Another Coastal Redwood Stump My Wife's Claimed

grouper52

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I believe my wife has now claimed all my redwoods (except, so far, the in-the-ground grove project. :( )

It wasn't long after I brought the little 12" Mendicino Bonsai beauty back from the GSBF Convention in the fall that my wife laid claim to this community property. I shouldn't have been surprised, of course.

I also got this beautiful little Tokoname pot there - not specifically for this little tree, but for now it'll do, even if a bit cramped.

It's been cleaned up a bit, but the copious deadwood will soon be refined and lime sulfured, and branch development will begin.

Hardy, fun, and fascinatingly pretty little things. :)
 

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irene_b

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Fantastic little tree....Your wife has great taste!!
Irene
 

Jason

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Thats a beautiful little trunk with substantial character (I'm sure thats why you bought it). It looks like it has a pretty large trunk diameter. How big is it? What do you envision for the future foliage? I do agree that it's cramped in that pot though.

So I guess I should be happy that my wife want's nothing to do with bonsai? Or does her interest make it easier to justify great purchases like this one? Hmmm...
 

milehigh_7

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Thats a beautiful little trunk with substantial character (I'm sure thats why you bought it). It looks like it has a pretty large trunk diameter. How big is it? What do you envision for the future foliage? I do agree that it's cramped in that pot though.

So I guess I should be happy that my wife want's nothing to do with bonsai? Or does her interest make it easier to justify great purchases like this one? Hmmm...

I know what you mean Jason. My wife calls my trees, "your little sticks".


Wait just a second... you guys call my trees the same thing... :(
 

grouper52

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Thats a beautiful little trunk with substantial character (I'm sure thats why you bought it). It looks like it has a pretty large trunk diameter. How big is it? What do you envision for the future foliage? I do agree that it's cramped in that pot though.

So I guess I should be happy that my wife want's nothing to do with bonsai? Or does her interest make it easier to justify great purchases like this one? Hmmm...

It's about 12" tall.

Bonsai are a mixed bag at my house viz-a-viz domestic tranquility. We go nursery hopping, and if there is something really promosing, she wants it for the yard as often as not. Occasionally I win those battles, but on many occasions when I lose, the tree sits in the ground thickening up nicely for a few years, then she doesn't like it any more for one reason or another, and I get to harvest it. :D

Often I'll get a tree somewhere and throw it over in a neglected mass of trees for a while so she won't notice it - when she does, and asks if I've bought yet another bonsai, I can truthfully say, "Oh, THAT thing - I've had that for a while now." :D

Others she loves, either before or after I start styling them. Then she claims them, but I'm still expeceted to do all the work and care on them. But she hates to see the work being done, so I do it when she's not around. :D

It all works out, but sometimes it's rough going for a while. :)
 

Bill S

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G Man, you must love your wife. Nice stump, look forward to seeing this one again.

mcpesq817 - gotta start somewhere dude, you will know when to graduate, and fortuneately the sticks get fatter after a while.
 

Jason

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It's about 12" tall.

Bonsai are a mixed bag at my house viz-a-viz domestic tranquility. We go nursery hopping, and if there is something really promosing, she wants it for the yard as often as not. Occasionally I win those battles, but on many occasions when I lose, the tree sits in the ground thickening up nicely for a few years, then she doesn't like it any more for one reason or another, and I get to harvest it. :D

Often I'll get a tree somewhere and throw it over in a neglected mass of trees for a while so she won't notice it - when she does, and asks if I've bought yet another bonsai, I can truthfully say, "Oh, THAT thing - I've had that for a while now." :D

Others she loves, either before or after I start styling them. Then she claims them, but I'm still expeceted to do all the work and care on them. But she hates to see the work being done, so I do it when she's not around. :D

It all works out, but sometimes it's rough going for a while. :)

Sounds like...marriage. :rolleyes:
 

Just Duane

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Hi Will, I like this tree! Loads of character for sure. I recently purchased a small on myself & I know absolutely nothing about redwoods other than what I read on the net. Looking foward to seeing your progression with this one.
 

misfit11

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It's about 12" tall.


Often I'll get a tree somewhere and throw it over in a neglected mass of trees for a while so she won't notice it - when she does, and asks if I've bought yet another bonsai, I can truthfully say, "Oh, THAT thing - I've had that for a while now." :D

I've used that line with my wife a few times. It usually works. :D
 

grouper52

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... time for a new wife or love her even more ;)

Never any thoughts of a new wife - I'd rather keep her and get new trees instead! :D

I think a lot of us guys have the same wife/GF "problems" related to our predominantly male hobbies. We've all made some adaptations when that's the case. Just part of the give and take of being part of something larger than ourselves, ie marriage. You and Ruth probably know what I'm talking about. :)
 
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Z claimed the tree??? (Victrinia laughs hysterically...)

Good thing I love that woman so much... she claimed the shohin redwood I was dieing to have... you two just beat me to the sale. :p

But hey... I get to enjoy it whenever I want. And get to sing karaoke while I'm at it. Life is good with good friends.... :D

V
 

grouper52

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Z claimed the tree??? (Victrinia laughs hysterically...)

Good thing I love that woman so much... she claimed the shohin redwood I was dieing to have... you two just beat me to the sale. :p

But hey... I get to enjoy it whenever I want. And get to sing karaoke while I'm at it. Life is good with good friends.... :D

V

Hey, Vic! Winter hibernation's about over - when you guys crawling out of your den and coming over to join us for an absinthe-sotted, book's-sent-off-to-the-publisher, Spring's-Here Bacchanalia? Last one conscious sweeps up the Tokomane shards and turns off the karaoke! :D
 
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I could soooooooooooooo use that right now!!! lol I'll give a call and compare our collective rediculous schedules. lol

I think our efforts at karaoke only get more splendid as the evening wears on.... :D And the day I break a tokonome while in my cups is when I stop drinking within 50 yards of them. :cool:

V
 

Rick Moquin

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Never any thoughts of a new wife - I'd rather keep her and get new trees instead! :D

I think a lot of us guys have the same wife/GF "problems" related to our predominantly male hobbies. We've all made some adaptations when that's the case. Just part of the give and take of being part of something larger than ourselves, ie marriage. You and Ruth probably know what I'm talking about. :)

...sharing is nice :)
 

grouper52

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Here's an update of this little fellow - not much has changed except some foliage areas dying back and others getting fuller. Although he's looking pretty happy now, I most lost this guy two winters ago due to the vicissitudes of weather here - many redwoods were set back and a few killed among the crowd here that winter. We're all being a bit more protective of them in the winters now.
 

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milehigh_7

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Will, thanks for the updates you have been posting to some older threads! Seeing how things progress for everyone is one of my favorite things! Hint, hint to everyone else!
 

grouper52

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You're welcome, Clyde. My approach to styling is to just sit with trees over long periods of time, only rarely doing a huge change, usually just tweaking a little bit here and there over time as the inspiration hits me. The updates are often, therefore, somewhat subtle, and may seem to many to be hardly worth doing. I like to photograph them when the mood hits me as well, so I mostly just post because I enjoy doing so, but I'm glad when people get something out of it as well.

Have you gone collecting yet? Keep me posted when you do!
 
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