For the advanced seasoned bonsaist...

[miker]

I am new to the forums and I am certainly not a seasoned advanced bonsaist (yet). I have been keeping trees for almost 20 years now, an interest that originated with a "bonsai kit" purchased for me when I was 11 or 12. I had a few really nice trees under the guidance of some excellent bonsai artists when I lived in Northern VA in my late teens. These trees suffered and unfortunately were eventually lost due to my moving and being busy with other pursuits. The two trees I still have from that time (2001-2002) are my ficus, which I have just posted photos of in my recent thread in the "maples" sub-forum. I have had this tree for 15 years, and while in need of major work, has the potential to be a magnificent tree. I also have a shohin broom style dwarf jade plant (Portulacaria afra) that I obtained from a cutting in 2001, and has been grown just by pinching back new growth every few months ever since.

My Korean Hornbeam and Buttonwood have been in my care for around 10 years now and the Buttonwood could have easily been 10-20 years old when I purchased it.

I am in total awe at many of the trees posted in this thread! That leaning style mugo pine in post #22 is just, inspiring. Amazing work Vance!

Paul your cork oak is awesome and even more special since you started from seed.

My favorite may be Steve's Japanese maple in post 18, as I am incredibly fond of winter silhouettes.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

How long have you been doing bonsai...and what is the longest (years wise) bonsai tree you have in your posession? (Years under your tutelage)

Just curious...how long one may "go back" if you will with the same tree under their tutelage...and care.

Ive been doing bonsai since 1994. Moved to AL in 1999 and brought a U-Haul trailer full of trees down. The last tree from that U-Haul was one of my first collected trees, a honeysuckle clump. It was bigger, but the main tree died, rotted, started growing again. I gave it to a friend in 2011-12:

Currently, these are the trees I've had the longest...
Ginkgo raised from seed I collected in 1997:

Hawthorn collected in 2000:

Azalea collected in 2001:

Trident maple from Wood in 2002:

J. Maple also from Wood in 2002:

 

[Vance Wood]

I was going through some old pictures and I ran accross these two from 1962.
Three years to the day I was inducted into the Army and everything changed for ever. All of these trees died.

 

[M. Frary]

Now that is cool Vance. 17 years old. Chairman of the show no less!
And the hair! You did have hair once upon a time too!
These are some of the trees you lost when you went to the Nam?

 

[Vance Wood]

Now that is cool Vance. 17 years old. Chairman of the show no less!
And the hair! You did have hair once upon a time too!
These are some of the trees you lost when you went to the Nam?

Every last one of them was lost. My mother was just not up to taking care of them. I had a couple of really nice ones but not a clue what to do with them. I had several fairly good collected trees, a Doug Fir, White Fir and a couple of Lodge Pole Pines.

 

[M. Frary]

Every last one of them was lost. My mother was just not up to taking care of them. I had a couple of really nice ones but not a clue what to do with them. I had several fairly good collected trees, a Doug Fir, White Fir and a couple of Lodge Pole Pines.

Well,you've made up for the loss admiribly. That mugo in the first picture. Was it the first one? The one that started it all?

 

[thumblessprimate1]

I can hear a Mid-Atlantic accent just looking at those photos, Vance. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Vance Wood]

Well,you've made up for the loss admiribly. That mugo in the first picture. Was it the first one? The one that started it all?

The Mugo is the little one in my right hand. I had one prior to that one that I killed as well. The one I am holding I purchased from a guy that had a nursery at the foot of Mt. Tamalpias where Muir Woods is located. This guy had a lot of cultivated grown from seed trees. This is the first time I ever saw a BristleConePine, he wanted the proverbial arm and leg for one. The Mugo was within my limited budget.

 

[jriddell88]

The Mugo is the little one in my right hand. I had one prior to that one that I killed as well. The one I am holding I purchased from a guy that had a nursery at the foot of Mt. Tamalpias where Muir Woods is located. This guy had a lot of cultivated grown from seed trees. This is the first time I ever saw a BristleConePine, he wanted the proverbial arm and leg for one. The Mugo was within my limited budget.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

 

[Kodama16]

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Total respect.

