Hello all!

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It is I, Claire! The plant lover at Trinity University. I believe that my balcony could win the award for “Most Plants on One Balcony.” It is my happy place, my creative space.

I have decided to document my progress as I dive into the world of bonsai. Some of my earliest work was not well documented via photos, but now that I know I have a source for photos, I will take more progression pictures!

I created this blog for two main reasons. One- I tell people about my love of bonsai, yet sometimes they do not understand the process that bonsai requires. Hopefully, this blog will shed light on this passion. Two- I plan to pursue this hobby for as long as I can. This is a great organizational tool to track the progress of all of my children (plants).

Are you unfamiliar with bonsai? Here are the basics, along with debunking stereotypical assumptions.

  • Bonsai is the Japanese art of training young plants, bushes, and trees to look old and big.
  • This training involves rearranging branches using wire that is wrapped around the branches. Young plants often have straight lines/branches- this is the enemy. By curving branches using wire, you help the tree look older and maximize its energy intake by allowing all leaves to reach sunlight.
  • The stereotypical bonsai master is a cute old Japanese man delicately trimming the leaves of a huge bonsai. This is 0.001% of bonsaists. Those types of trees are often hundreds of years old, expensive, and delicate to care for. And, the main task of bonsai isn’t trimming leaves. Sure, that is a part of it, but there is also wiring, repotting, chopping, prunning, and strategic backbudding!
  • Bonsais are not easy little houseplants that you keep on your desk to look cute and fancy. Only a select variety of species can tolerate being indoors, but all bonsai are happiest outside.
  • There are not bonsai “seeds” or specific plants that magically turn into bonsai. Bonsai is an art, not a species. With enough creativity, you could theoretically train any plant to be a bonsai.
  • Common bonsai species are ficus, boxwood, juniper, jade, crepe mrytle, Chinese elm, maple, pine, bougainvillea, cotoneaster, schefflera, holly, gingko, fukien tea…
  • Most bonsaists don’t buy bonsai. They buy “nursery stock,” which is a normal plant that they then train to be tiny. Or, you can collect plants from the wild, which is called yamadori.
  • Buying a a true bonsai would cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. The “bonsai” you can buy at Home Depot or malls are deemed “mallsai” in the bonsai community. They are mass produced trees that seldom have the characteristics of a true bonsai. They are kitschy and I am now disgusted by them.
  • A traditional bonsai has these qualities: a thick, tapered trunk with movement, curved branches, tiny leaves, good nebari (thick visible roots), and a distinguished shape, whether that be triangular or ovular.
  • You will never know everything there is to know about bonsai. It is a wide community filled with different perspectives, techniques, and opinions.
  • You will always kill trees. It is a rite of passage. Sometimes you push a tree too far, it stresses it, and dies. It just happens.

This list turned out to be far longer than I anticipated, and I could keep going and going! There is a wealth of knowledge that I am excited to share with you.

I will post tree/project specific posts that fall under the species category on the right (on PC). I may also make general posts about other things, like soil, pots, and technique.

Bonsai on!

Like a boxwood, but cooler

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While perusing the clearance section at Lowe’s (one of my favorite places), I found this little guy.

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He was $13, marked down to $5. Just a few yellow leaves, but otherwise great! The leaves reminded me of a boxwood, but with jagged edges and a different shape. I really liked it. After confirming that Green Spire Euonymus can be trained as a bonsai, I snatched it up.

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Chop chop chop. I shortened long, spindly branches to make it more compact. Now you can see the dual trunk. Two little trunks that grew together. I am normally not a fan of that style of bonsai, but I shouldn’t knock it til I try it. After turning it and looking as all of its angles, I determined the best front.

There we go. Look at those neat nebari (surface roots). There is an obvious primary and secondary trunk, and the angles work.

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This looks silly. Why did I do this? I am keeping those two branches as sacrifice branches- they will help thicken up the trunks and eventually be cut off once I am satisfied. They were growing upward, so I wired them away so that 1) they receive maximum sunlight, so more growth, more girth, and 2) it gets them out of the way so that I can more easily visualize the future bonsai.

