Feb 7 2017

The Best Deciduous Bonsai: Noelanders Trophy 2017

Saturday 4th February 2017 will be forever etched in my memory as the day I was lost for words. I was presented with an award that I simply thought would always be beyond reach ‘The Best Deciduous Bonsai at the Noelanders Trophy’

The tree was one that I had worked for 26 years, a Hawthorn in the raft style that I collected from the hillside way back in 1991. I had worked the tree as best I could, styling, feeding, watering, treating it when it was not thriving, repotting 6 times, I created every branch on the tree, this was a tree that had grown with me. In all the years the tree had received many awards and now it had won what must be the ultimate accolade from the most prestigious bonsai show outside of Japan.

Prior to showing the three I announced on social media that the tree was to be shown at The Noelanders Trophy 2017 and that it was available for sale. This caused consternation among many of my friends. I decide that it was time to sell as I had taken the tree as far as I could, it was as close to perfection as I could make it and it was time for another person to take on the responsibility of this beautiful tree. Any money raised would go help a family member with their future. The tree sold on Sunday morning after it had won the award. I also have a lot of trees that are coming into maturity that will fill the space in my private collection.

raft-for-sale

Dec 29 2016

Planting a Yamadori Yew on a rock

This amazing windswept tree belongs to my best mate in Bonsai Terry Foster. It has been planted on a rock for a number of years but Terry was never happy with the composition. Terry has access to some wonderful pieces of wavy rock that he collected on his travels. The new piece was more suited to the final image that Terry wanted.

Terry had prepared the rock by drilling a large hole in the base, and placing brass screws to secure tie wires to.

The whole project took 2 hours. The photos tell the story

Dec 29 2016

The Frozen Bonsai garden

Don’t be afraid to leave out your bonsai out in the garden during cold snaps, it is important to let your trees have a dormant period in winter. If the pots are shallow then you need to be more vigilant. The outside temperature in my garden hardly ever drops below -5ºc and my trees benefit from this cold period.


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Dec 26 2016

Bonsai without Borders in China Demo tree

At the Bonsai without Borders event in China December 2016, 70 artists each had a juniper to work, there were no egos, artists worked alongside each other Kobayashi worked alongside, Serjio, Nacho, Mauro, Bjorn, Ofer, Leigh, Yannick, Nik and many more artists from across the world it was a leveller, NOT a competition but every brought there top game to the event.

tony-with-tree

Each artist drew a lot and allocated a tree from the number drawn. Mine ‘28’ the tree was not easy from the start, ALL the foliage was far from the base of the trunk and it was not nice foliage to work. It was very interesting to see the differing styles and approaches to the problems presented. The organisers wanted the tree potted up. I was not happy about this but they wanted to see ‘finished’ trees. I selected an oversize cascade pot, the main rootball of the juniper was hardly touched in the repotting so I was happy that the tree would survive this stage.

Watch the video and see the result.

Dec 15 2016

Amazing Large Bonsai at Shanghai botanical gardens

When in Shanghai you must visit the botanical gardens, they have hundreds of the most amazing Pine Bonsai, all mature, all well maintained and in superb condition. When we visited the whole area was under reconstruction, it will be fantastic when completed in March 2017. Most of the tree were HUGE and many of the trees were around one metre in height, all shapes and styles. Surprisingly very few cascade trees, a fantastic display of Penjing and tea houses.