 

[jriddell88]

Now thats what I call a seasoned vet! Congrats vance, thank you for your service, and thank you for sharing. A true american bonsai-ist!

Jesse

 

[sorce]

1962

Nice suit!

That is crazy right there!

What Jriddel said.
Plus....

Damn!

So handsome!
There must be a 40 some year old half white Vietnamese kid playing with MUGO pine somewhere! Lol.

Sorce

 

[Vance Wood]

I doubt it, did not have much opportunity to go boom boom. We even had a general inspection while out in the field. Did you ever try to spit polish a pair of jungle boots encrusted with mud and crud and stand at attention while some pendejo with a star on his shoulder checks you out while hoping you do find yourselves too much of a good target not to shoot a?

 

[Nybonsai12]

Very cool pic Vance. thank you for your service.

 

[sorce]

find yourselves too much of a good target

Good thing you weren't wearing that shnazzy ass suit!
That would have made you a great target!

Jesus Vance....I watched Rules of Engagement the other night, Forest Gump a couple weeks back, I don't watch these things the same anymore after knowing you. I really appreciate that.

And you always make it better cause you don't change!
Well, except from that smashing young gentleman with those sticks in pots!

Lol!

The fact that those pictures were taken, and that you have them, or dug them up, makes you one of the coolest Net Bonsai Wankers ever!

It's just cool!

Sorce

 

[Vance Wood]

Good thing you weren't wearing that shnazzy ass suit!
That would have made you a great target!

Jesus Vance....I watched Rules of Engagement the other night, Forest Gump a couple weeks back, I don't watch these things the same anymore after knowing you. I really appreciate that.

And you always make it better cause you don't change!
Well, except from that smashing young gentleman with those sticks in pots!

Lol!

The fact that those pictures were taken, and that you have them, or dug them up, makes you one of the coolest Net Bonsai Wankers ever!

It's just cool!

Sorce

Wow, I hardly know what to say. Many of the old pictures were saved by my Mother and Grandfather who was a photo nut. Those are sadly the only bonsai photos I seem to have left from the time frame.

 

[Steve Kudela]

Started in about 1978. The tree I've had longest is my cork oak that I grew from an acorn. Its about 35 years old.
View attachment 92955[/QUOHey Paul, if you don't mind, what are the dimensions of this oak. Great tree!

 

[Steve Kudela]

I am new to the forums and I am certainly not a seasoned advanced bonsaist (yet). I have been keeping trees for almost 20 years now, an interest that originated with a "bonsai kit" purchased for me when I was 11 or 12. I had a few really nice trees under the guidance of some excellent bonsai artists when I lived in Northern VA in my late teens. These trees suffered and unfortunately were eventually lost due to my moving and being busy with other pursuits. The two trees I still have from that time (2001-2002) are my ficus, which I have just posted photos of in my recent thread in the "maples" sub-forum. I have had this tree for 15 years, and while in need of major work, has the potential to be a magnificent tree. I also have a shohin broom style dwarf jade plant (Portulacaria afra) that I obtained from a cutting in 2001, and has been grown just by pinching back new growth every few months ever since.

My Korean Hornbeam and Buttonwood have been in my care for around 10 years now and the Buttonwood could have easily been 10-20 years old when I purchased it.

I am in total awe at many of the trees posted in this thread! That leaning style mugo pine in post #22 is just, inspiring. Amazing work Vance!

Paul your cork oak is awesome and even more special since you started from seed.

My favorite may be Steve's Japanese maple in post 18, as I am incredibly fond of winter silhouettes.

Wow Miker, thank you sir! I've never had a tree picked as someone's favorite. There have been some really good trees posted! With most deciduous, wintertime is my favorite season and spring budding time.

 

[Vance Wood]

I located a lot of my old photos from the 60's. I don't know if this tree is still alive but this giant White Oak tree was in our back yard. What a monster. The builder of the neighborhood wanted to cut the tree down but all of the nursery men were able to get together and force the builder to build around the tree. The last picture is one my Uncle took using infra red film.

 

[fredman]

Vance I want to voice my admiration and respect to. That many years of love and dedication to bonsai is a great achievement, and you have every right to feel very proud of yourself. I wish you many more blessed years to come