Japanese Boxwood Bonsai gets needed springtime cleaning

I've worked on this tree since purchasing as nursery stock almost 2 years ago.  Pot created by my best friend Aaron, the legs are tree trunks that wind up into the top of the pot's rim. 

A view before work begins.   This little tree created lot of seeds over the fall/winter that I did not attend to and remove.  It's time to pinch them all off and let the tree regain some vigor. 

Here is a pile of the seeds I pinched off.   Don't think I will let that happen this year, seems to really impact the tree's growth later in the season and it's awakening in springtime.   

 All the seeds are off, some leaves pinched here or there that were extremely large.  This is a view from the tree's rear.  However, it does have an appeal to me as possibly a new front view?

A view from the current front.   What do you think, which view gives the best 'front' view??

2 Angels and 1 little tree

With all new toys or gadgets, comes some testing and breaking in.   From a 2mp original iPhone camera to a 8mp htc incredible camera - I think my blog pics are going to look a 'little' better.  I can even make movies to throw on Youtube and link to.

Isabelle  (4 1/2), Maggie  (6 1/2), little Japanese Boxwood in the center.    (If I don't add the halves, they get upset!)  My little Angels!  My wife and I are very blessed - owed a karmic debt; what have you, they are the brightest little spirits in the world to me.

Which makes for a more interesting front view?  Currently in my mind it's the left photo - what do you think?

More cheesing girl photos.  :)

Have a safe Labor Day weekend everyone!

Music with Bonsai

This is a very unique approach to bonsai and music, all at once!  This little tree had to be zinging for days after making music!  (Not only do people fare better when they approach nature - nature responds to positive human interaction!)



Enjoy!

Japanese Boxwood - Now a true Bonsai

Well, it's becoming 'more' of a bonsai, I'll say that.  :)   This is the apex of my experience so far - of bonsai and homemade pottery combined.  In this instance this pot is actually the creation of my best friend Aaron, which I'll revisit as this post goes.    I finally feel like I am getting somewhere...  :)

Before - the Tree Trunk Pot of Aarons

This pots beginnings are better detailed in this post. 

Here are some finished pictures - glazed and ready for use.  Love this pot, Aaron's work on the trunks and branches that work into the foilage on the rim, is appreciated better in person..  The glazing is beautiful!

Picture from last season

This tree's beginnings are detailed in this post. 

Japanese boxwood before the transformation

This is a picture today that I took before my work.  The wire came off, and as you can see it survived the unusual winter we had very well, with a great deal of new growth showing.

Vast root reduction

As you can see, I reduced the roots a great deal vertically, so that it will fit into it's new home.  I did this by gently raking out the roots, sort of like picking hair apart from a bad perm (lol).  It was easy, as it seemed this tree wanted to be a bonsai; it has a very fiberous root system, with no real large, obnoxious roots that I had to wither down!  

Pot is prepared with wire and layer of soil

Something I've inspired Aaron to do in his future pot designs, is to add holes for 'wire'.  On this pot, I'm snaking wire through it's drainage holes to help hold the root ball down in the pot.  Ready for the tree!

Japanese Boxwood - in new home

I'm so excited!  This went so well; I've planned this tree's future out in my mind since my first work on this tree last year - and knew after Aaron's pot was glazed that this Boxwood would find it's home here; To work through the process with patience and to have a result like this - I can say I think that this is my 1st 'real' bonsai created on my own, from start to well.   Not finished, but looking like a bonsai.  There is still alot of work ahead; some more reduction, and then beginning the full ramification that I have planned for this tree.  It's future is an Informal style bonsai, with heavy ramification reducing the leaf size dramatically.

Close up of the trunk wired to hold root ball

Closer look at the base, the wire threaded through the root ball and gently twisted around the trunk, the soil (80% inorganic, 20% organic), and a nice little rock for effect (I dig rocks in the bonsai pots, the right rock can add depth and increase the image of landscape for the pot itself).

Yay!  A fun day and a productive, exciting experience.  Thanks to my wife for letting me indulge time today!  :)

Japanese Boxwood - better view

Japanese Boxwood #1

A few people were really interested to see a better picture of this tree (The photos I used last time I kept small so I could try to 'spice up' the blog post!). Here's a better picture - I really like the image this little tree is sending me!