Bonsai Cyprus

Last weekend (17&18/3) we had the pleasure to have Graham Potter of Kaizen Bonsai, UK. He was here for the weekend. The information and tips were flowing while we were working on our trees. Several yamadori olive trees were wired and carved as well as some Juniper trees (just wired).

We all had a great time and we are now planning another workshop for next year :)

For pictures, please visit our forum.

A few good weeks ago, a Myrtus communis tree found its way to my garden. I only gave the tree a “hedge” pruning and decided to study it and style it by next year. WIth every watering and fertilizing, i was trying to figure out the best way of styling it.

Yesterday, i could not resist any more so i decided to remove some branches to let the light shine to the inner parts of the tree……..One thing let to another, and in a couple of hours the tree was wired and styled primarily.

There is more work to be done especially some carving, and pruning for ramification, as well as more wiring, but i think the result is nice overall.

I will not do any major work on the tree until next Spring.

I had the pleasure to visit with my 2 bonsai buddies (Savvas & Greg) the Best of British Bonsai 2011, held at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham. We had the chance to see high quality bonsai trees, but also meet well known bonsai artists like Salvatore Liporace and Enrico Savini from Italy, but also British artists like Tony Tickle, Graham Potter, Will Baddeley. I enjoyed all the demonstrations and had a chance to talk to the demostrators (Salvatore Liporace, Enrico Savini, Tony Tickle, Rammon Hamers, Will Baddeley). Another interesting aspect of the exhibition, was the chance to meet other bonsai enthusiasts, exhibitors, and members of the International Bonsai Club. It was also a pleasure to meet Dan Barton again.

While in Athens for the workshop last month, one of the forum’s moderators George Valsamis, brought a few junipers for us to work on. I decided to try my luck on a yamadori Phoenicean Juniper.

The tree was “styled” in the past by others (not the owner) and it was left with damaged bark and 2 straight main parallel branches.

I decided that i had to twist the straight, boring branches and also to change the planting angle.

The 2 straight branches were splitted, covered with elastic tape, and wired in a more favourable  position, and thus becoming more interesting.

The tree was then potted in a more appropriate angle. It will be left in this pot to recover the shock from the procedure and hopefully during the next growing season to be wired by the owner, George Valsamis.

The tree has a long way to go. The unattractive removal of bark at the back of the tree ( carelessly removed during a prior styling) must be addressed by making it somehow more interesting and the branches must be wired in detail.

Hopefully in a couple of years time it will start its journey to become a beautiful bonsai.

Finally, after meeting virtually at the greek bonsai forum www.mybonsai.gr , we managed to establish an unofficial Cyprus based Bonsai Study Group!! It is really exciting for me. So far (since the beginning of 2010), we have met several times, shared a few laughs, knowledge and experiences.

I just hope that the group will grow bigger and more knowledgeable/experienced, and at the same time stay as it is: laid back and easy-going.

So far, the members of the group are : Savvas Papaloizou (and Marios, the son!), Petros Polis, Gregoris Antoniades, and myself.