intro and some pics

[WimA]

Hi all, just wanted to introduce myself. I have had a vegetable garden for a few years now. About a year ago, I started experimenting with bonsai (working from home allows me to spend more time in the garden). I started out by collecting seedlings that were popping up naturally in the garden. Later, I started looking for starting material in garden centers, and growing my own from seeds or cuttings (e.g. sage and rosemary). As (probably) most of you, I learned from killing a few trees. I killed a ligustrum mall bonsai by trying to keep it indoors. I killed another ligustrum and an olive by not protecting them from the frost (all others seem to have survived). The most common species I have (natural seedlings) are: hawthorn, birch, linden and hornbeam. I will share a few photographs. Nothing spectacular as I have just started and am not buying expensive material...

Rosemary from cutting:
Sage from cutting:
Prunus Koji-no-mai: Just cleaned up a bit and will need to make decisions after the flowers have bloomed
Prunus Tomentosa: same as above
Picea (discarded x-mas tree) before and after initial styling. Still need to finish wiring the finer branches. I realize the pot is not the most appropriate, but I didn't have any other sufficiently deep pot (and didn't want to reduce the roots too much at once).

Of course, any comments or remarks are very welcome!

 

[Newish in Oregon]

Like the flowers on your prunus. I'm only slightly more experienced than you are. Pre-pandemic I was taking a 'bonsai for seniors' class [think about that ]. Other than the trees from the class [which are still pretty young] most of my trees are from yard seedlings or cuttings. I'm sure the experts will chime in [and not necessarily with consistent advice] but my sense is that you could have safely removed 1/3 of the root ball from the discarded x-mas tree

 

[Shibui]

Welcome to bonsai and the forum.
Your bonsai journey is similar to so many others so far.

I am surprised that cold killed a ligustrum in Belgium but maybe it is colder at your place than I allow for. Normally those can cope with almost anything. They are considered environmental weeds down here and I can dig advanced trunks from gardens, roadsides and the forest near my place.

You will probably find that small pots really slows growth and development. I know that every beginner needs to have some 'bonsai' in actual bonsai pots despite them being very underdeveloped but eventually we find it is far better to have developing trees in larger pots until the trunk and branching is well developed. Mostly we seem to get round that by having a few skinny trees in bonsai pots to show friends and relations but also cultivate some more in larger pots to develop quicker and I hope that is what some of the other trees you mentioned are doing.
You are probably aware that it is possible to transplant larger specimens for bonsai so collecting local species does not have to be limited to small seedlings. Just be aware of the legal aspects of collecting plants from private and public land.

 

[WimA]

Welcome to bonsai and the forum.
Your bonsai journey is similar to so many others so far.

I am surprised that cold killed a ligustrum in Belgium but maybe it is colder at your place than I allow for. Normally those can cope with almost anything. They are considered environmental weeds down here and I can dig advanced trunks from gardens, roadsides and the forest near my place.

You will probably find that small pots really slows growth and development. I know that every beginner needs to have some 'bonsai' in actual bonsai pots despite them being very underdeveloped but eventually we find it is far better to have developing trees in larger pots until the trunk and branching is well developed. Mostly we seem to get round that by having a few skinny trees in bonsai pots to show friends and relations but also cultivate some more in larger pots to develop quicker and I hope that is what some of the other trees you mentioned are doing.
You are probably aware that it is possible to transplant larger specimens for bonsai so collecting local species does not have to be limited to small seedlings. Just be aware of the legal aspects of collecting plants from private and public land.

Thanks for the warm welcome. We had an unusually cold week where temperatures were between -5 degree C (day) and -12 degree C (night). My hedge is ligustrum as well and survived no problem, but the bonsai being in a relatively small pot did not.

I've planted the cuttings in oversized pots. I have a few planted in the garden to develop the trunk. In general, I would say that I'm not to obsessed with size at this stage.

I haven't collected anything yet (besides from my own garden), as I don't think it's easy to get permission around here...