Spring 2022

[Shibui]

Just some photos of spring growth here at Shibui Bonsai.
Hopefully some inspiration for all of you who are facing winter.
Tridents:


Shohin

 

[ShadyStump]

Beautiful!

 

[Maiden69]

@Shibui how much shade do you provide your JM? I'm building a small area for mine where they will be shaded by the house after 1PM and I am debating whether to add a 30% shade cloth as well for the few hours it will get sun in the morning. Right now they are in my above ground bed underneath a cherry tree and a trident, that provide them dappled light all day and I still get some crispy leaves. Right now I only have a Kotohime and a "pine bark" JM Hubble's Super Cork, but if I can provide them a decent place to grow I may buy a few more or work into propagating a few cuttings from them.

 

[Shibui]

I now have 30% shade over all the maples from some time in late December through to end of summer.
I have experimented with less shade but unless watering is really thorough I also get scorched leaves. No real harm to the trees but it doesn't look too good.

 

[Shibui]

Japanese maples are later than tridents. Most are just opening leaves now, some still with very tiny leaf buds.


A feral plum collected a couple of years ago.


Trident group planting


Smaller ROR trident


Shohin sized cotoneaster horizontalis

 

[Hartinez]

That small Japanese maple forest is exceptional Shibui! They are all good for sure, but I love that forest.

 

[Shibui]

That small Japanese maple forest is exceptional Shibui! They are all good for sure, but I love that forest.

I have not posted a Japanese maple forest???
The shohin group in the reddish pot is tridents.

2 years ago I decided to make a shohin forest so dug some seedlings as I usually do to start groups and put those together. Decided it was a good start and would only take 5-10 years for the trees to mature and thicken.
Suddenly realized I have a nursery full of tridents at all stages of development, including plenty that are thicker, older, some have bends and short enough to make a better group NOW.
No real cost as they are just stock so I grabbed some that looked like they would match and put that small group together.

Trunk spacing is just a bit too uniform but it will do for now.

A couple more showing new spring colour.
Shohin azalea starting to flower. I'm hoping the flowers will last another 10 days for Canberra bonsai club show 1st and 2nd Oct


This Seiju elm is a little larger but still only around 30-40cm tall


Another cotoneaster horizontalis. Not really impressive as far as style but a bit bigger and older than the previous cotoneaster.

 

[Hartinez]

I have not posted a Japanese maple forest???
The shohin group in the reddish pot is tridents.

2 years ago I decided to make a shohin forest so dug some seedlings as I usually do to start groups and put those together. Decided it was a good start and would only take 5-10 years for the trees to mature and thicken.
Suddenly realized I have a nursery full of tridents at all stages of development, including plenty that are thicker, older, some have bends and short enough to make a better group NOW.
No real cost as they are just stock so I grabbed some that looked like they would match and put that small group together.

Trunk spacing is just a bit too uniform but it will do for now.

A couple more showing new spring colour.
Shohin azalea starting to flower. I'm hoping the flowers will last another 10 days for Canberra bonsai club show 1st and 2nd Oct
View attachment 457509

This Seiju elm is a little larger but still only around 30-40cm tall
View attachment 457511

Another cotoneaster horizontalis. Not really impressive as far as style but a bit bigger and older than the previous cotoneaster.
View attachment 457510

Woops. Well, I think your TRIDENT forest is lovely.

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

Fantastic trees. Appreciative of the beauty but also that I can see structure for future inspiration of design! Thanks.

 

[ShadyStump]

I'm enjoying this. Should we call in some other southern hemisphere folks to share?

 

[ShimpakuBonsai]

Very nice trees.
Question: do you have more (shohin size) junipers and/or pines?

 

[Shibui]

Very nice trees.
Question: do you have more (shohin size) junipers and/or pines?

Thanks. And, yes, I do have shohin sized junipers and a couple of pines but they don't put on a great spring display so you'll have to wait to see those.

I'm enjoying this. Should we call in some other southern hemisphere folks to share?

More than happy for others to add to this thread. The more the merrier.

 

[Firstflush]

The Aussie Bonsai Bloke, Sam, speaks of a devils plum. Is that your feral plum? What is a devils plum in AU?

 

[ShadyStump]

More than happy for others to add to this thread. The more the merrier.

Well, @Pixar is in New Zealand, and @Clicio in Brazil. I know there are a couple on her from South Africa, but I can't recall their screen names right now. Any help there?

 

[Shibui]

The Aussie Bonsai Bloke, Sam, speaks of a devils plum. Is that your feral plum? What is a devils plum in AU?

Never heard of a tree called devils plum but I just checked the Aussie bonsai bloke video and he called that particular plum devils plum because the dead wood looks like a devils face so not a ref to species, just refers to that particular tree.
His tree also looks like one of the feral plums we get growing along roadsides, in farmland and vacant places down here in the cooler south of Aus.
There are a couple of species that have escaped to become feral weeds here. Most are referred to as Cherry plum because they all seem to have small fruit.
I think mine are probably Prunus cerasifera. We also have Prunus nigra which has red leaves and fruit and in some places Prunus spinosa has naturalized.

 

[Clicio]

Calliandra Spinosa.