I let this guy recover for a few weeks. I was pleased to see new growth. Then, I jumped in to work on the branches.

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And here is the final result! I thinned out branches and added movement to all the branches. It will be interesting to see how this little guy progresses!

Ficus, Round Two

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Ficus are probably the most common bonsai species. My first mallsai, or Home-Depot-sai, was a ficus, which I promptly killed. I recently visited Accent Plant Interior and got a funky ficus to work on! (twas $25)

Here he is, in all his beauty. The nursery owner told me that this tree had been seven or eight feet tall and then she chopped it to about two feet tall. She was surprised that I was interested in this stump instead of a more normal tree, but this was perfect for me. It was about how tall I would want a ficus to be without having to worry about chopping it myself. Cool cool. The only downside is that the trunk has… no taper. I will work on this.

So this guy came in a huge, huge pot. My first mission was to move it into a smaller pot, which was easier than I expected.

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Then I checked out the root situation. I was so elated by what  I found.

Take a look at those beautiful, long roots! This will be such a great tree (in ten years). But bonsai has taught me patience. I knew I wanted to take advantage of these roots and make a beautiful nebari spread. My goal is to achieve something like this:

Nebari

So how do you achieve something like this? A common technique is to place a tile under the roots so that the roots are forced to grow around the tile rather than downwards. However, I didn’t really have that choice. There was still a significant amount of tap root that I didn’t want to chop off, because most of the rest of the roots were stemming off of it somehow. That might kill the tree. So, I took a more creative approach.

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I made a little copper circle to go around the tap root. I then wired the upper roots to the circle to straighten them out, so that they don’t overlap- crossing roots aren’t very attractive. I essentially just wanted to train the roots to straighten out and thicken up.

 

This was quite the process. I completely made up this technique, so we will see if it works. I wired all of the roots far lower than they would ever be exposed, because the wire might dig into the growing roots= and leave a scar.

So, with the knowledge that the roots were detangled and in training, I repotted the tree. Bye bye roots! They will grow faster in the soil than if I left them exposed.

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Those two low branches are pretty funky. Why did I keep them? They are sacrifice branches, branches that you leave in order to fatten up the lower trunk (which is under soil now). Once I am happy with the girth of the tree, I’ll chop them off. I will let them grow freely and unrestricted. Now to work with the few branches I have.

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(Ficus are notorious for having aerial roots, where roots form on the upper half of the tree and eventually reach the ground. Here are some little roots trying to grow. Here is was a ficus bonsai with aerial roots looks like:)

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(I’m personally not a fan of this look, so all those little aerial stubs were chopped.

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I still don’t know which side will be the front. So, I wired the branches to be a bit generic and just to add movement. I will most likely do either side that shows off that curve more.

This tree will be a very long term project. I need more branches, then ramification. I need to develop taper and nebari. But, the one thing I don’t have to develop is a thick trunk. Here’s to the next decade!

Big Boy Yaupon Holly

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Previously, on Balcony Bonsai… Claire said that she hated yaupon hollies due to their brittle nature. Well, she may have found room in her heart to challenge that idea.

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Man, that is one… ugly bush. This isn’t why I bought it though. I For bonsai, you don’t really buy a whole tree for its complete qualities. The main priority is its trunk. You “but the trunk,’ not buy the tree. And this gorgeous trunk is what enticed me into buying one of these suckers ($16 from Home Depot).

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Oooooh yeah, that’s a trunk if I’ve ever seen one. And the visible roots (nebari) are stunning. Let’s clean him up.

I snipped a few of those lower branches that are unnecessary and distract from the trunk line.

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There we go, much better. And look at the depth of the nebari! Exciting!

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There were a few places there the branches had split, back from when it was in the nursery. Both ends of the split were alive, which is a relief, but I wanted to encourage them to heal back together. So I raffia-ed them together. I honestly don’t know if they will grow back together, but it was a try.

