ForumGarden

My previous marriage ended in divorce and the separation was devastating for me as I would no longer be rising each morning knowing I would be sharing my daily existence together with my 2 boys. Anyone who's separated from their children understand that.

Anyway, I was left in a semi-comatose condition until one day I was peeling away at some fruit, wondering if I could coax the pip to grow. So, I gave it a go and it was the beginning of a new love. That was 20 years ago and it's developed into an interest for growing and training bonsai. Lucky I was too because when I went into retirement a couple of years ago I simply carried on! I have remarried and am blessed with another son, this one's only 7, but I have more than enough time for both my family - and my bonsai. :yh_hugs

Many years ago I picked up a twig that had fallen from a Money Tree outside a shop. It was showing the faintest furry trace of some root on it, so I took it home & stuck it in a bit of soil. It is now massive, and frequently requires that I chop it down with a hacksaw to keep it in check.

FourPart;1459966 wrote: ..... I picked up a twig ....


That's the way it always starts.



FourPart;1459966 wrote: It is now massive, and frequently requires that I chop it down with a hacksaw to keep it in check.


Just so we're on the same wave length .... we're talking about the crassula, yes?

1). Cut it at any length, any thickness.

2). Leave the cutting lying in the sun (window ledge for example) and dry for a fortnight.

3). Prop it up in soil suitable for succulents with no water at all an additional fortnight.

4). Then water it as you normally would.

5). Watch it grow.

I toyed with bonsai some time ago, gathered seedling trees whilst out walking, brought them home and formed them with wires into gnarled shapes.

But my patience wasn't up to it.

When we lived on a boat alongside our charter/trip boat, we were moored on the river side adjacent to a very attractive country park. This park had a couple of lakes which were trout fishing lakes and they had wide grass verges around them. In order to prevent cars from being parked on these grass verges, 'dragon's teeth' were put into the grass area alongside the country park narrow road. All they were were logs chopped into lengths of around 0.5 metres, with one end made into a point so that they could be easily 'planted' in the soil. After about a year we were surprised to see most of them were sprouting little branches, some of which had very healthy leaves ! I haven't been into that park for many years so I wonder if there is now a tree-lined road around the lakes ! :yh_rotfl

Bruv;1459983 wrote: I toyed with bonsai some time ago, gathered seedling trees whilst out walking, brought them home and formed them with wires into gnarled shapes.

But my patience wasn't up to it.


Whenever I'm asked to give advice to someone who's interested, I tell them to put a forest-collected tree in a pot and leave in on or near the garden where it can be seen on those leisurely days, but leave it alone for at least one year except for watering and feeding if needed. One day you'll look at it and think, "Hmmmmm, now if that branch would be removed (or repositioned) it would give the tree a much more pleasant outline." That's the point you when you begin to become a bonsai gardener.

G#Gill;1459984 wrote: When we lived on a boat alongside our charter/trip boat, we were moored on the river side adjacent to a very attractive country park. This park had a couple of lakes which were trout fishing lakes and they had wide grass verges around them. In order to prevent cars from being parked on these grass verges, 'dragon's teeth' were put into the grass area alongside the country park narrow road. All they were were logs chopped into lengths of around 0.5 metres, with one end made into a point so that they could be easily 'planted' in the soil. After about a year we were surprised to see most of them were sprouting little branches, some of which had very healthy leaves ! I haven't been into that park for many years so I wonder if there is now a tree-lined road around the lakes ! :yh_rotfl


Now that is a fascinating story! I love it! :yh_clap

Are they willows, perhaps?

My kitchen 'Garden' (a baby bath on a table by the window).

FourPart;1460002 wrote:


My kitchen 'Garden' (a baby bath on a table by the window).


Jesus! You must need a macheté and a compass in order to navigate your way to the fridge!

I inherited my parents home...and 23 different species of trees including a massive Peachcot, an Apple tree, various Plum trees, a Peach tree, a Pear tree, three White Birches, three thirty-foot Long-Needled Firs, a monstrous Blue Spruce, a huge Sycamore, the biggest Russian Olive I've ever seen, 6 flower gardens, a 40 foot Chrysanthemum hedge, an Orchid garden, three evergreen hedges, and three separate lawns. Then I took over care of my school's twenty various decorative indoor plants.

So yeah....now I have a green thumb too.

The worst part? I live in a desert.

You can see a shot of my Mum hedge in the early part of this video (and hear my voice announcing the beginning)

Saint_;1460212 wrote: I inherited my parents home...and 23 different species of trees including a massive Peachcot, an Apple tree, various Plum trees, a Peach tree, a Pear tree, three White Birches, three thirty-foot Long-Needled Firs, a monstrous Blue Spruce, a huge Sycamore, the biggest Russian Olive I've ever seen, 6 flower gardens, a 40 foot Chrysanthemum hedge, an Orchid garden, three evergreen hedges, and three separate lawns. Then I took over care of my school's twenty various decorative indoor plants.

So yeah....now I have a green thumb too.

The worst part? I live in a desert.

You can see a shot of my Mum hedge in the early part of this video (and hear my voice announcing the beginning)


That's you saying "We're not in Kansas any more"? Wow - your voice not broke yet?

Saint_;1460212 wrote: I inherited my parents home...and 23 different species of trees including a massive Peachcot, an Apple tree, various Plum trees, a Peach tree, a Pear tree, three White Birches, three thirty-foot Long-Needled Firs, a monstrous Blue Spruce, a huge Sycamore, the biggest Russian Olive I've ever seen, 6 flower gardens, a 40 foot Chrysanthemum hedge, an Orchid garden, three evergreen hedges, and three separate lawns. Then I took over care of my school's twenty various decorative indoor plants.

So yeah....now I have a green thumb too.

The worst part? I live in a desert.

You can see a shot of my Mum hedge in the early part of this video (and hear my voice announcing the beginning)




I'm going to copy and paste this over in the "What Can Make Me Green With Envy" thread!

FourPart;1460218 wrote: That's you saying "We're not in Kansas any more"? Wow - your voice not broke yet?


Yeah. I do John Wayne and James Cagney as well.

This is wonderful, I've always been attracted towards bonsai. Thanks for sharing your story.