Show Us Your Bonsai Benches

[CWTurner]

cinder blocks and 4x6s.

4x6! You're gonna need some much bigger trees.
I use pressure treated 2x8 laid flat, for my mostly-big trees.
They do look good though.
I would suggest you widen the gap between the beams. It won't hurt to have them overhanging the block by an inch or so.
CW

 

[Traken]

4x6! You're gonna need some much bigger trees.
I use pressure treated 2x8 laid flat, for my mostly-big trees.
They do look good though.
I would suggest you widen the gap between the beams. It won't hurt to have them overhanging the block by an inch or so.
CW

I mainly wanted to be extra safe. I figured 4x6 looks nice, and is less likely to distort as much as 2x lumber, but yeah, probably overkill. heh

They overhang a tiny bit, but I can spread them out a little. Extra surface area never hurts.

 

[leatherback]

Moving the cinderbock together substantially will also reduce the distortion

 

[maroun.c]

I added these 3 benches 2 weeks back. Want to use them as display in front Garden and not as storage, so still not happy with trees placement nor with trees quality fwiw

 

[Mycin]

Here's my bonsai bench. I moved from a large, north facing patio to .... a small north facing balcony Determined to cram as much plant matter into my 8x6 outdoor space as I could (without pushing my girlfriend over the edge), I bought a Shirley's Shelving unit and did a faux Shou Sugi Ban to some pine 2x8s.

Current inventory, from upper-left:

Sugartyme Malus, from Evergreen Gardenworks
Gmelina Philippensis
Snow Drift Malus, also from Evergreen Gardenworks
Chinese Elm
Portulacaria Afra
Dwarf Willow cuttings
Ginseng Ficus from Home Depot
Amur Maple I collected this year, post trunk chop. Very excited for this one
Bunch of P. Afra Cuttings
Succulents
P. Afra Cutting Forest attempt .. gonna spring for a Mica landscape pot once these root and leaf out a bit and do it proper
Succulent cutting trays
Asparagus Fern
Japanese Maple - still not sure I'm gonna do an air layer for the top canopy or a literati, as suggested by @sorce

It's a struggle to get my trees enough sunlight, for sure. Maybe 5-6 hours of direct sunlight, and it's morning and evening sunlight .. so part-shade probably. That said, I feel like the reflected sun off nearby condo buildings has been hitting my plants with some intensity - an orchid I had in the windowsill got a sun burn on its leaf, so I'm wondering if the sunlight is magnified? Here's hoping

Anyways, I have a specimen Chaenomeles from Brent arriving this week, intended as a gift for my mom so I'll have that to enjoy for a few months before she gets it. Otherwise, no plans to buy any other trees for now. Maybe some nice Acacias or BRTs once I have an indoor light setup in the winter.

 

[Vinnie Charity]

Great use of limited space!

Very much so, there is still a path and the gate opens all the way...

 

[Carol 83]

Here's my bonsai bench. I moved from a large, north facing patio to .... a small north facing balcony Determined to cram as much plant matter into my 8x6 outdoor space as I could (without pushing my girlfriend over the edge), I bought a Shirley's Shelving unit and did a faux Shou Sugi Ban to some pine 2x8s.

Current inventory, from upper-left:

Sugartyme Malus, from Evergreen Gardenworks
Gmelina Philippensis
Snow Drift Malus, also from Evergreen Gardenworks
Chinese Elm
Portulacaria Afra
Dwarf Willow cuttings
Ginseng Ficus from Home Depot
Amur Maple I collected this year, post trunk chop. Very excited for this one
Bunch of P. Afra Cuttings
Succulents
P. Afra Cutting Forest attempt .. gonna spring for a Mica landscape pot once these root and leaf out a bit and do it proper
Succulent cutting trays
Asparagus Fern
Japanese Maple - still not sure I'm gonna do an air layer for the top canopy or a literati, as suggested by @sorce

It's a struggle to get my trees enough sunlight, for sure. Maybe 5-6 hours of direct sunlight, and it's morning and evening sunlight .. so part-shade probably. That said, I feel like the reflected sun off nearby condo buildings has been hitting my plants with some intensity - an orchid I had in the windowsill got a sun burn on its leaf, so I'm wondering if the sunlight is magnified? Here's hoping

Anyways, I have a specimen Chaenomeles from Brent arriving this week, intended as a gift for my mom so I'll have that to enjoy for a few months before she gets it. Otherwise, no plans to buy any other trees for now. Maybe some nice Acacias or BRTs once I have an indoor light setup in the winter.

Nice Parrot's Beak.

 

[jaco94]

A small shaded area for a few plants that do not like the heat too much, the neighboring plants that are not in a pot, and that can be seen at the top (ivy) are welcome because when I water it contributes to an atmosphere more pleasant and more humid.

The closer together and the more numerous the plants, the more favorable the atmosphere created with the watering.

"Life attracts life", that's fine ...

 

[PiñonJ]

Here’s the most recent addition to my courtyard. Monkey poles attached to concrete deck piers.

 

[Trenthany]

A small shaded area for a few plants that do not like the heat too much, the neighboring plants that are not in a pot, and that can be seen at the top (ivy) are welcome because when I water it contributes to an atmosphere more pleasant and more humid.

The closer together and the more numerous the plants, the more favorable the atmosphere created with the watering.

"Life attracts life", that's fine ...


View attachment 322159

What is your backdrop behind them?

 

[Trenthany]

Here’s the most recent addition to my courtyard. Monkey poles attached to concrete deck piers.
View attachment 322160

Great idea! Are they stable enough? I’m guessing no dogs/kids?

 

[jaco94]

What is your backdrop behind them?

Hi @Trenthany, this is what it is:



I use it a lot in my garden as a breeze view and to give a Japanese style, it changes over time and becomes a little gray.
Another shelf with this material.
No tree in this season above because too much exposed to the sun, around here, it has been very, very hot for several days ...

 

[LemonBonsai]

It isnt much but I had some extra pieces of pressure treated wood laying around so I spent one evening building it. Also all my trees are in training so just alot of future bonsai haha. I also built the little seedling cage to stop birds and other critters from taking everything.

 

[PiñonJ]

Great idea! Are they stable enough? I’m guessing no dogs/kids?

They seem very stable, but if you don’t work on the fit between the 4x4 metal anchor and the pier, the monkey pole can move around a little. I might use masonry adhesive to permanently anchor it.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Last hurrah of the bougainvillea...
My afternoon sun bench.

 

[Clicio]

Last hurrah of the bougainvillea...
My afternoon sun bench.

WOW!
I just love it! Feels like and old library, or a french garden, amazing!

 

[Cadillactaste]

WOW!
I just love it! Feels like and old library, or a french garden, amazing!

Ahhh thank you. <3

 

[Nimster64]

Thanks for all the inspiration everyone. I will be building one but for indoors

 

[namnhi]

My jungle...

 

[roberthu]

I did a thing!

How heavy are these blocks?!