New Bonsai Garden Display Progression Thread

Dang...looks AMAZING! If you do any large rock features. Please bury them a bit into the ground so they look planted and established. And not just placed there. A tip I used in my hardscape yard. And everyone comments it looks natural.
Love what you have done already!!! I so admire ones who really focus on anesthetics showing their trees off. IMG_20190423_155214449_HDR.jpgFB_IMG_1556214170909.jpg
 
Cadillactaste said:
Dang...looks AMAZING! If you do any large rock features. Please bury them a bit into the ground so they look planted and established. And not just placed there. A tip I used in my hardscape yard. And everyone comments it looks natural.
Love what you have done already!!! I so admire ones who really focus on anesthetics showing their trees off. View attachment 241673View attachment 241674
Click to expand...

I might not do any large rock boulders around the display right now, but this is good advice for my front yard! I have a 100% native pollinator garden I have been building.
 
I finally got my act together and started working on a pergola. I chose the simple linear design as it is the most modular. I may add one or two more components and I am considering changing the dimensions. The posts are 4"x6" with the tops set at 8 feet. The long axis beams are 2"x6" but I am considering going up to 2" x 8". The short axis are 2"x4" which I think are fine but they are 3 feet in length to be the exact same width as the bench. My goal is to block midday sun so I didn't want them too big. Here are a few pictures.

252095

252096

252097
 
looking great!

get some moss growing between and around those stepping stones!
 
Added the second and last pergola component. I also swapped out the crossbeams and went from 3' lengths to 4' lengths in order to provide a little more shade protection. Now the trees will get part shade for the hottest part of the day. I now essentially have 3 different levels of shade depending on the needs of my plants.

253612
253613
 
Today I moved a half dozen medium sized boulders into the garden area. My goal was two-fold. First, I wanted to lend a sense of permanency and age to the garden. All the stones were found on the property and I dug them down a couple inches so they don't look like they are sitting on top of the ground. Second, I wanted to break up some of the straighter lines along the garden path. So, I removed some of the PA bluestone and inserted some rocks. This won't meaningfully mess up the walk paths, but I think gives it some more interest. I'll likely tinker with the placement of a few of them and maybe add 1 or 2 more. My plan for the winter is to extend the pergola across the path in front of the shed. I'll also plant some ferns next to the monkey poles and rocks. The pergola and benches will also get stained.
268828268829268830
 
I decided that the pergola was too small and my trees were not getting enough sun protection in the summer (I only grow deciduous). I also wanted to make the space feel more intimate and self-contained. So....I ended up extending the pergola all the way across. This required me to dig up and remove a couple monkey poles (only 100 pounds each with the concrete....). I really like the look of it though. Opinions and thoughts as always are appreciated.

272361

272362

272363
 
Lars Grimm said:
I decided that the pergola was too small and my trees were not getting enough sun protection in the summer (I only grow deciduous). I also wanted to make the space feel more intimate and self-contained. So....I ended up extending the pergola all the way across. This required me to dig up and remove a couple monkey poles (only 100 pounds each with the concrete....). I really like the look of it though. Opinions and thoughts as always are appreciated.

View attachment 272361

View attachment 272362

View attachment 272363
Click to expand...
Looking good! I'm betting it will be hard to resist the urge to build more benches! How deep did you end up burying the pergola posts?
 
I like it much better than the single row.
I'm contemplating a similar feature but in the reverse. It will extend from my second story deck about 10' out and then open to the yard.
The overhead structures always gives sense of security, as well as providing protection for the little ones!!
Nice Job!!
 
New Years week means no work for me but the kids in daycare! I spent some time staining the pergola to match the fence and adding some decorative bases to some of the posts. They match the shed and the house. I think they make it look more formal and differentiate the pergola from the monkey poles. I also relaid all the stones to make them level and have started to collect moss to fill in the gaps. I'm debating what color to stain the benches. Likely it will be something darker brown to offset the brown/orange of the fence and pergola.
277238
 
Lars Grimm said:
It's tough, I need to relevel them first, but my back is going to hate me. I have to find the kind of moss that doesn't mind getting completely scorched...
Click to expand...

Awesome setup! Could you get some sedum or other groundcover in between the stones that'd tolerate the sun more than moss? I have red creeping thyme that loves our summer sun.
 
Sunwyrm said:
Awesome setup! Could you get some sedum or other groundcover in between the stones that'd tolerate the sun more than moss? I have red creeping thyme that loves our summer sun.
Click to expand...
That's a really interesting idea. I hadn't thought of sedum or creeping thyme. I'll have to investigate further. Does it hold up well to foot traffic?
 
My red creeping thyme does pretty well although I don't step directly on it, my dogs do. The woolly thyme I tried did not.
 
I went ahead and stained the poles and benches. I chose a semi-transparent stain so that you could still see some grain in the wood. The dark brown color offsets the orange/brown fence and pergola. I think it will also make the color of my glazed pots and deciduous trees really pop. The benches should also last a lot longer.

IMG_4907.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

mattspinniken
Do you have plans to improve your Bonsai Garden (display area) in 2018?
2 3
Replies
53
Views
6K
miker
miker
Johnnyd
Developing Bonsai from the Top of Garden Trees
Replies
12
Views
635
Johnnyd
Johnnyd
C
New England Bonsai Garden Fall Celebration, September 21, 2024, Bellingham, MA
Replies
6
Views
806
cmu268
cmu268
snowman04
46th Annual Mid-America Bonsai Exhibition August 16-18, 2024 Chicago Botanical Garden
Replies
14
Views
2K
snowman04
snowman04
Leo in N E Illinois
Milwaukee Bonsai Society Show June 8 and June 9, 2024, Boerner Botanical Garden, Hales Corner WI
Replies
0
Views
306
Leo in N E Illinois
Leo in N E Illinois
Back
Top Bottom