A Few From a Recent Show

Here's a few shots of trees from a recent show. This was a Flower Show held in Belfast and organised by Belfast Parks and the NI Rose Society. It is far from being an ideal way of displaying trees, due to tightness of space, (I even photographed the trees away from the show) but if we don't support events like this they will disappear altogether. Some may think this isn't a bad thing but we miss a great chance of promoting our passion and getting new members. I have been a skeptic in the past but after spending Sunday speaking with very enthusiastic members of the public, I might change my mind.

Best in Show, a little Hinoki Cypress



Purple Beech with a massive nebari.



A few of the Mame
Lonicera

Ivy

Sorbus Reducta


Root over Rock Cononeaster


Root over Rock Mugo Pine


Shohin Lonicrea


My son Matthew won the Novice class :-)


This I think is a myrtle, I think. It was brought in from Japan and was a variety I hadn't seen before. Also a close up of the leaves. If you know the variety, I'd love hear what it is.

The "myrtle" looks to me to be a crape myrtle -- Lagerstroemia indica. It is not related to the true myrtles. Crape myrtle make fine bonsai. This one, however, will have a problem in a few years from that whorl of lower branches.

Nice selection there Ian. And to Master Young for his excellent contribution. Many thanks for posting.

Mike

That Purple Beech is the "dogs". What a nebari. Well done to your son too.

How on earth did the Hinoki "beat" the Beech for Best in Show???

Jim,
Trying to talk him into an air layer on the Myrtle :-)

Mike,
I think I've created a monster! My son now follows me to the garage in search of bonsai action

Will,
I tend to agree. The owner has another with even better nebari. I'll post when I get a big enough back drop.

Todd,
I tend to agree again. Always go for the knock out, never leave it in the hands of the judges.

Wow, the beech is brilliant! I have never seen a plant of this species which was worth of being called "Bonsai", but this one really is.
It even makes me writing my second posting in years

But.... this tree deserves a better (i. e. older, nicer, differently coloured, glazed and with patina) pot ....

B. t. w., may I ask who is the owner?

Claas,

The owner is Josh Renolds. He's one of our quiet club members who just gets on and does his own thing. All his bonsai have been created by him, not a bought one in sight. A rarity these days. He has numerous beech, hornbeam, Raulii, Hinoki Cypress, Elms etc and they are all staying with me for the Summer while he's on holiday. I'll get the camera out once I find a big enough back drop and photo his collection for you all. Believe it or not, in my opinion, he has an even better purple beech. He lets me use his trees for displays for the club while he's away. He's one of the true gentlemen I've meet in my time doing bonsai.

He started his beech as collected seedlings. He spread the roots at the time of collecting and placed them on slate in open ground for a while. Most of the trees are developed in the ground for 10+ years and then transferred to training pots. This one was only put into this pot last year. We have a problem in Northern Ireland getting our hands on decent pots and often have to make do. Not many pots about to fit this beauty.

THE beech is just a killer tree! Wow! But I agree with claas that it would deserve a better pot to complement all its beauty (but I understand that it´s not so easy to get one, as you wrote). Nice show!

Hi Ian, did you see my pm?
With regards, Claas

Sorry Claas, Just replied.

Ian