How I spent my Xmas vacation

Tachigi

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I recently acquired this old mega garden from a elderly gentleman farmer. It's about an acre and a half. As all can see its been a long time since its had any care. So clearing it is how I spent my Xmas vacation, and probably the better part of the next two weeks. I recruited my daughters to help, much to there distress:D . Should be a good additional growing ground when all is said and done. I wish I could have bush hogged the whole thing, but the entire place is littered with raised beds.
 

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Bonsai Nut

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I hear on the East it's like the Winter that never was... It is cold and really windy here in Southern Cal. When it drops below 60 and the wind picks up off the ocean its time to break out the parkas!

Those are nice raised bed planters, but do you really need them in Maryland? I thought you had pretty good soil(?)
 

Tachigi

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Greg...lets hope its the winter that never was, we got a ways to go.

Yeah, they are nice raised beds, and there are loads of them. Your right also on the fact that Maryland has got some fine soil. You should see my Matters :). However what you don't see is the Chesapeake behind the camera. Techincally Shady side is 1.5 feet below sea level.So drainage is poor at best, raising up the grow beds helps a lot. Except when hurricanes come through. My dog would have been under water had he been standing there when Isabella came through a couple of years ago.
 

John Hill

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Wow Tom,
Looks like your going to be pretty busy in years to come ;-) How many beds are there? They look to be really nice.
Boy I bet you can't wait?

A Friend in bonsai
John
 

Tachigi

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John, I'm pretty sure there are 54 for of them. However the tally might go up as more brush comes out. Cleared a good bit of brush today and actually got about 50 trees in the ground. It was 75 and I had help from some partners in crime....errrrr.... associates. They have been very helpful and supportive over the years in getting my business off the ground. Actually, it just could be they like playing in the dirt ;).
 

Bonsai Nut

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54 beds?! That's a lot of pre-bonsai! When you say "acquire" did you actually buy the land? I am really impressed - that's a LOT of digging. Even if you rotate stock every 6 years, that still gives you nine beds per year.
 

Tachigi

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Greg, Yup....and there is a farm that has 5 acres of growing area that is coming on line as well. A lot of field grown stuff. However I have more than my fair share of yamadori from the appalachians and the Rockies, which I am adding to constantly. Your right it is a lot of digging....<in my best southern accent> "That's why I really on the kindness of strangers" ;).

The farm is going to be a Nursery / Garden / Learning Center the likes that few in the US have seen. Hope I don't sound to heady, but have had this in the works for several years. So the need for solid bonsai material theoretically will be great.

Now if my back and shovel will just hold out.
 

Bonsai Nut

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Land is at such a premium in Southern California. Growing beds are not really an option down here unless:

1) You are a billionaire.
2) You were born into a family that owns a "Rancho" (see (1) above).
3) You live under high-tension electricity lines and are always at risk for growing another finger.

I keep trying to figure out how to carve growing beds out of the slope in my back yard. Given about 100 years it would probably look like an Incan terraced garden if I had my way. My wife would kill me if I did that much work and then planted a bunch of scrabbly looking bonsai trees on it.
 

paddles

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Funny, hubby had a similar reaction when I suggested turning half the backyard into garden beds full of potential bonsai:eek:
 

John Hill

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Tom,
This is great we need some good home grown here in the east. I definitely look foward to getting things from you. I love home grown!!!

A Friend in bonsai
John
 

Tachigi

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John, I looked at your site. My O My ...looks like you have your hands full already :). I to love home grown .... I believe for the most part your bonsai should reflect your culture i.e. ... geographic location, how a tree looks in your specific enviroment. We are blessed here on the Chesapeake with a multitude of natural design examples. Between high winds, high tides, and a rapidly changing enviroment new models are constantly presenting themselves. So the trees that we collect or grow have some of that flavor....they don't have a choice ;).
 
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