Thus progressed the most detailed work I have ever done for bonsai training. I did very placing pruning. Whenever a thinner branch grew off a thicker branch, I would cut off the rest of the thick branch to allow it to taper. I cut off middle branches where three branches originate. I cut off all dead, twiggy branches.

I spent probably 10-12 hours total wiring the branches into place. I used a variety of wire strength, depending on the thickness of the branch. I was able to add some great movement into thinner branches without breaking them. I focused on distributing foliage evenly and three-dimensionally to add depth to the look. It is a bit hard to explain these techniques, as I have acquired this knowledge over hours of reading bonsai blogs and looking at examples. I lost for branches through pushing them too hard, and some were potentially salvageable, so raffia casts decorated it. But, after about three weeks of work, I was satisfied with my final product.

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It is hard for pictures to do it justice, but I am extremely proud of how this turned. out. Just imagine what it will look like in a few years with more ramification and foliage.

A few more angles:

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I’m very excited to see this guy fill out.

The one remaining

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One of the yaupons didn’t make it through the winter. The other, in the duck pot, lives on.

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This mess of a guy in the duckie pot. Here we go.

I had attempted an air layer on that right branch, but I did that in late fall, the exact season you shouldn’t air layer in. I had no success, much to my shock. It’s a learning process. So chop it off!

Here he is in all his glory. Humble, tiny. This will be a mame bonsai, a very small one. It has great nebari (surface roots), so that is a plus. I trimmed some roots off, replanted it with the nebari covered in soil to encourage further growth), and added a bit of movement to the new leading branch.

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Final product! As I know all too well, yaupons are brittle, and it did snap a bit, hence the raffia. But it should be fine and be a cute little mame once it fills out a bit!

Great crepe!

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Perhaps you remember this beautiful watermelon crepe myrtle I bought recently.

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I was excited to explore the root system, and found many challenges along the way.

You see that little stump next to the trunk? I was curious as to what that was. I was hoping it was deadwood attached to the tree itself, because that can be a neat feature of a bonsai. After about 30 minutes of digging, turns out it was just a stick. Oh well.

I knew this angle would be the best front for the tree. There are those two roots on the left that gave me trouble. Nebari, or exposed roots on a bonsai, are a wonderful quality. The rest of the tree has a beautiful flair filled out. But these two roots are thin and stick out from the tree rather than going downwards. I didn’t want to chop them off, because this is prime material and I didn’t want the nebari to be unbalanced. So, I *very* carefully cut the underbelly of the root connected to the tree, going about halfway through. This allowed for the roots to be more flexible so that I can pull them downward and more flush with the trunk. Using raffia, I tied and tied and tied the roots downward, using the other roots and trunk as a stronghold. I did not want to tie the raffia directly on the roots, because as they grow, the raffia would restrict them, looking unnatural. I was eventually able to get them about where I wanted them, as seen in the right picture. Ideally, these roots will fatten up and look more like the roots on the right. I do worry a bit about the tension that the raffia created around the lower roots will inhibit growth, but those will never be visible, so it is okay.

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This guy came in dense clay-like soil. It was drowning him. I repotted him in basic potting soil to allow for more oxygen to reach the roots. Speaking of roots, where did all on my raffia work go?? I intentionally buried those two roots under the surface, because roots thicken quicker in soil rather than being exposed. It is all a part of a long term plan!

Spring Shopping Haul

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Hello everyone! It has been a while, but spring is here! I have been nervously watching my babies to see if they would push out new growth, confirming that they survived the winter. Some have, some haven’t. I have created a new sidebar category for fallen friends, where I will move past projects once that plant has died. It is sad and I lost some neat plants, but it is all a part of the process! And, now I have much more knowledge about how to care for these little guys and which species are optimal. And, more balcony room.

Which brings me to today! With all of the reading and research I have done, I know exactly what qualities to look for in nursery stock. Today, I adventured across San Antonio to local nurseries to find some new children.

