Bonsai garden -humble beginnings

[bluesky]

At last I have started the bonsai garden. I have been wanting to do this since we bought the house 5 years ago...

It's a very small garden compared to some of yours here, but it's a start.

And the problem is: it's already too small! I still have a load of developing trees on the other side of the house that will not fit in this small garden or will look really cluttered... Maybe next year the boss of the house will let me expand the bonsai garden Any tips on that? Flowers alone won't cut it!

I filmed a couple of videos making the garden.. here's the last one: YouTube - Bonsai Garden

And some pics -- before:
Bonsai garden - site by Blue Sky Bonsai, on Flickr

After:
Bonsai garden - benches by Blue Sky Bonsai, on Flickr

Bonsai garden by Blue Sky Bonsai, on Flickr

 

[taraforweb]

I am in the process of planning a future garden and saw your videos on youtube. Thanks! I got some ideas from you.

Now that you have had it for a few months, anything you would do different?

 

[leatherback]

gorogeous setup. Congrats

 

[bluesky]

Thanks!

@taraforweb great question. Two things I would recommend doing differently:
- Position the blocks a bit closer together for each bench, so that the planks overhang by about 8 inches each end. This would make it less likely for the planks to bow in the middle over time. I'm not going to reposition them now because levelling the blocks took so darn long! If the planks start to bow after a few years I will turn them upside-down. You don't want the water pooling in the middle of the plank. They are not yet bowing visibly after 6 months' use, thankfully, and the water still runs off to the sides. When the water runs off it drips down the side of the blocks, not a big deal but maybe it would be nicer if it dripped straight down into the gravel. A minor point admittedly, but another reason to have them overhanging at the ends.

- I would put a wooden fence behind the bonsai garden so that you can see your trees more easily, and for extra wind protection. In fact I wanted to have a fence for this garden but the boss of the household said she likes the hedge and the oleanders both of which flower for several months in summer. So in my case I couldn't follow my own advice! but we work with what we've got, right?

 

[Lazylightningny]

I missed this post originally. Anyway, nice transformation! Looks great.

 

[bluesky]

I missed this post originally. Anyway, nice transformation! Looks great.

Thanks! Already the garden is too small though!

 

[Mr. Bonsai]

That display came out looking very beautiful and nicely done, congrat's!

I also watched the video, it was all good, well presented and well documented.

Thanks for posting and sharing!

My wife and I fell in love with Spain when we visited (a couple of years before covid hit globally).

We even contemplated the fact about living there.

Two things took us there, one, our daughter attended school over in Barcelona and two, I tracked my genetic roots, on my father's side, all the way to back to the Catalonia region.

 

[vp999]

Very nice set up!

 

[bluesky]

Thanks!

That display came out looking very beautiful and nicely done, congrat's!

I also watched the video, it was all good, well presented and well documented.

Thanks for posting and sharing!

My wife and I fell in love with Spain when we visited (a couple of years before covid hit globally).

We even contemplated the fact about living there.

Two things took us there, one, our daughter attended school over in Barcelona and two, I tracked my genetic roots, on my father's side, all the way to back to the Catalonia region.

Thank you!
Yes Spain is a wonderful place to live without doubt. You could say I fell in love with Spain when I met my wife 30 years ago.
If you're serious about moving to live in Catalonia someday I would wait for the political situation there to calm down, and that might take a few years until our particularly weak president is voted out of office. Sorry to get political here but Catalonia is a very unstable region at the moment.

That said, Spain is a great place for bonsai. Thankfully I live in Madrid. Here the air is arguably too dry - I have to use a misting system for 3 months in summer and 50% shade over the benches.

But anywhere on the coast is perfect for humidity, temperature and year-round sunlight hours.

 

[bluesky]

Very nice set up!

Thanks- I'm going to need a third and a fourth bench pretty soon ...

 

[Mr. Bonsai]

Thanks!

Thank you!
Yes Spain is a wonderful place to live without doubt. You could say I fell in love with Spain when I met my wife 30 years ago.
If you're serious about moving to live in Catalonia someday I would wait for the political situation there to calm down, and that might take a few years until our particularly weak president is voted out of office. Sorry to get political here but Catalonia is a very unstable region at the moment.

That said, Spain is a great place for bonsai. Thankfully I live in Madrid. Here the air is arguably too dry - I have to use a misting system for 3 months in summer and 50% shade over the benches.

But anywhere on the coast is perfect for humidity, temperature and year-round sunlight hours.

I hear you about all that tension in the Catalonia region. When we were there it was just on the verge of really getting started up but thank God we never really were in real danger ( I think? ).

Also my wife and I will be celebrating our 30 years of marriage next year in April 2022, God willing.

Anyway keep us all posted and updated on your progress with your bonsai setup(s)!