Something to brighten your day

[bonsaibp]

To all of you that are going through some nasty winter weather here's a little something to cheer you up.

Kimura Bonsai home of bonsai and rainbows!

 

[cmeg1]

Looks great,what is the temp there.We are actually getting rain and warm temps in January.I am ready for an early spring.

 

[A Random User]

This is funny and thanks for posting...
I actually got sunburned today while watering my plants.

 

[gergwebber]

Yeah, but what happens when the state says we can't water our landscape? Do bonsai get special exemptions cause they are like our kids? I am considering rigging my washing machine to fill a barrel on my front porch.

Really though guys, we have what about 5" of rain this year... bummer....

Send some our way easterners! P-N Westerners!

 

[bonsaibp]

I wish we could get some of the extra water from back east-I'd gladly send some sunshine in trade.
It was about 78 or so today- low 80's Monday

 

[Beng]

Yeah, but what happens when the state says we can't water our landscape? Do bonsai get special exemptions cause they are like our kids? I am considering rigging my washing machine to fill a barrel on my front porch.

Really though guys, we have what about 5" of rain this year... bummer....

Send some our way easterners! P-N Westerners!

How will they know where your water comes from unless you have a separate meter on your hose?

 

[lordy]

calling for flooding here tomorrow. 3" of rain isnt all that bad for 2 days, but on top of frozen ground, not much soaks in. Whoosh!

 

[gergwebber]

If you have public water you most likely have a meter. But it is not like they get itemized water usage reports. The only read total flow. What will happen is the city, county, water district or state, or all of them at once, will set restrictions that are self policed/honor system like. Of course you can cheat, but if you get caught you will be subjected to fines. I feel like some collections should be exempt like lake merrit?

I know many in the rural areas of the state have wells. They may be regulated as well. Also, in the drought in the 70s, many people in my home county in the foothills had wells go dry. They had to move out untill the water table returned. Since 1970, the number of people with wells in that county has quadrupled. What will happen when the water table gets that low again?

 

[gergwebber]

calling for flooding here tomorrow. 3" of rain isnt all that bad for 2 days, but on top of frozen ground, not much soaks in. Whoosh!

We got three in 2013 from Jan-Nov

 

[jkd2572]

Nice. Can't wait for 70. This weekend. Sifting and pot solecting. Then back cold next week. Gotta love Texas. 70 today freezing tomorrow.

 

[Neli]

It is our summer/rain season now, but most of the time we have less than 20 C during the day...alternating with sunnier days.
Our hottest month is October, the rest of the summer You need to wear warm clothing.
I am sure when you think of Africa...you think heat waves...Zambia is on very high elevation...1400m above sea level. Climate is very reasonable all year.

 

[Vance Wood]

If you have public water you most likely have a meter. But it is not like they get itemized water usage reports. The only read total flow. What will happen is the city, county, water district or state, or all of them at once, will set restrictions that are self policed/honor system like. Of course you can cheat, but if you get caught you will be subjected to fines. I feel like some collections should be exempt like lake merrit?

I know many in the rural areas of the state have wells. They may be regulated as well. Also, in the drought in the 70s, many people in my home county in the foothills had wells go dry. They had to move out untill the water table returned. Since 1970, the number of people with wells in that county has quadrupled. What will happen when the water table gets that low again?

Well-----? not meaning to be negative but here is a little information that might be useful. In one of many "government" discussion that took place in the Karaoke bar government intrusion into the art of bonsai came up.

Seeing that this is about bonsai I feel justified in mentioning it. It is possible to dig a well, if having a well is legal where you live. However if "Government" decided they don't like it they will come and test it and condemn it and force you to cover it up. This happened here locally when "government" decided to put city water into one community around here. Some of the residents protested, claiming they were more than happy with their well water. The "Government" came in and condemned the wells and forced the residents to pay to have city water run to their homes and pay to use the services.

Some may think this is not going to affect my bonsai? Maybe and maybe not. If you think they don't know the difference your wrong. A couple of years ago we installed an automatic watering system to cover the times we spent away from home. The city noticed the marked change in the amount of water we used and questioned us on it------they know.

 

[bonsaibp]

If you have public water you most likely have a meter. But it is not like they get itemized water usage reports. The only read total flow. What will happen is the city, county, water district or state, or all of them at once, will set restrictions that are self policed/honor system like. Of course you can cheat, but if you get caught you will be subjected to fines. I feel like some collections should be exempt like lake merrit?

I know many in the rural areas of the state have wells. They may be regulated as well. Also, in the drought in the 70s, many people in my home county in the foothills had wells go dry. They had to move out untill the water table returned. Since 1970, the number of people with wells in that county has quadrupled. What will happen when the water table gets that low again?

Personally I think CA should be on water restrictions all the time-period. The water table will get that low again. There is not enough water now nor will there be in the future. It wouldn't take much to make a difference. Legally one is not supposed to hose down driveways or sidewalks- it happens all the time. I would guess that 80% or more of the gardens at least here in L.A. are overwatered. On any given day you could take a drive in the Hollywood Hills and there is always water from sprinkler runoff flowing down the streets. And that kind of stuff is just the tip of the iceberg- hell they grow 1000's of acres of cotton in what is basically desert. The state water storage system is hopeless and about 50 years behind the times. We have about a 1000 miles of coast line but virtually no major desalination facilities. And the biggest problem is that water here is big business and as corrupt and cut throat as big oil.......
Enough ranting it just drives me crazy to see how short sighted people and government are.