I first visited Shades of Green, a favorite of mine. Their layout feels like a beautiful backyard; I could just sit and sip tea there. I found some good stock, but I knew that I would be hitting up several other places, so I took note of the species, prices, and took photos for reference.

Next, I went to Fanick’s Garden Center. This took me to a side of town I have not visited, and I am so glad I did. Wildflowers were absolutely everywhere, and I couldn’t get enough of it. It was gorgeous! Fanick’s was a great place, definitely worth the drive. Here, I got a Scarlet Bottlebrush and Grayleaf Cotoneaster here- I will show you pictures in a bit. For now, enjoy some selfies with their quirky decorations.

Next was Accent Plant Interior. This was an interesting one- a little place on the side of an access road. I was greeted by a sweet old woman who said that she would follow me around, and I soon understood why- there were no labels. No species or prices. This was a bit of a challenge for me, as I am still not perfect at identifying certain species. But, she was kind and was sweet to chat with. I ended up getting a kiddo there- a mystery tree. I got it on a whim because she gave me a great price for it, I really liked the trunk, and the leaves were small (good for bonsai).

Then I went to a few places that turned out to be wholesale only. I was already pretty tired at this point, but I wanted to see what else was around while I was in this new area. I went to Deez Treez, and despite its silly name, this is my new favorite nursery. I am so glad I mustered up the energy to go there. They had excellent quality plants, wonderful variety, and stellar prices. I am glad I didn’t get anything at Shades of Green- their prices are 2 to 3 times higher than Deez Treez. While Shades of Green has a wonderful atmosphere, Deez Treez is where is it at! I got a yaupon holly, jujubee, watermelon crape myrtle, and a green cloud sage. I was going to get an Indian Hawthorne, but it was my least favorite of them all, and I was worried about having enough space in my car. And now, the reveals!

The Scarlet Bottlebrush. Easily the biggest of the haul, but the vast majority of that will be chopped off. It has a lovely curved trunk and a secondary branch with lots of promise. I also like the thin leaves. This was $25 from Fanick’s.

 

The Grayleaf Cotoneaster. I could have gotten a bigger one for $15 more, but I liked this one’s structure. $10 from Fanick’s.

 

The mystery child, the risk. The top half is dead, but I am encouraged by the new growth pushing through at the bottom. Once more leaves come, I will likely be able to identify it. $15 from Accent Plant Interior.

 

The Green Cloud Sage. Sage reminds me of Texas, so I was a bit biased to this fellow. I am hoping there is more trunk under the soil so that I can keep that secondary branch. $15 from Deez Treez.

 

The Watermelon Crape Myrtle. I am a new fan of crape myrtles- one that I have right now is growing like a weed. I couldn’t argue with that beautiful thick trunk either. And, this variety produces hot pink flowers. Cool! $12.50 from Deez Treez.

 

The Yaupon holly. Yes, if you are a faithful reader, you will know of my disdain for these guys, because they are brittle and hard to shape. But, I wanted to give these a chance because they already had some neat natural curvature. And, I got three in one pot. $10 from Deez Treez.

 

Lastly, the Jujubee. I hadn’t heard of this species before, but a quick google search confirmed that they can be used for bonsai. I asked the garden keeper about it- she said, “It’s a baby from that mama!” She pointed to a forty foot tall tree. She explained that the area around it is constantly growing little seedlings, so the garden center can scoop them up and develop them into stock. Jujubees also produce an apple-like fruit. I am excited to see how this goes! $12.50 from Deez Treez.

I am exhausted, but so so happy with my finds. I was sure to take pictures of the original stock before I chopped them up- I chopped off what I knew I didn’t need to make it easier to bring up to my room. I will do individual makeover posts, so keep a lookout for those!

Honeysuckle twins

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Early in December, I decided to swing by Evergreen to grab another honeysuckle. I really loved how mine was turning out and was impressed by the rapid growth. This is bad boy I brought home.

