Archives for category: Bonsai
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mugo pine bonsai resting on shelf

 

A newly repotted mugo pine bonsai in a handsome purple-clay bonsai pot. Not for sale yet, needs to settle in.

At Ponsonby Plants, we’re now making our own hand-made pots. Here’s a shot of some, with good proper, huge, drain holes. No glaze yet, these are just raw, thrown pots. More to come…

handmade bowls

bowls

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Manuka – in flower

 
 
Some recent trees introduced at Ponsonby Plants.

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The Monster – Ficus

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Japanese Maple (acer pal.)

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Japanese Cypress

Bonsai no. 6 is a New Zealand native (totara) with loose stones in a hand-made bonsai pot.

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Standard bonsai pot

 

Bonsai no. 4 is a New Zealand native: the tea tree (manuka; Leptospermum scoparium). They have very fine branching and don’t usually survive repotting. Nice fine leaves as well. This one is due for a tidy-up.

 

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Bonsai no. 3 is a Japanese black pine. A new addition to the backyard.

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authentic Chinese “purple clay” pot

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Aged clay (terracota) pot

 

Pulled this juniper out of the bush (well nearly, abandoned in a grown over area of an Auckland nursery). Nice curves and a good taper of the trunk. A good example of how you can find a stylish but affordable tree if you hunt for it. Not a bonsai per se, but bonsai-esque.

And not as nice as this one, in its natural setting (source).

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Juniper in natural setting

Not as big a fan as some when it comes to Junipers as bonsais (junipers were a common hedge in our yard growing up in Montana), but this one pleases me: upright with long cascading branch in the black cascade pot. This one has enough age to make it among the few bonsai I have that are a constant source of pleasure. Needs some styling but I’m not too fussed about that.

 

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 Ulmus parvifolia, Chinese Elm

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High quality pot from China

 

 

The Chinese Elm, a popular bonsai favourite: hardy, small elegant leaves, shapely trunks with attractive, mottled bark.

Mine, an informal upright of about 10 years, has a new set of leaves and has been lightly pruned this week. The elm (a semi-evergreen) is semi-deciduous in Auckland.

Shaping and pruning is on the informal side with this tree, but will get a good shaping in the spring. Has good branch structure and is a vigorous grower in recent years, with stout little branches.

As shown in the last image, you can grow a Chinese elm from cuttings.

More on the Chinese Elm as a bonsai here.

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Interior branching

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Cuttings

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