Coming along well, lots of new scale growth, management of the native soil is a bit tricky. I'll be drilling holes in the wood box to promote a quicker dry time of the soil. Here is a photo of the tree as I rotated it last week.I like your growing area @VAFisher
Really nice Junipers @chicago1980 how is Randy Knight one coming along?
I've said it before & I'll say it again, when the more experienced members here post pics of their earlier work or "ugly trees/failures " it's as valuable to us newer members as your detailed instructional posts because it reminds us that everyone has to start somewhere & even the experts on here have experienced the same questions, frustrations & learning curves we have. I've gotten to see this from the other side on the pond forum I'm on (I'm not an expert there, just more experienced than in bonsai!) who was at the high point of frustration trying to set up her waterfall in her pond build. Being able to experience it from both ends of the spectrum just hammers home this point to me even more. So please continue to help us newbs with our trees as your knowledge, successes & failures are among the most invaluable parts of this forum. To be honest I enjoy helping new ponders sort out issues as much as I enjoy working on & evolving my own pond.You got it bad, @mattspiniken! Looks like your deck is about to be overrun...
Here is my progression, earliest photos were from 2-3 years in, around 1997 in Ames, IA:
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Nothing from our 3-month Nashville stint, but our first place in Bham, 1999:
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First house in Bham, around 2003 and 2005:
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2nd house around 2012:
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Current:
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lol I've done the opposite in regards to veggies, held off on new grow beds/in ground grow boxes building new raised garden beds for my wife. But have separate areas in the yard for each.Built this bench in 2015
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Today, it's still sloppy, but unlike my wife, I like to think it matches the trees, so there is balance there,(hah) i view the growing area as a fun aspect of the hobby in itself, I feel that it grows with the grower, and develops along with the trees. in time, both the trees and area will be presentable to regular folk, but it may be a while for me. These are huddled for auto sprinkler watering coming up so they are extra cluttered here.
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Decided not to grow veggies this year,just trees. hah i don't think the wife even actually realizes that yet she loves veggies
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Got it bad in pounding or bonsai, or both like me? Lol btw that upper pool could easily be made into a nice bog filter if you ever wanted too instead of the skippy one you planned to make if I remember correctly. Either way nice job incorporating the 2 passions together!Spring 2015 it began with this 20 roadside van purchase.
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Last year was my second season. this is from 6/2016
View attachment 148032 pic from last month and this isn't all of them. Yea, I got it bad too...
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I was very happy when I put down a gravel base. I didn't do the landscape fabric, but the base was 4" thick, so very little got through. Fallen seeds grew on it though, so I had to hit the area with roundup every month or two.Thanks for the great pics everyone. Looking at some of the after pics I am considering putting in landscape fabric and pea gravel in my bonsai area.
Thanks for the great pics everyone. Looking at some of the after pics I am considering putting in landscape fabric and pea gravel in my bonsai area.
Not fair @MACH5 !!! Lets see your baby pics... Or did you come out holding a fully wired maple clump that most of us would die for?
But thanks for sharing the now photos, that rock with the tree on it takes my breath.
Just as I thought, you went straight from kindergarten to high school, HA! Yes all grown up and wearing proper clothes.LOL ok Juds here are my baby pics. Back in the 90's and a little more grown up now