Back in January I spent the vast sum of £9.44 on seven Larch hedging plants which came from Northern Ireland with some other bare rooted items and I am now beginning to get them organised as my bonsais of the future.
Japanese Larch Starters Jan 2016 18 inches to 2ft
I have in mind a group of three which uses up the two tiddlers they threw in with the original order of five. A two tree planting and a formal upright.See the sketches (right)
As they were grown for hedging stock some have quite deep tap roots so those are still in flower pots with a view to reducing the roots over a period of time as they get established. The centre twin trunk will have jinned branch remains for a good way up of the trunk trying to emulate a couple of old and weathered moorland trees.
Actually to be a bit more correct this is a Two Trees, Soju, planting where there are two separate trees as opposed to a Twin Trunk ,Sokan bonsai where two trunks grow from one root base.
There are a number of photos of a Larch Soju as I would like this to become one day in Dan Barton’s Bonsai Book.
The remaining one I have wired extensively to create a windswept tree
Windswept Larch in training
And straight away having photographed it I can see a glaring error,that branch crossing and rising above the bulk of the tree looks completely wrong, so follow this story later in the year .. They are all budding up well now and I am told they are rapid growers so let’s hope so, I haven’t a vast number of years statistically left to see the fruits of my labours.
Other new additions
Coming from Yorkshire stock and artist’s pension plans not being any use I seldom splash out on trees but we do have a major anniversary coming up shortly and as we were to visit my daughters new home near Marlborough, which fortunately coincided with the Swindon Bonsai Society Winter Show, my dear wife Susan said go on buy yourself a tree as a present. When I got there I was very pleased to find Jon a fellow member of the Taunton Club there, a qualified forester by profession happy to advise me on my choice.
As an anniversary present I chose a Japanese Maple a Kashima Acer which having been repottted in now bursting into leaf and I am told it will turn gold in the autumn , most appropriate for this particular anniversary. And whilst there I also spent a few of my own pennies on a young Satsuki Azalea which will need a few years and quite a bit of work. Altogether a good day out.
Young Satsuki Azalea
Japanese Maple -Acer ‘Kashima’
Over thirty years recording the rural scene in water colours
Michael Coopers Studio 