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I really like that right trunk, and I thought I might be able to separate that left trunk and get a 2 for 1!

Goodness, those are some dense roots. It took a good amount of time to detangle them and gently pry the two trunks apart. This is how you get exercise through gardening.

And my prizes! You can see that the left guy, the smaller trunk, has far less roots. But, he still lived through the winter.

I wasn’t ready to work on these guys quite yet. I wanted to let them rest from the stress of repotting, and I didn’t quite see what I should do with them yet.

But now it is nearly a month later. They have both survived trauma of travel! With a new burst of inspiration, I got to work on them.

 

See how you can barely see that other branch from the left photo? That’s why I decided to go with the right photo front. That furthest left branch is bad right now- it is too low to be the first branch for a bonsai, so chop chop. I also used a brass brush to help clean up the bark.

 

That left branch is far too angular, so I will try to smooth out the curve. The main trunk (on the right) already has a good curve, so I will let that be for now. I will thin out the top foliage and branches. Hopefully, new branches and foliage will push out further down on the main trunk. This will help with the proportions of the tree.

In my valiant effort to smooth out the left branch, it snapped beyond hope of repair. Oh well. It happens.

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Because this guy is still in a plastic pot, I was able to cut a small hole in it to poke the remaining wire down, like a guy wire. This will give that branch some nice curve. The top is okay, but I am mainly relying on lower foliage to push through. Looks pretty good compared to the initial mess, though!

Now for the other guy.

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This guy isn’t nearly as exciting. But hey, I kinda got him for free.

Even though that left branch is silly and will not make the final cut (tee hee hee), I will leave it for now. This is called a sacrifice branch- when you leave a branch that will not end up in the final tree, but that you leave in the training process in order to help thicken up the trunk.

There wasn’t a whole lot to do with the other side except for thin out the wacky branches. I am also hoping for some foliage to push through lower on this trunk too.

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Here he is after a good haircut. Still don’t have a huge plan in mind, but let’s see how he grows out. Also, I don’t really have a front picked out.

Carving up a box

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Maybe you remember this cutie.

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He did very well over the break. But, he needs work. That secondary trunk never pushed any growth, so it needs to go. Also, I need to carve up that ugly stump at the bottom. Using my new toys from Christmas, I got to work!

This all is gonna get a makeover.

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No more bare stick of a trunk!

And here is the makeover! I smoothed out the stump to make it a more natural, single trunk. These photos show the “front” and “back;” I might flip the original front once I play with it more. I will also drastically reduce the height now that I have a cute, tapered trunk. But, I will let this heal up before I put it through any more stress.

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See how un-proportional the height is to the thickness of the trunk? I will likely cut it down to that first patch of foliage, rendering all of that wiring work useless. That’s okay; I have learned since I first worked on this tree.

Air layering, round 2

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As you may remember, I did my first air layering this December. I learned a lot from that experience, but it was flawed in many ways. I decided to revisit it now that the growing conditions are more ideal. Upon removing the plastic, no roots had grown. Sad day. But, I figured I could help it along.

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Using my handy dandy new wood carver, I sliced up the edges deeper. This should shock the tree more- I think I was a bit too conservative in my first attempt. However, removing more bark did slice up the main trunk a bit. It’s all good.

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There she is! Much thinner than before.

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I removed a few of the lower branches to make room for the bag. I think a mistake I previously make was putting the bag too low- the roots grow above the wound, not on it. This way, the moss will be where the roots should grow. I also dampened the moss and tied it tightly so that the water won’t evaporate. Maybe this attempt will work! It’s all a work in progress.

Reuniting with the balcony

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Just a quick update- all of my babies are back on the balcony! Most of them survived the trip, which is wonderful. Some are still a bit sad/droopy/leafless, but a bark scratch test tells me that they are all alive!

Also, I have decided that once each plant starts growing new foliage, I will name them! I didn’t want to name them initially, because death is inevitable with experimental gardening.