Starting from scratch at 60 : (

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Hi fellow bonsai-aholics.
First post so i'll get right into it.
Long story,short....had a lovely collection (50+ trees).
I lived in Melbourne,Australia so good Winters etc (able to grow many different species).
My mum fell ill (dad had already passed) and there was no-one in the family to care for her so i stepped up,which meant relocating to a semi-tropical climate.
I knew i was going to have problems with a lot of the trees i had (slowly deteriorating in a semi-tropical climate).
My only option was to sell....It was an extremely painful process and i ended up being left with approx' 10-12 trees....so they came with me.
Well, over the next 3 years i had the misfortune of not only watching my mum deteriorate (dementia) but the trees i brought with me also did the same thing,eventually dying : (
Move forward to now and bascially im a 60 year old bloke that's having to start my whole bonsai journey from scratch again.
Unless i spend some serious cash, I'll never own any truly "mature" specimens again...not at my age anyway.
BUT...Im just as addicted now as i was the first time i saw a bonsai and im quite excited to be "feeding my addiction" again : )
Take care everyone, will have plenty to chat about in the near future...and pics etc : )
 

sorce

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Glad to have you Young Man!

Welcome to Crazy!

Enjoy the moments with Mum when she knows you and your collection will prosper!

Humble in the hard times, humble to the trees.

Peace be with You.

Sorce
 

namnhi

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Looks like you still have plenty of gas left in the tank. Go small so you can stretch out the milage further. Wish I could donate one of my tree to you but that is not possible. @Shibui has awesome collection and nursery... maybe he can hook you up with decent material.
Cheers
 

Colorado

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Unless i spend some serious cash, I'll never own any truly "mature" specimens again...not at my age anyway.

I must respectfully disagree with this point. :)

You can create a fairly mature bonsai from good yamadori material in a reasonable amount of time. Seems there are many great species for collecting in Australia!
 

Paradox

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Welcome to B Nut

Sorry about your mom but you did the right thing for her to step up. I'm sure she appreciated it.

Never to late to start. You don't need to have expensive trees to enjoy bonsai. Many of us here have trees we are developing out of nursery stock. They arent world class bonsai but they make us happy in our back yard mini forests.

As @namnhi suggested, a nice shohin collection can be very rewarding and easier to carry around and care for as we get older. You don't need huge, back breaking trees.
 
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Glad to have you Young Man!

Welcome to Crazy!

Enjoy the moments with Mum when she knows you and your collection will prosper!

Humble in the hard times, humble to the trees.

Peace be with You.

Sorce
Thanks sorce...appreciate the welcoming hand shake mate.
Mum's passed now but i have a wealth of awesome memories.
I'm gonna dedicate a tree to her (just gotta find the right one)...something with nice flowing lines,feminine looking.
It was a very humbling situation which has left a permanent imprint on me...brings everything into perspective.
Peace be with you too my friend...cheers
 
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Looks like you still have plenty of gas left in the tank. Go small so you can stretch out the milage further. Wish I could donate one of my tree to you but that is not possible. @Shibui has awesome collection and nursery... maybe he can hook you up with decent material.
Cheers
Hi namnhi...good to meet you mate.
Thank you very much for your generous offer,that's so nice of you (its the thought that counts ;) and i appreciate it very much 👍).
Plenty of gas alright...got a ballistic metabolism so ive always gotta be doing something (drives me "nuts" sometimes).
Funny you mention shibui. Im about 30km from him (live in Albury Wodonga,Vic,Australia).
I havnt been her long and ive been meaning to give him a call....ive gotta get on to that asap.
Thanks for the heads up namnhi...cheers mate
 
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I must respectfully disagree with this point. :)

You can create a fairly mature bonsai from good yamadori material in a reasonable amount of time. Seems there are many great species for collecting in Australia!
Hi colorado...yes, you're right - i was a bit hasty with that comment.
Im yet to get out there and scour the countryside but im certainly looking forward to it.
Have noted many cattle paddocks around this area...those four legged pruning machines create some great material 👍 (just follow those fence lines ;)).
Im really looking forward to it - ive got more digging/lifting tools in my car than mechanics tools lol.
Good to meet you colorado, take care mate.
 
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Welcome to B Nut

Sorry about your mom but you did the right thing for her to step up. I'm sure she appreciated it.

Never to late to start. You don't need to have expensive trees to enjoy bonsai. Many of us here have trees we are developing out of nursery stock. They arent world class bonsai but they make us happy in our back yard mini forests.

As @namnhi suggested, a nice shohin collection can be very rewarding and easier to carry around and care for as we get older. You don't need huge, back breaking trees.
Thank you for the warm welcome Paradox...appreciate your kind words about mum too.
I wish i still had some of my older trees but when it comes down to it, its the journey that really is the best part...that and the buzz you get from connecting with nature.
I know there's rules to this art form but rules were meant to be broken....If youre happy with your creation,thats all that matters!
Take care my friend, cheers.
 

penumbra

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As a 73 year old man ( who grows more tired by the day) with a 95 year old mother who is experiencing all of the issues relating to old age, I empathize. But is is never too late and from the sounds of it you have a lot more time and vigor than many others and the seasoned wisdom of you age as well. You know enough to not be held back by what you once had and look with a bright future to a renaissance of your passion for bonsai.
It may sound contrived, but 60 years young is an admirable place to be.
 

rockm

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I'm over the hill myself 😁 . The six decade mark is behind me. If I were you, I would spend some serious cash on ONE very advanced tree and look to collect others that can be worked into something good in the next decade or so.

