Club meeting Thursday 16th August 2012

Here are a few snapshots from our meeting last night, the usual suspects were in attendance.

Tony (looking pretty in pink) works on his Juniper

John's Blackthorn

The Lost Boys

Mike works on his pine group

John's English yew

Paul working on his lovely cedar

Hinoki Cypress (Cham Obtusa Nana Gracillis)

Mr Tombs works on little & large itoigawa junipers

The chuckle brothers (Dave, Philip & Mike) contemplate life and its complexities

Geoff's cork bark Chinese elm

Club meeting Thursday 7th June 2012

Here are a few general pictures from our last club meeting.
We aren't a pretty bunch and there are some dubious characters of ill repute, but everyone gets involved in helping each other with design decisions, horticultural expertise etc etc.

I must apologise for the last picture, I nearly didn't include it as there may be genteel people who read the blog.....but the little devil on my shoulder made me do it....

Anyhoo enough of my childish banter:

Dave Shore works on his Larch Planting on "clinker"
Dave purchased the larch as seedlings 15 years ago and planted them on clinker discarded from a local foundry

 John Pitts satsuki azalea...blooming lovely

Vere, Paul, Tony, John and Derek in a zen like state of bonsaifullness...

 Peter Tombs works on his hollow trunk mulberry

 A close up of Peters Mulberry

The eternal optimist Derek (in shorts) works on a collected larch

Young azalea in bloom

 John Pitts twin trunk Chinese Elm

My apologies to the faint hearted,
Geoff (shocked expression) is caught "knocking one off"
The other boys carry on regardless...they're used to it.

Ashfield members vistit EBA show in Slovenia

3 club members spent a long weekend in Slovenia to take in the European Bonsai Association show in Ljubljana.

The show was held at the Hotel Mons which was a great location for the exhibition.
The organisers did a great job and the weekend was very enjoyable, the Slovenian people are very hospitable and welcolming and the majority speak excellent English.

There were trade stands and demonstrations by internationally renowned bonsai artists over the weekend.

Here are a few pictures of trees that were displayed.

Peter Warren critiques, ( the polite term), members trees

Thursday 15th March 2012

As Mr Warren was in the area we jumped at the chance to have him come along to our meeting for one of his world famous critique sessions.
Shown below are pictures of the trees bought along by our members for advice / ridicule

Literati Spruce in the making.....Derek our awesome treasurer kindly donated some wire for this tree......he is recovering in Kings Mill Hospital and should be home by Friday.

 Deshojo Maple, soon to become half a Deshojo Maple

 White Pine, heading in the right direction

 Sweet little Plum......geddit ?

Chinese Elm planting purchased from our winter auction, recently re-potted and re-arranged by Tony.
Peter has advised to remove the rear right tree (and pot up as a shohin) and develop the other 2 trees as a twin tree planting.

Small Deshojo, Mr Warren controversially shows a finger !
He does enjoy his work......

 Geoff's Escallonia

 Geoff's 1/2 an Escallonia, it's no good trying to hide Mr Warren we can see you.

 An oldish plum in bloom.....aah the sweet fragrance

Peter suggests a change of potting angle, removed a couple of offending branches, creation of some more deadwood and take plenty of cuttings for grafting branches at a later date..........we can still see you.....he's crap at hide & seek

 Nice little collected Beech, not sure about the pot though !!

 Mr Warren practices his limbo technique for the upcoming Olympics

 Grahams needle juniper in need of a trim and some wiring to create layers

 Privet

 Field Maple on rock

 Shohin size Honeysuckle

A confused Hawthorn, which doesn't know if it's coming or going.....we've now decided it's going.....to the right that is











We highly recommend Peter Warren to any clubs out there for workshops or critique nights similar to ours. Lots of valuable information is passed on and a good laugh is had by all.....oh and he's cheap !! just kidding.