 

[Vance Wood]

Personally I think CA should be on water restrictions all the time-period. The water table will get that low again. There is not enough water now nor will there be in the future. It wouldn't take much to make a difference. Legally one is not supposed to hose down driveways or sidewalks- it happens all the time. I would guess that 80% or more of the gardens at least here in L.A. are overwatered. On any given day you could take a drive in the Hollywood Hills and there is always water from sprinkler runoff flowing down the streets. And that kind of stuff is just the tip of the iceberg- hell they grow 1000's of acres of cotton in what is basically desert. The state water storage system is hopeless and about 50 years behind the times. We have about a 1000 miles of coast line but virtually no major desalination facilities. And the biggest problem is that water here is big business and as corrupt and cut throat as big oil.......
Enough ranting it just drives me crazy to see how short sighted people and government are.

Not meaning to be critical but finding no other alternative, that's kind of what you get, from a place that subscribes to a NIMBY philosophy. Not In My Back Yard. It's not so much the government's fault as it is the philosophies that drive those who elect the members of government. California has kind of been known as the Fantasy Land state by the rest of the country.

California thinks that they can allocate water for a little fish while taking away the same water that irrigates the orchards and groves that support the families of thousands of residents, and nothing will happen. One could write a book on this kind of thing but what does that have to do with bonsai? It will----eventually. I've been saying it for years. You like to collect trees?----It won't be long before they will find some reason you can no longer.

 

[Poink88]

Austin relies on the lower Colorado river for it's water supply and we've been in drought (& restricted watering schedule) for years. Most rain falls east & south of where it will matter and fill the dam . This is the reason I don't have auto sprinkler system yet...though I have all the components already, it is useless to assemble/install it.

 

[Vance Wood]

Austin relies on the lower Colorado river for it's water supply and we've been in drought (& restricted watering schedule) for years. Most rain falls east & south of where it will matter and fill the dam . This is the reason I don't have auto sprinkler system yet...though I have all the components already, it is useless to assemble/install it.

I only use mine a couple of weeks during the summer and then only if my son is not available to look after the trees.

 

[gergwebber]

Not meaning to be critical but finding no other alternative, that's kind of what you get, from a place that subscribes to a NIMBY philosophy. Not In My Back Yard. It's not so much the government's fault as it is the philosophies that drive those who elect the members of government. California has kind of been known as the Fantasy Land state by the rest of the country.

California thinks that they can allocate water for a little fish while taking away the same water that irrigates the orchards and groves that support the families of thousands of residents, and nothing will happen. One could write a book on this kind of thing but what does that have to do with bonsai? It will----eventually. I've been saying it for years. You like to collect trees?----It won't be long before they will find some reason you can no longer.

What does nimby have to do with this? The smelt has nothing to do with the fact that we will have years with less than 10" of rain. This means the water supply will be about 1/3 to 1/4 of normal. This is not so much political, it is basic math.

Also, digging a well is not an option. Here we drill wells. Many of the above wells I mentioned, the ones that dried up in the 70s, were in excess of 100' deep. Many go up to 400' deep. The option to dig a well, or deeper wells, or more wells does not work if the water table is depleted.

Here in fantasy land, we enact the most progressive environmental protections in the country. Climate change models predict CA will suffer the loss of annual snow pack and reduction in rain along with increased temperatures. We can change a little at a time now and make a graceful transition to the new environment, or we can pursue business as usual. If we sit back and wait, nature will force change... and that transition will be all at once, brutal, and not of our design.

 

[Vance Wood]

What does nimby have to do with this? The smelt has nothing to do with the fact that we will have years with less than 10" of rain. This means the water supply will be about 1/3 to 1/4 of normal. This is not so much political, it is basic math.

Also, digging a well is not an option. Here we drill wells. Many of the above wells I mentioned, the ones that dried up in the 70s, were in excess of 100' deep. Many go up to 400' deep. The option to dig a well, or deeper wells, or more wells does not work if the water table is depleted.

Here in fantasy land, we enact the most progressive environmental protections in the country. Climate change models predict CA will suffer the loss of annual snow pack and reduction in rain along with increased temperatures. We can change a little at a time now and make a graceful transition to the new environment, or we can pursue business as usual. If we sit back and wait, nature will force change... and that transition will be all at once, brutal, and not of our design.

I didn't mean to throw salt in your eyes, but it was mentioned that there has not been a desalinization plant built which seems to be the only viable solution for much of the water problems. While on the subject of diminishing resources petroleum comes up and the refusal to build refineries (not a new one in 30 years) and all because of NIMBY. On top of everything else there is the refusal to deal with something I am loath to mention here. But you cannot solve a problem if you don't talk about it.

 

[bonsaibp]

Back to brightening up the day -appoligizies for my part in derailing this.

 

[gergwebber]

yeah I am sorry too. But this weather though gorgeous, sucks

I am just very worried about my trees this summer as it seems we will be seeing restrictions. I do not know whether to repot in coarse soil, or heal things in to the ground under dense shade.

If any other drought hardy bonsai collectors have thoughts, please share, maybe we need a new thread?