I found the picture on the right 2 years after creating the picture on the left out of Japanese Larch. When you make bonsai, you must try to visualize an object then try and recreate the visualization in the bonsai. How funny it was to find this picture years later. When I saw the picture on the right I thought "I have daydreamed that!"

2 Years Progress Maple Leaf Begonia

Two years progress - doesnt seem that long. I just pruned this for spring and to reshape
"The Claw" so it grows the way I want it to. In 6 weeks this is gonna look freakin bomb

2 Years Progress - Angel Fire Begonia

Over 2 Years ago I propagated this Angel Fire Begonia. Since the first picture
I have removed it from dirt and separated the dirt from the roots, and set it up
in a hydroponic medium. I used the deep water culture method to accelerate
it's growth, then pulled it from water and back into dirt for the Spring & Summer.
It grew large and the hummingbirds loved it, however once fall came I decided to
re-pot it by root pruning and topping it. I am currently letting the branches turn
to wood as the trunk has. All I can do is let it grow and is by no means the finished
product, in fact far from it. I have to let the branches grow longer than normal for
bonsai but is necessary. I think at year 10 this will actually turn into a bonsai.

"Pudge" - Dwarf Swiss Mountain Pine

I bought this little guy for $2 at Lowe's. MUAHAHAHAHA

St. Helens - Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

Just an update on St. Helens. I believe this tree is about 35 years old, 20 years younger than I had previously estimtated. It is still a great tree I enjoy every day.

No Name - Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

Righteous eh? Me thinks so too

No Name - Western Hemlock with Deadwood

***UPDATED JULY 9TH***
I opened up the middle front of the tree more and designed it with future growth in mind.






I just did this today. Good times

No Name - Fig Tree

Finally got some positive growth out of this clown. I cant wait until it fills in more. I will keep you updated!!

No Name - Sequoia Burl w/ Japanese Maple

This is totally unexpected, but this Sequoia Redwood burl that I kept in water for so long actually sprouted some nice healthy roots so I buried it and will give it a year or two to really get nuts. Again, I used Rhiztonic on the foliage mixed with water to help promote healthy root developement. I guess that stuff really works.

No Name - Pachira "Money Tree"

Good luck tree good for Feng Shui to encourage Prosperity place in the SouthEast corner of your home.

Maddie - Madagascar Palm? *UPDATE*

Just a quick re-visit, will update original blog entry as well.

No Name Two Alberta Spruce

I got bored so I did this......yawn. Maybe it will grow on me.

Begonia Bonsai - Say Wha?

I got these a few weeks ago and finally have them into a shape they can start filling in from now. I love flowering bonsai and hope these will update well soon!

In Memory of Shelley Ann Marzeles

月に叢雲花に風 - "Tsuki ni Murakumo Hana ni Kazé" - Fig Bonsai.

Translation: "Cloud-wrack to the moon, wind to flowers."
Meaning: The beauty of the moon is obscured by the masses of clouds; the trees no sooner blossom than their flowers are scattered by the wind.



This one of a kind fig tree was designed and named after a very good friend's mother who passed a few weeks ago. I named this Fig Tree "Tsuki ni Murakumo Hana ni Kazé." I will be presenting it to him this weekend.

You can see the meaning and translation above. The teaching is not usually one we seek out, but more often than not, finds us on it's own. The lesson teaches us that lifes's beauty is fleeting, and that to capture it permanently would take away it's very meaning and value. The more you try and preserve it, the more suffering it would bring. To quote another proverb "Regret and desire are equally vain in this world of impermanency; for all joy is the beginning of an experience that must have its pain." Probably a poor attempt to comfort my dear friend, but worth a shot.

See the obituary here.

May her Soul find Peace and good fortune find his family. We love you Nate and hope you find comfort in this time of tragedy. - J

No Name - Apple Blosson Escallonia

When I first started this blog entry I was going nuts on how cheap plants are at Lowe's. Since, however, I have located literally a hundred grey hairs on my head for the first time in my life. I am not talking bunny rabbits either smartasses. This cant be right!!! God its 6am, I am going to get drunk for breakfast, to hell with livin' right! Grey hair at age 3@ something years old? This cant be right, it is all wrong. Cruel world take me now!!

"Packwood" - Revisited

"Packwood" is waiting for a Spring repotting like most of my Larch. The Sunrise this morning was worth snapping a picture and revisiting.

Just an update since I havent posted in a few days. My hands hath recovered from what I am now calling "Iunius Chaos ab Ventum" which is the title of the second chapter of my new book coming out July 4th called "Can I Borrow A Feeling" being sold at all Barnes & Noble on the West Coast. The cost is $79 and not a god damned dime goes to charity.

On a less serious note, June has been a very giving month. It really has been a month of chaos in discovery for me. I have found a passion....err lets be honest...an outright obession with plants, trees, bonsai and anything that falls under those categories this last month in which I have posted over 3 dozen projects. I am like nutty proffesor without the PhD or the flubber. Every time I find something interesting, other areas of relative interest exponentially present themselves to me. For those of you who know me, this jibber jabber might actually make sense. /wink

Nonetheless, what I am trying to say is......My hands are healed up and I am ready to raise hell! I have some projects I am prepped to tear into so check back in the next few days for some shit that will blow your f'n mind!! Okay, that might be a bit much but you get the jift.

Thanks for stopping by, check back soon. Hakuna Matata Bitches!!

No Name - Cissus Tuberosa

No Name - Trident Maple

"Tastes Like Chicken" - Zen Garden

This one is very new. That greenery you see is a Weeping Willow cutting that will eventually shade most of the zen garden which at some point the "goose chase" will be removed. This one is for my beautiful wife since that Willow is from a Willow she grew up with in her front yard that will be dug up and forever gone pretty soon so we are gonna take a bunch of cuttings and keep the Sale Barn Weeping Willow Club alive..........There was one?