As I move down the road, I find less and less interest in futzing around with stuff that won't amount to much in the foreseeable future. One great tree can inspire and keep you going with other projects.

And FWIW, you don't have to think "small" trees. I have some big trees. I have to stay reasonably fit to handle them--turn, move them etc.
 

Paradox

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I'm over the hill myself 😁 . The six decade mark is behind me. If I were you, I would spend some serious cash on ONE very advanced tree and look to collect others that can be worked into something good in the next decade or so.

As I move down the road, I find less and less interest in futzing around with stuff that won't amount to much in the foreseeable future. One great tree can inspire and keep you going with other projects.

And FWIW, you don't have to think "small" trees. I have some big trees. I have to stay reasonably fit to handle them--turn, move them etc.
And some them require 3 other people and a hydraulic cart to move 🤣
 

Cajunrider

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Hi fellow bonsai-aholics.
First post so i'll get right into it.
Long story,short....had a lovely collection (50+ trees).
I lived in Melbourne,Australia so good Winters etc (able to grow many different species).
My mum fell ill (dad had already passed) and there was no-one in the family to care for her so i stepped up,which meant relocating to a semi-tropical climate.
I knew i was going to have problems with a lot of the trees i had (slowly deteriorating in a semi-tropical climate).
My only option was to sell....It was an extremely painful process and i ended up being left with approx' 10-12 trees....so they came with me.
Well, over the next 3 years i had the misfortune of not only watching my mum deteriorate (dementia) but the trees i brought with me also did the same thing,eventually dying : (
Move forward to now and bascially im a 60 year old bloke that's having to start my whole bonsai journey from scratch again.
Unless i spend some serious cash, I'll never own any truly "mature" specimens again...not at my age anyway.
BUT...Im just as addicted now as i was the first time i saw a bonsai and im quite excited to be "feeding my addiction" again : )
Take care everyone, will have plenty to chat about in the near future...and pics etc : )
Best of luck to you. I am in my late sixties and recently lost most of my collection to hurricanes so I can feel your pain.
 
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rockm

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And some them require 3 other people and a hydraulic cart to move 🤣
Not a hydraulic cart, Just a big wheeled one with a stable platform to set trees on. I can lift my biggest tree by myself, but it can damage branching because I can't keep it at arm's length to accommodate branching. Another person, or a way to keep it's branching protected (i.e. a cart), helps with moving it around safely. I have other trees that weigh in around 75 or a bit more. I don't plan on getting rid of them any time soon and can handle them without any problems--knock wood. Maybe I'll reconsider when I pass 70...
 
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Don’t forget about sacrifices to speed development. I don’t know about “maturity,” but In 10 years you can develop some nice material. If not JBP, maybe Casuarina? Also, developing smaller trees, i.e. shohin , is not only faster, but gives your back a break.
For me Bonsai is about the process, and the journey. I still think about my first bonsai(plural) sometimes, but not from a place of sadness. I learned from them, they were not a loss. The sting fades.
 

Carol 83

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Welcome! It's tough to take care of ailing parents, I know. But I'm sure you are glad you did, as I am once they are no longer with us. Sorry you lost all of your trees but you have the opportunity to start another great collection and plenty of time to do it!
 
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As a 73 year old man ( who grows more tired by the day) with a 95 year old mother who is experiencing all of the issues relating to old age, I empathize. But is is never too late and from the sounds of it you have a lot more time and vigor than many others and the seasoned wisdom of you age as well. You know enough to not be held back by what you once had and look with a bright future to a renaissance of your passion for bonsai.
It may sound contrived, but 60 years young is an admirable place to be.
Thank you penumbra...words of wisdom my friend

I'm over the hill myself 😁 . The six decade mark is behind me. If I were you, I would spend some serious cash on ONE very advanced tree and look to collect others that can be worked into something good in the next decade or so.

As I move down the road, I find less and less interest in futzing around with stuff that won't amount to much in the foreseeable future. One great tree can inspire and keep you going with other projects.

And FWIW, you don't have to think "small" trees. I have some big trees. I have to stay reasonably fit to handle them--turn, move them etc.
Hey rockm
I was thinking that...one really nice specimen to take pride of place and some nice material that i can develop, hopefully over the next 20+ years.
I think i'll be a bit more selective this time around too....Im more concerned with the tree's potential/attributes rather than size.
Take care mate

Look forward to catching up @Emeraldtarpon.
You can message on here or check Shibui Bonsai website for contact details.
Hi shibui
its good to hear from you,im looking forward to it too.
Will check your website out for contact details.
Keen to get back into it...look forward to chatting
Cheers

Best of luck to you. I am in my late sixties and recently lost most of my collection to hurricanes so I can feel your pain.
Hi cajunrider
oh shit!....im really sorry to hear that. I couldnt imagine losing most of my collection at once (Id be devastated).
You seem to be "back in the ring to take another swing" which is great to see....so many rewards to be had in bonsai.
All the best to you to my friend, cheers.
 
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Welcome! It's tough to take care of ailing parents, I know. But I'm sure you are glad you did, as I am once they are no longer with us. Sorry you lost all of your trees but you have the opportunity to start another great collection and plenty of time to do it!
Hi Carol,
thank you for the welcome and kind words about my trees.
Mum had demetia but was also very mobile at the same time so it made it extremely difficult.
Im really glad i stepped up...i just feel so much better for doing my bit to help her.
Im looking forward to what the future holds regarding bonsai....its always been an absolute passion of mine and a true escape from the lunatic asylum we live in nowadays.
Take care, cheers
 

michaelj

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You have plenty of time. And within 5-10 years, it's not that hard to develop a very nice tree. Or two. Or 50.
 
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