Bonsai South News + Odds & Ends

We just removed the Dwarf yaupon hedge (Ilex vomitoria ‘nana’) from in front of the house. The house was built in 1985. We’ve lived here since 1995. Considering the size of the individual plants in the hedge, each must be 40 years old or older. Some looked like worthwhile bonsai candidates. Here’s one.

(On a different note: In the next two weeks we will be launching our updated website. Cathy has created a wonderful new design, which will be much more functional and easier for you to use. We’ll send out an announcement when we launch. Meanwhile, here are a few odds and ends that you might find interesting…)

You can get an idea of how much material I had to remove to find this potential clump-style bonsai to be. But it’s got a lot of potential. Next we wait to see if it comes back all right.

So I had to have another part of my yard dug up recently, and this Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), which I mentioned in a previous blog, had to be lifted or it wasn’t going to survive. I went ahead and put it in this Chuck Iker round, and it seems to be recovering.

Speaking of pots, a long-time and very good client of mine, Lary Howard, also makes custom pieces. You’ll be seeing more of his outstanding work on this site in the near future. Meanwhile, here are a few I just received to give you an idea. This one is a rustic piece. Very well-crafted.

Another unique example of Lary’s work.

And this one is going into my personal collection. I don’t even know if I have a tree for it yet.

And now, the final and odd end for this episode of odds and ends. This close up is of a Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana) I collected in Winter 2017. The foliage is coming out now, as you can see. But what’s that big fat bud in the center, and why isn’t it opening? This bud set last fall. Just a month or so ago, leaf buds began to form around this center bud. Could it be a flower bud? This and a few others appear at the ends of the branches that formed last year. I’m not familiar with the growth habit of this species, so I can only speculate. If it is a flower bud, then you’ll see a follow-up when it and the others open up. For now, it remains a mystery.

This will probably be my last blog until the new website launches. See you then!

Note:

Comments are closed. Remember to use the new Insider’s Club Form to post your questions and comments. This helps everybody learn and help and this is where I am now posting responses to your inquires and comments. (You’ll find the forum by scrolling up; it’s on your right.)