No Name - Adenium Somalense

Cell Phone Pics - Updating Soon!

No Name - Fig Tree

Cell Phone Camera Low Quality Pics - Will Update Soon!

"Red Hat Ladies" - Escallonia Red Elf Pruned Hard

BEFORE HARD PRUNING

AFTER HARD PRUNING
CELL PHONE PICS SORRY FOR LOW QUALITY

Red Elf Escallonia for indoors looks so beautiful when in bloom. In all honesty I could have practically left it the way I got it and it looked cool. I imagined better flow through this hard pruning but cant wait to see it fill out and bloom. Enjoy!

"Cannon Beach" - Japanese Larch on Rock

Sorry about the poor picture quality. This was taken with my camera phone until I can get some new rechargeables. Enjoy friends!!

What Kind of Fern is This? Me Likey

I dug this one up but like a champ I didnt turn off the A/C timer the fern sits on. It dried out and died but I know where there are more. Does anyone know any cultivation tips? I dipped the ends in root tone and used organic potting soil, topped with orchid soil for looks. I would kick myself in my own teeth if I could get one of these living in my house.

p.s. nothing communicates Feng Shui and good energy flow in the bedroom like a 16guage shotgun. :)

Facing East - View From My Deck

Sorry for the non-bonsai posts. My hands hurt as I have been ignoring my body's whiny shit about not wanting to work so much. GTFO physiology pfft. Anyway.... last non bonsai post of the day :P

Beyond those trees is Lake Washington then Bellevue. To the South during Autumn and Winter when there are few to no leaves we have an absolutely crazy view of Mt. Rainer in all its glory. BRB, gonna dig up that photo.

Fuchsia - Non- Bonsai

I planted four 1inch starts of Red Spider and Minka Fuchsia. This was taken about a week ago so it is a bit bigger now. You can almost see Bellevue from across Lake Washington in the background. Oh! That reminds me of a picture I took the other morning when I was watering plants on my deck. Standby for another non-bonsai post heh....

"Lu Lu" - Cotoneaster

Just made this for my Mom. It is just about ready to bloom, just in time to give to her!

"Cle Elum" - My First Succulent Rock Landscape

This landscape cost about $30 in materials including plants. The Moss, and hanging Echeveria- like plant (I dont know name, do you?) Chresta and I collected using guerilla urban collection strategies. This basically entails walking around digging up moss and other botanicals that might not otherwise survive. We do not condone interrupting anything that someone else might be able to enjoy. If you follow that rule and dont enter people's private property I think you might be suprised at the neat things you can find.

Okay, enough chitchat. We gots killer red moss off a wall that faced East likely half the day. I think it adds to the dried out desert effect I was going for. I added an Adenium Somalense and the Japanese Larch both purchased. The slab cost me $6 and the main rock $5. Everything else like was collected within a three block radius of our home. I think the rest of the plants are succulents relative to the Echeveria? Except for the one on the left that looks like a little palm. I cant make out what the tag says....I interpreted it as follows "Padypadium Esvidum." I have two one from the wild and the one shown here came Indoor Sun Shoppe in Fremont.

Anyhow, if you have any tips or ideas...seriously....please comment and lets hear it. I dont care if you have a black thumb and or have never touched a plant. I enjoy the perspective. Thanks for stopping by and letting me share this with you!! Go easy -

Non-Bonsai - Succulent Display

Non-Bonsai - 7+ Month Old Orchids

Just wanted to share, I know its not Bonsai but nice on the eyes nonethelesss. These are atleast 7+ months old. The top picture on the lower set of yellow orchids are pretty sweet. The lower had only 2 blooms when we got it last summer, now it has 9 BLOOMS!! The top branch has only 4 but has had 7 at its peak.

These are my second set of Orchids I have ever bought. They are so pretty and easy to care for, I think I should make a seperate Orchid blog and grow more. Even though I read orchic propogation is difficult I think it would be balls to the walls fun.

For nutrients on my Orchids I use a Foxfarm Product called "Open Sesame" which contains 5% Nitrogen, 45% Phosphate, 19% Potash which I think is what is responsible for the extra blooms. Then, I also use a foliar water/beet derivitive spray (ratio 45ml to 1gallon) on the big floppy leaves and the orchid soil. Remember not to spray directly on the bloom tissue itself. From what I understand, the beet derivitive provides hyper sugar production necessary for photosynthesis. It is great for my Fuschias too.....let me post that next since I am at it. :)

Everyone have a great day! GIVE, SHARE, PROSPER!!!

No Name - Succulents on Lava Rock

I attribute this piece to delerium. I think I really dig this for some odd reason. Seems unique. Lets wait until tomorrow to see shall we? I am going to bed for real this time. Good Night All!! Sunrise :/

No Name - Unfinished Rock Landscape

This was my first attempt at using rocks on rock slab. It is not ready quite yet as I needed to let the clay dry for the pool of water you see as the gray area. It really needs to be cleaned up I am just too tired at this point.

This landscape has two Japanese Larch, an Adenium (Desert Rose,) hens and chicks of some sort and some succulents. I will finish up tomorrow and post a picture of the final product. I dont even care at this point.

I cant believe I am even up typing right now....wait, am I really up? Pretty sure this is a dream cause there is no way in any dream would I anticipate doing this many projects in one day. Wait, is this really happening? Ahh, I get it....IT IS a dream.................................. nighty night poo bear.

"Castle Rock" - Japanese Maple

"Shesells" Japanese Maple

5am too late for comments...check ya later

"Packwood" - Japanese Larch

Its 4:40am and I havent slept yet. It's been a huge project day and I am done for.....will comment tomorrow