My Nellie's participation in the JBP Contest

[my nellie]

Your welcome, enjoy the journey, the results often arrive later than we expect.

Exactly!
You are so very correct!
The journey is the central idea!
You need the destination of course, but only as a means for you to set out!

Here is to you, Sir. The poem "Ithaca" by C. P. Cavafy - recitation in English by Sir Thomas Sean Connery (http://www.cavafy.com/poems/content.asp?cat=1&id=74)
I hope you will enjoy it

 

[River's Edge]

Exactly!
You are so very correct!
The journey is the central idea!
You need the destination of course, but only as a means for you to set out!

Here is to you, Sir. The poem "Ithaca" by C. P. Cavafy - recitation in English by Sir Thomas Sean Connery (http://www.cavafy.com/poems/content.asp?cat=1&id=74)
I hope you will enjoy it

So appropriate to many aspects of life. And spoken by a fellow Irishman. Thank you. It has been a long time since i first encountered the poem in High School. I believe the course was called literature 21, grade 11, 1960. Although i have returned to my place of birth for retirement we still set off on journey's of discovery. We enjoy the secondary roads, quieter places and distant locations we have never seen before. Next up will be a transatlantic cruise from Ft. Lauderdale, stopping in the Azores, ending in Copenhagen. Then on to Portugal to explore.
From my heritage a traditional Irish blessing for the traveller.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

And to tie in with Bonsai this Pine tree began life's journey well before either of us i suspect. Yamadori collected from Vancouver Island.
( Shore Pine, Pinus Contorta )

 

[my nellie]

Thank you so very much for the Irish blessing. I love it!
I have not met an Irish in person but I have a high appreciation of Irish culture (as far as I know from reading) and the way the traditional families' members are bonded among them.
This Shore Pine, is it collected by you?
Did you collect it as is, I mean with the rock into which it used to grow in nature?

 

[River's Edge]

Thank you so very much for the Irish blessing. I love it!
I have not met an Irish in person but I have a high appreciation of Irish culture (as far as I know from reading) and the way the traditional families' members are bonded among them.
This Shore Pine, is it collected by you?
Did you collect it as is, I mean with the rock into which it used to grow in nature?

The shore pine was collected here on vancouver island separately by a friend approximately 8 years ago. The rock was collected by my son, it is a piece of lava from an extinct volcano in Northern British Columbia. I took a long time to figure out a way to place the tree in any container to take advantage of the unique shape to the trunk. In the end i chipped out an opening in the rock with small hammer and chisel in the shape of an upside down gelato cone. The roots were then threaded through to the bottom from the top. Over a period of four or five years the foliage was reduced to wire and form the style. It has been planted in this way for five or six years now. The base of the rock was modified to create several support points but allow the roots to form throughout the tray. Wire was attached to the rock ( two part epoxy) and fed through the drainage holes to secure the rock in place. By doing it in reverse it will allow for repotting without removing the tree from the pot. I enjoyed the project even though it is not a traditional look.
The inspiration was the the trunk suggesting a cliff hanging location may have helped form the shape. I continue to work on reducing the needle size which i think will improve the overall appearance. When i can find a better figurine to replace the current one i will do that as well.

 

[my nellie]

... ... I enjoyed the project even though it is not a traditional look... ...

Please, never ever mind that... if I'm allowed to say.
Thanks for the narrative!

 

[River's Edge]

Please, never ever mind that... if I'm allowed to say.
Thanks for the narrative!

You are welcome.
And may the projected rains ease the fire situation for your country and people!

 

[my nellie]

You are welcome.
And may the projected rains ease the fire situation for your country and people!

Thank you so very much for your support!
This indeed is a national disaster... 76 people burned dead as of now, 185 wounded, unclear yet number of missing people (more than 40)
And all this biblical devastation in only a matter of some hours... in a most densely populated summer resort area hardly 1 hour distance from Athens.
No human mind could imagine such catastrophe... A national mourning for all Greeks.

 

[my nellie]

I did it!
I cut three of the seedlings. One as a seedling cutting and two were removed the tap root.
Weather forecast until September sounds assisting (??) : Temperature not higher than 34C and lowest at 21C

Coarse pumice at the base, inorganic mix (quartz sand, akadama, fine pumice, some charcoal)
A piece of narrow plastic bottle as mold and filling with fine river sand to accept the seedling.

 

[my nellie]

I uprooted three seedlings out of the nine I have.
I used powder rooting hormone to dip the cut seedlings.


This is the one which was only cut off its tap root.
It was really long root to my opinion


The other two seedlings were cut the stems like this

 

[Anthony]

It helps to keep hand written notes.
Anthony

 

[my nellie]

And put into the small hole in the sand.


I am keeping them protected from wind and sun.
Each pot into a big plastic water bottle with coarse pumice at the bottom.


Like I said at the very beginning : just for the fun

 

[my nellie]

It helps to keep hand written notes.
Anthony

I do, I do!

 

[River's Edge]

And put into the small hole in the sand.
View attachment 204290 View attachment 204291 View attachment 204295

I am keeping them protected from wind and sun.
Each pot into a big plastic water bottle with coarse pumice at the bottom.
View attachment 204296

Like I said at the very beginning : just for the fun

The process can be addictive, it is more than just fun, the results are contagious. Keep going

 

[my nellie]

Thank you for the encouragement, @Riversedgebonsai Sir

 

[bonhe]

Hi my Nellie,
Please make sure the air humidity is about 60 - 75 %. Humidity is very important to help these cutting survive.
Good luck to your seedlings.
Like Riversedgebonsai wrote, to grow the seedlings are very fun. It will give you a lot of rewards not only mentally but knowledge of black pine training as well. You will be very proud of them in about 10 years from now. It will give you much more happiness than taking care the finished bonsai, IMO
Thụ Thoại

 

[my nellie]

Hello Thụ Thoại,
Thank you very much for your thoughts and the resulting encouragement!

Hi my Nellie,
Please make sure the air humidity is about 60 - 75 %. Humidity is very important to help these cutting survive... ...

This is the most difficult issue to face and cope with.
What I do is this :
- During the day, after watering the small pots I also mist the inside of the cap of the big cut bottle and then I close this improvised individual "greenhouse". The small droplets keep the internal air humid.
- Then in the afternoon, I remove the cap after watering for the second time the small pots and the "greenhouse" stays open all night through.

 

[Clicio]

What I do is this :
- During the day, after watering the small pots I also mist the inside of the cap of the big cut bottle and then I close this improvised individual "greenhouse". The small droplets keep the internal air humid.
- Then in the afternoon, I remove the cap after watering for the second time the small pots and the "greenhouse" stays open all night through.

Very nice setup, Alexandra!
Problem is, to built and maintain those mini-greenhouses for 150 seedlings... Takes space and time!

 

[my nellie]

So @Clicio are you implying that you are going to grow 150 seedlings?
Oooohhh, it is indeed contagious like @Riversedgebonsai said above

 

[bonhe]

Hello Thụ Thoại,
Thank you very much for your thoughts and the resulting encouragement! This is the most difficult issue to face and cope with.
What I do is this :
- During the day, after watering the small pots I also mist the inside of the cap of the big cut bottle and then I close this improvised individual "greenhouse". The small droplets keep the internal air humid.
- Then in the afternoon, I remove the cap after watering for the second time the small pots and the "greenhouse" stays open all night through.

View attachment 204711

Hi my Nellie ,
You are welcome.
Your method to keep humidity is very good I think .
Thụ Thoại

 

[Clicio]

So @Clicio are you implying that you are going to grow 150 seedlings?

Yes, that's the plan!!!