all that different....hence similar interests between generations.

Look at the way kids grow up nowadays compared to the 50's.....it's like a whole new universe!
There is almost nothing that hasn't been touched or changed by technology.....
Everything has changed, from the way we educate ourselves to the tools we use everyday, to the social interactions between people.
Everything is different now.
This creates a huge gap between generations, and the things that are important to the respective people.

I sign on to your belief about technology making changes. I believe that so many things in our lives today, also happened years ago, but the flooding of information through the media, enabled through technology, puts them up in everyone's face. Things used to happen in the same way, but people just never heard about them.