Bonsai trees Some of Maura's competition

[Phillip C]

In an earlier thread my wife Maura said that her orchids had to compete with my bonsai trees as we have only a small patio area that does face South. She has about 50 orchids and has mixed them in very well with my 6 or 8 Bonsai trees. Here are some photo's of a few of those Bonsai. The Bald Cypress is about 4 feet tall.

[vandagirl]

Very nice. Do you grow them yourself? I like them, but I must admit I like orchids better.

[cdayinflorida]

Is that a cypress tree in the first photo or a redwood?
They are all very nice. Thanks for sharing.

[catttan]

Very pretty, Phillip. Congratulations. That bald cypress in the first picture is really impressive. I love bonsai but never had the patience nor perseverance to succeed. Much easier to take care of 100 orchids than 1 bonsai, with all that constant pruning and training needed. No wonder the prices too reflect the care and patience that must have gone into producing a good bonsai plant. 2 miles down the road from my place is a garden 'Lai Huat Garden' where a bonsai fancier exhibits his plants together with his other interest , suiseki or rock art( naturally occurring ). This garden has attracted thousands of visitors.

A fortnight ago I went for my holidays and saw some bonsai Chinese junipers - but what impressed me most was bonsai using the most ordinary of garden herb , the common English parsley ! The stem was about 8 inches high.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

These trees require so much patience and effort. Good for you, Phillip!

cheers,
BD

[panam]

Phillip - these are really nice - especially the cypress! Thankks so much for sharing these with us.

[pavel]

I love bonsai but never had the patience nor perseverance to succeed.

I completely agree with, Yew. I wish I had the patience, perseverance, and "vision" necessary for bonsai. I have always loved seeing them. But, alas, that is not the case.

[Phillip C]

Thanks everyone, Bonsai has its own rewards, so the patience does pay off. Yew, that is a very impressive collection. I especially like the parsley. That first tree is a cypress, Bald Cypress, Taxodium Distichum and it about 4 ft, tall and about 40 or 41 years old. It came out of South Georgia down near the Okefunoki swamp. I must confess that I purchased that tree Nearly the size it is today. I am working on a Bald Cypress forest which is a grouping of an odd number of trees spread out to look like a forest or stand of cypress. I will re-pot them this February into their final forest like stand. Right now they are just growing to gain to gain some size. They are about 3 feet tall now, but pencil thin. I will chop them and let the dominant leader take over for the new top. This will help fatten the trunks as well. Thanks again for the compliments, maybe soon I can et some better photos of all of them. Mauras orchid are crowding me out, but thats ok as they look good together.

[Halloamey]

Awesome Bonsai are my third wait ... 4 th love LOL ! The bald cypress is Awesome !

[Phillip C]

Amey, I am just learning The art of Bonsai. It is a three dimensional art form that I find very relaxing, but it calls for patience which is not a virtue that I am long on. It's very too late to teach an old dog new tricks and I might as well be patient as nothing is going to happen over night. You really go with the seasons and their change and it give you an appreciation of trees in the wild, their shapes as well as their chiaroscura against a late evening sky. In short I ma finding it to be one outlet for my creative self that is so satisfying. Photography is another and I apologize for the higedly-pigeldy way my photos appeared in this post. That was a quick snap shot just to post something. Anyway, i'm glad you liked it and yes the Bald Cypress is a true work of art - one that I cannot claim, but it's mine to continue to take care of and improve and I am proud to be able to do that. Have a nice day. Philip