Begginer - does this have any future?

Fidur

Chumono
Messages
757
Reaction score
3,331
Location
Canary Islands , Spain. Europe
USDA Zone
12
Hello everibody.
New to bonsai, but enjoying it in the last 8 months.
As all begginers, I'm full of doubts, so let's begin with a question.
I found in a nursery this felicia amelloides variegata. It´s not a tree, I know it, but it can be an evergreen shrub.
So I repotted, trained roots, prunned and wired. And now waiting for flowering. And I wonder, can this (with time and care) ever be some kind of bonsai?. Thanks in advance for your answers.
60acd7698fb04 (1).jpg


60acd676444cb.jpg
60acd630c489f.jpg

60acd5e3cb2a1.jpg60acd59b95a89.jpg
 
Last edited:

Hartinez

Masterpiece
Messages
4,149
Reaction score
13,009
Location
Albuquerque, NM
USDA Zone
7
Sure it can. You’ve got a decent start there as well. At this point I would def just let it grow and regain strength after the work you’ve done. Study similar shapes and styles and aim for what you want in the future. Learn proper wiring technique and water technique and when and how much to prune for the species you purchased. Oh and get a few more trees as well. It’s easy as a beginner to love a tree to death by working it too hard. Spreading out your attention on a few trees spaces out your timing.
 

Fidur

Chumono
Messages
757
Reaction score
3,331
Location
Canary Islands , Spain. Europe
USDA Zone
12
Well, here we have no prebonsais suply, so I have managed to buy some plants in my nursery to avoid the begginer syndrome (acting too much in my trees). They are not even prebonsais, but I manage to create the illusion I have a collection ;)....
JMK_0246 (2).JPG
 

Hartinez

Masterpiece
Messages
4,149
Reaction score
13,009
Location
Albuquerque, NM
USDA Zone
7
Well there you have it. Your initial comment implied a far different understanding of what can and can’t be a bonsai. Looks like you answered your own question.
 

ShadyStump

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,884
Reaction score
9,732
Location
Southern Colorado, USA
USDA Zone
6a
Looks like you're well on your way!

I suggest, along the lines of @Hartinez, that you just let it recover until the next growing season, and then just trim the foliage lightly to spur back budding.
Letting those branches grow will help thicken the trunk.

Welcome, BTW!
 

Fidur

Chumono
Messages
757
Reaction score
3,331
Location
Canary Islands , Spain. Europe
USDA Zone
12
Looks like you're well on your way!

I suggest, along the lines of @Hartinez, that you just let it recover until the next growing season, and then just trim the foliage lightly to spur back budding.
Letting those branches grow will help thicken the trunk.

Welcome, BTW!
The trunk is thickening (I wired for two months and there were scars already when I decided to remove the wire).....I think I will have to accept that maybe there will be no flowering (little blue flowers) in the next seasons, but I'm fine with that. Thanks
 

penumbra

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,377
Reaction score
15,841
Location
Front Royal, VA
USDA Zone
6
If that picture is your yard and collection you are not the novice you claim to be. Sure, none of us are ever done, but you have a great little collection. I am seeing about 50 plants there. That is a lot more than many others have here.
 

Fidur

Chumono
Messages
757
Reaction score
3,331
Location
Canary Islands , Spain. Europe
USDA Zone
12
If that picture is your yard and collection you are not the novice you claim to be. Sure, none of us are ever done, but you have a great little collection. I am seeing about 50 plants there. That is a lot more than many others have here.
In that picture there is only a true bonsai.....the one that was gifted to me in November....:

JMK_0272.JPG

All the rest of them were purchased in a nursery as regular plants . Don´t be fooled by those bonsai pots. It´s just that I like how they look potted that way. I know I have been too much impatient, but now I´m trying to calm myself down and follow the guidelines and information I'm getting.
What is true is that that gift has made me passionate about bonsai....very passionate (I´m in my sixties, so I have to.....I do have not much time to enjoy ;) )
 

swatchpost

Yamadori
Messages
98
Reaction score
115
Location
Austin, Texas, USA
USDA Zone
8b
In that picture there is only a true bonsai.....the one that was gifted to me in November....:

View attachment 376926

All the rest of them were purchased in a nursery as regular plants . Don´t be fooled by those bonsai pots. It´s just that I like how they look potted that way. I know I have been too much impatient, but now I´m trying to calm myself down and follow the guidelines and information I'm getting.
What is true is that that gift has made me passionate about bonsai....very passionate (I´m in my sixties, so I have to.....I do have not much time to enjoy ;) )
I was going to say that one back there in the corner is really special! Gorgeous tree.
 

penumbra

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,377
Reaction score
15,841
Location
Front Royal, VA
USDA Zone
6
In that picture there is only a true bonsai.....the one that was gifted to me in November....:

View attachment 376926

All the rest of them were purchased in a nursery as regular plants . Don´t be fooled by those bonsai pots. It´s just that I like how they look potted that way. I know I have been too much impatient, but now I´m trying to calm myself down and follow the guidelines and information I'm getting.
What is true is that that gift has made me passionate about bonsai....very passionate (I´m in my sixties, so I have to.....I do have not much time to enjoy ;) )
I think your definition of bonsai and pre bonsai is pretty narrow. You are caught up a bit too much in the terms. By most folks definitions you have several bonsai or pre bonsai in your collection. Any nursery plant could be called a pre bonsai if it has things that are desirable for bonsai such as size of leaves and so forth. When that plant makes the jump from nursery plant to pre bonsai to bonsai is always going to be open to conjecture. Its really up to you. I see several bonsai in your picture and all the rest I see as pre bonsai. I like what I am seeing and you apparent concern for their care is evident. Very nice collection.
Sixties is nothing. Wish I was still in my sixties.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
Bye Felicia.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce
 

Dkdhej

Sapling
Messages
47
Reaction score
63
Location
Madrid, Spain
USDA Zone
9a
I´m very pleased with you answers. Thanks to all....
Also, excuse my english, I´ll try to brush it up. (not used to express myself in english)

PD: Yes I know there are spanish forums, but somehow I like bonsainut as my first information source....
Yeah, same here, I also prefer Bonsainut.
I think there is another member from the Canary Islands.

Nice collection!
Is that a wonderful Drago canario over the fence?
 

Fidur

Chumono
Messages
757
Reaction score
3,331
Location
Canary Islands , Spain. Europe
USDA Zone
12
Yeah, same here, I also prefer Bonsainut.
I think there is another member from the Canary Islands.

Nice collection!
Is that a wonderful Drago canario over the fence?
Yes, a drago it is.....not very old (I guess only about 30 years old), but there are bigger and older in my surrondings. A shame I don´t know how to make a bonsai out of them....
The only local species I have dared to "bonsai" is the canarian pine.(pinus canariensis)...I´ll show my developments and my doubts with it in the next days....
 

Dkdhej

Sapling
Messages
47
Reaction score
63
Location
Madrid, Spain
USDA Zone
9a
Yes, a drago it is.....not very old (I guess only about 30 years old), but there are bigger and older in my surrondings. A shame I don´t know how to make a bonsai out of them....
The only local species I have dared to "bonsai" is the canarian pine.(pinus canariensis)...I´ll show my developments and my doubts with it in the next days....
I am also trying with Pinus canariensis.
Their capacity to budback is great for bonsai (similarly to the american Pinus rigida) but of course the needle is too long. May be fit for bonsai on the bigger side.
 
Top Bottom