linden defoliation

Three linden (Tila platiphyllos) after defoliation.

maple defoliation

Two field maples (Acer campestre) after defoliation.

trident doing well

About 12 months ago I got this one. By now it starts to look like a real tree and not just like a huge trunk wiht some foliage. These fat tridents need a big crown. Most of the time they look grotesque in their sumo style.

Shinpaku refurbishing

This shinpaku (it is NOT shiMpaku!) I got in a trade. It looks fine, but it looks like a many thousand similar ones. This is a standard form and in my eyes way too sterotype. There is way too much green for the thin trunk. The plain trunk is boring and appears youngish. The whole thing sells well in bonsai shps because this is what many people want because it looks so 'Japanese'. I think it is decent craft and good enough to take in a trade.
So I worked on it for an hour. I think it is much more unique now and will also sell well. This goes to offers. I don't want 'Japanese looking' trees in my collection.

Flowering honeysuckle, elm and maple

Flowering honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum
French maple, Acer monspessulanum
Chinese elm, Ulmus parvifolia 'Hokkaido'

back from collecting trip #4

These are all cembra pins, Swiss stone pines (Pinus cembra). They are rare and it is almost impossible to find a really good onel. They are all thin and leggy and straight. So I bundled them and this can become quite attractive.

back from collecting trip #3

Spruce #2 (Picea abies)

back from collecting trip #2

Spruce #1 (Picea abies)

back from collecting trip #1

After all these conventions and exhibits it was about time to go and collect some stuff. It is very late for this, but up at the timberline there is still some snow in the Alps.

Here the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) that I found. I placed it into this big 'pot' that someone made out of lava a couple years ago. I took the pot in trade but hated it right from the beginning because it was so obviously man made and ugly. Well, by now it has moss all over and looks excellent. Such is life.

two larches ready for the show

European larch, Larix decidua. Both will be picked up on Thursday for the big show in the Botanical Garden Munich.