Anyone into plants and trees?

Robert.B

Robert.B

Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Messages
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I was speaking a few months back with another BF member regarding bonsai and this is one I just repotted and did some decor work on with the moss as grass...came out nice and wondered if anyone else was into plants and trees of variety? maybe you have an impressive garden?

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This is a potbelly fig, give or take 10 years old so its still a youngin' when it comes to bonsai tree age.
 
I'm a botanist and farmer by trade, so yeah!




Nice Bonsai! :thumbup:
Ficus?

I was in to bonsai for a while years back, my best was an Azalea I wrapped about a rock and countersunk in a peat/sand medium and sphagnum moss.
Was a very patient process of removing the moss and letting the exposed root become trunk until I had the desired effect....

The toughest I did was a Scrub Oak....

Now I'm more into little succulent bonsai style arrangements. Less water and look great!

An amazing book with excellent pics you may be familiar with is:

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'Creating Bonsai Landscapes' by Su Chin Ee...
 
yeah its also known as Ficus Retusa...Its a shame I will never see the full potential of the tree as when I move stateside I'll leave it behind and begin again (i will likely purchase an established tree, and go from there). At best I'm amateur at this and do it for a little peaceful time, but I do wish to go all out with a decent tree mimicking a scene in nature. That book is one I wish to purchase, I have had a look through it at a local bookstore breifly.

http://www.collectorscorner.com.au/Bonsai/Ficus Retusa.htm good page for this specy...as you can see mine is light weight compared to the ones on this page.

I really want to do a bougainvillea bonsai once in the states, I had a 150 year old tree about neck height in the yard but during floods it was destroyed but the way it hard warped its roots around a large rock and appeared naturally as a large bonsai form with no intervention was amazing (wish I had pictures of it)...was here long before the house was, i dont know how common the bougainvillea is in the US but it shouldnt be hard getting seeds or saplings in.
 
I worked as a forester and then arboriculturist from when I left school untill about 4 or 5 years ago so I do like my trees and plants.

I have never been into bonsai but I have spent a large amount of time with trees at the other end of the size scale.:p:thumbup:
 
I have started on a Marula, thought I had killed it last year , but it is back. My Acacia is doing well, grew from seed some 5 years back and it is looking good. They both prefer to stay out side. No pics as my camera was recently stolen.
 
I grow trees for a hobby, and sell them off when they get a little larger. As I come from Down Under, my varieties may be a little different. My favourite is the native frangippani (hymenosporum flavum), but I also have some lemon scented gums and wattles going at the moment.

Thats a gorgeous little tree!
 
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Robert.B said:
I really want to do a bougainvillea bonsai once in the states.... i dont know how common the bougainvillea is in the US but it shouldnt be hard getting seeds or saplings in.
Click to expand...

It's native to South America and very common in Mexico, California, and the South-Western U.S.
Grows best in mild-winter climates but is common enough to be found in nurseries...

That would be a nice one! Have seen a few gorgeous ones.

Wisteria also makes a very striking bonsai that grows well...
 
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