Many native trees are growing strongly during summer so new shoots need regular trimming to keep the trees in shape.
Today I trimmed a Banksia integrifolia. This tree was grown from seed collected on South Coast NSW around 18 years ago.
Banksia beforebanksia after trimming new shootsTrunk and nebari with fingers for size scale
This Melaleuca almost died from dehydration earlier in spring. It is now sitting in a tray with around 3cm of water through summer to make sure it doesn’t dry out again. It has recovered well and is now growing strongly and needed a second trim for this season.
Melaleuca before trimming
This melaleuca grows so quick and responds to pruning so well that I generally just shear the new shoots with scissors – hedge trimming. Occasional more selective pruning helps maintain the foliage clusters and overall shape.
Melaleuca after trimming
Shibui Bonsai has a small range of Aussie natives as starters and pre-bonsai and occasionally larger field grown specimens. We currently have a few large trunked Banksias for sale – see sample picture below. Unfortunately these are too large and too heavy to be posted so pick up or alternative delivery only.
I’ve just added Chinese elm catalogue and Pines and Junipers to the catalogue page.
Chinese elms were a little slower to re-establish roots this year so I delayed advertising these until now. The trees now have strong roots and can now cope with delivery to anywhere on the East coast of Australia.
Pines and junipers are both always slow to settle in after transplant so I always wait until well after the summer solstice to make sure the new trees have recovered properly before offering them to buyers. This year one of the junipers did not make it. I’ve included the original photo in the catalogue just to remind readers of some of the pitfalls of growing field grown trees for bonsai.
Hope you’ll take a look at the new offerings and at the maples on offer this season.
For those looking for younger material or smaller and less expensive stock please email to discuss your needs. The Shibui Bonsai benches are currently overcrowded with lots of trees in 11 cm pots – trident maples, Japanese maples, Chinese elms, Azaleas, including some Satsuki varieties, Shimpaku junipers, Japanese Black pines (only smaller available this year), Chojubai, Cotoneaster as well as smaller numbers of less well known bonsai species. Email neil@shibuibonsai for prices and avialability.
This year’s field grown Prunus ‘Elvins’ have enough roots now to cope with delivery and a change of scenery so I’ve added the Prunus 2022-23 catalogue to the catalogue page.
The Prunus catalogue also includes some yamadori cherry plums collected from roadsides in the area. Like the field grown trees those plums have some pruning cuts but they also have thick trunks with good taper and branching.
Prunus cerasifera 21-1Prunus cerasifera 21-2
For those who fancy Flowering Cherry (Cherry Blossom) as bonsai you’ll also find a range of cherries self sown from seed of Prunus subhirtella ‘Snowfall’ growing in our garden. ‘Snowfall’ is a strongly weeping flowering cherry but many of the seedlings don’t retain the weeping habit. Some have moderately weeping branches, others are much more upright. They do all have the lovely, small, white flowers.
Prunus subhirtellaPrunus subhirtella -large clump
see more cherries, plums and our usual field grown Prunus ‘Elvins’ flowering plums on the catalogue page – Shibui Bonsai catalogue page
Spring has been conducive to recovery this year and trident maples have powered away after transplant from the grow beds last winter. I now have new roots showing in drain holes of the orchid pots which is a good indication the trees are ready for shipping.
This year I have a few Chinese elms but they just need a few more weeks more for recovery. There’s also some good looking Prunus, mostly the abundant flowered Prunus ‘Elvins’ grown specially for bonsai but also a smaller number of feral plums collected from nearby roadsides and wild places.
later, because they are so much slower to recover I’ll post the few pines and Shimpaku junipers I potted up this season.
As usual, the Shibui Bonsai nursery is filled to overflowing with smaller and less advanced potensai so if you’re just looking to start with smaller, cheaper trees send me an email and we can discuss what would suit your needs.
For those with an eye to something unusual Shibui Bonsai has a few varieties of Satsuki azalea, Chojubai dwarf Japanese quince, Dawn redwood and other rare and unusual species for bonsai. Please ask if you’re looking for something different.
Every year my back protests more and more about lifting heavy objects. Larger bonsai look great but I’m finding myself not wanting to move them for repotting, trimming, etc. A few years ago I decided to start planning for the future so I started seriously developing much smaller trees for bonsai. Many of those trees are now looking good. Time for some pots but where do I find good small bonsai pots.
