My trees in their winter shelter.

Am I too early?

Juniperus yamadori

Future bonsai?

New to this. Am I correct in thinking that common juniper doesn't backbud? Otherwise this would make an interesting bonsai.

Update: Looked at the tree again today and I think it will work. It will be used as a wiring and bending practise tree.

Yamadori hawthorn

Spotted a nice hawthorn today.
Planning to collect this one when spring comes.
Height pictured about 75 cm.

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)

I've collected a new blackthorn by the sea. It had been butchered by people clearing the beach.
There isn't much taper to the trunk, but it has a sort of pollarded look.
The middle stem is dead (from previous clearings), the three remaining crudely chopped of, but there are buds appearing.
With blackthorn you never really know what you'll find in the ground. Some have no fine roots at all, they are just shoots from thick roots, some seem to be more of a motherplant. This one had quite a lot of finer roots so I think it will take.
Height 45 cm.

Oak (Quercus robur)

 This oak has a really nice tapered trunk and well positioned branches for an informal upright form. It was growing on a sandy hill at my parents place.

Collected summer 2012. Height 35 cm.

Another oak for another informal style.

European spruce (Picea abies)

This spruce has a lot of potential I think, but I don't really know what to do with it. The natural jin is very dominant. Should I reduce it or should I wait until the live stem thickens and grows. This would create balance too.
Collected summer 2012. Height 70 cm.

Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)

I'm building a wooden greenhouse in my garden, and this sumac needed to be removed. It was about 2m 30 cm. Now about 50cm. Seems to have taken well. This is probably not the best species for bonsai but i'll give it try.
The shari was created by scraping. With the lawnmower.

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)

These were collected from a nearby pasture where the farmers recently had cleared a corner from what appeares to have been a dense shrubbery of blackthorn. I gathered some that lay scattered on the ground.
Heights 20-30 cm.

Common juniper (Juniperus communis)

Not really shure about this one. A lot of deadwood. We'll see what happens in the spring.
Collected late summer 2012. Height 20 cm.

Swedish whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia)

Growing in a stone wall this whitebeam has developed some interesting roots. There is natural shari and jin but a bit high up. I will probably cut the stem below the shari and start from scratch.

Collected late summer 2012. Height 60 cm.

European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

I wanted to give ash a try. Although the leaves are quite big I believe their compound shape will give the impression of clusters of smaller leaves.

My ashes are self sown, about 20-30 cm in height.

I am having second thoughts about planting in translucent containers. Will the roots mind?

Nevermind, they will all be repotted in the spring.

Collected summer 2012. Heights about 20 cm.

First entry

Having recently become interested in the art of bonsai I have collected a number of trees, maybe 20, of various ages and species.

This blog is meant to give me a way to keep record of my trees and document their growth.

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)

This Prunus spinosa was collected late summer 2012. I didn't manage to get a lot of fine roots but in a couple of weeks it started back budding all over. My plan as of now is to sweep the branches back to the left to balance the trunk. Overall lengt 45 cm.