I’ve heard good things about a number of Aussie bonsai potters but actually finding them proved more difficult as I am not registered with any social media sites where it appears most of these potters hang out.
Eventually I tracked down several of these elusive Aussie potters and ordered some trial pots. Parcels began arriving just in time for spring repotting so a number of new Shibui Bonsai shohin are now sporting brand new made in Australia pots.
First up, Brendon Norton – Bad Swan pottery, WA.
PyracanthaLoniceraTrident mapleTrident maple Root over rock
Some from Val garth – Val Pots, Melbourne.
Chinese elmShimpakuTrident maple
Luke Parsons – Adelaide Bonsai pottery supplied some more.
Chinese elmLoniceraTrident maple
And more pots from Marie Hewartson
PyracanthaTrident mapleBuxus harlandiiShimpaku
All these talented Aussie potters also make larger pots. Most have a small range of pots in stock but you may even be able to talk them into making a special designer pot to suit your special tree.
I still have a few pots without partners from this year’s purchases but there are still more small trees coming along for the next few years. If there are any talented bonsai potters out there making smaller pots please feel free to get in touch.
One of the original members of our local bonsai society passed away last year. His widow has asked me to help sell off the last of their bonsai as she is downsizing and will not have space to keep these trees.
You now have the opportunity to own some Australian bonsai history at very realistic prices.
Trident maple, 1983 – $500
This trident maple is nearly 40 years old. A great opportunity to own an aged trident bonsai.
74cm tall (including pot), width 60cm
Moreton Bay fig, 1982 – $900
This is a superb example of twin trunk bonsai and has great ramification we expect to see in a bonsai close to 40 years old. Also note the great nebari.
65cm tall (including the pot), width 65cm.
Note that although this tree is labelled as Moreton Bay fig I am pretty sure it is actually Ficus rubiginosa – Port Jackson fig. Way back when these trees were being developed there was quite a lot of argument about fig ID and many PJ figs were misidentified simply because they lacked the rusty colored leaves. We now know that PJ figs come in many variants including green leaf like these 2 trees.
Moreton Bay fig, 1984 – $600
The almost horizontal right side trunk on this tree makes it a unique bonsai. I think the aerial roots at the front of the tree should go but I’ll leave that decision to the next owner.
55cm tall (including pot), width 60cm
WA fig, 1983 – $300
60cm tall (including pot), width 60cm
For more photos or info on any of these trees please email neil@shibuibonsai.com.au
After the cold, bleak winter spring seems to arrive suddenly. The first green shoots on Chinese elms are the heralds then, suddenly, everywhere is new life and color.
Late winter and early spring sees an ever changing pallette of color as flowers come and go. Prunus are some of the first quickly followed by forsythia, crab apples and azaleas. If you happen to have a green thumb you may even be able to get wisteria to flower reliably as a bonsai
crab apple
azalea
wisteria
Shibui Bonsai has an ever changing list of flowering trees suitable for bonsai. Email Neil to see if I have the one you are searching for. Please don’t ask if you can buy the trees pictured above. They are all from my personal collection and hold far more sentimental value than monetary. I do, however, offer younger stock at reasonable prices, some already at flowering age and size.
Azaleas also make great bonsai if your conditions are right. At my last property something was just not quite right and azaleas slowly deteriorated over several years until they died. Moving just a few Km saw a miraculous change and now they thrive under similar care. I cannot work out the details, just that it is so.
Azaleas have been grown by gardeners all round the world for many years so we now have a bewildering array of types with a wide range of flower colors and shapes. Here are a few from Shibui Bonsai nursery this month.
Azaleas transplant really easily. It is one of my favorite species for collecting from gardens as they seem to transplant successfully any month of the year. Don’t bother trying to retain a large root ball – azaleas don’t need it. Shake off as much garden soil as will come away without undue damage to the roots, cut damaged roots to fit the container and pot with good quality potting soil or your favorite bonsai mix, water well and place in a semi-shade area until the roots recover.
Azaleas will also grow new buds on old wood so taller stems can be chopped hard with confidence knowing masses of new shoots will usually appear all over the stumps. i currently have some quite large collected azaleas for sale. Most are planted in large polystyrene fruit boxes and are too big to post but there are also a few in 15, 20 and 30 cm orchid pots. POA
Many other flowering species suit bonsai. Here are few I occasionally have available for sale.
