The graveyard collection

Auffi

Seedling
Messages
19
Reaction score
20
Location
Essen, germany
USDA Zone
8
I started to collect azeleas from the graveyard dumpster last year. Two of the three collected survived. This year I found a lot more and will hopefully find more in the future. Some of them seem quite interesting and some are just little sticks. My plan is to plant them in pots from the graveyard dumpster as well and build a nice little graveyard collection. I will give them numbers and update them when necessary.

#1
I will start with the biggest one. Collected last year. Chopped a few weeks ago. Nice thick trunk but otherwise rather ugly. Not sure what the goal is with this one beside shortening the branches even more.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20210508_140604.jpg
    IMG_20210508_140604.jpg
    107 KB · Views: 43
  • IMG_20200407_102557.jpg
    IMG_20200407_102557.jpg
    340.1 KB · Views: 49

Yo Mango

Yamadori
Messages
58
Reaction score
35
Super interesting! Thanks for posting.
 

Auffi

Seedling
Messages
19
Reaction score
20
Location
Essen, germany
USDA Zone
8
#2 this one is the other one from last year. Don't think it will be more than a little bush but it looks healthy so why throw it away.
Next one will be more interesting...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20210508_173153.jpg
    IMG_20210508_173153.jpg
    212.7 KB · Views: 40

Auffi

Seedling
Messages
19
Reaction score
20
Location
Essen, germany
USDA Zone
8
#3 this is my favorite I think. I don't know 100% where it's going but it will be awesome.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20210508_140542.jpg
    IMG_20210508_140542.jpg
    93.8 KB · Views: 36

Auffi

Seedling
Messages
19
Reaction score
20
Location
Essen, germany
USDA Zone
8
BTW: I don't know much about growing azeleas. Any tips for growing or styling are very welcome.

#4 interesting structure. I hope I can show it some way and it won't just be covered in leaves.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20210508_140418.jpg
    IMG_20210508_140418.jpg
    74.9 KB · Views: 23

Auffi

Seedling
Messages
19
Reaction score
20
Location
Essen, germany
USDA Zone
8
#5 could become an interesting one. Not much budding on this one yet but it's was just collected cut back. There is one little bud forming so I think it will be OK.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20210508_140450.jpg
    IMG_20210508_140450.jpg
    102 KB · Views: 13

Auffi

Seedling
Messages
19
Reaction score
20
Location
Essen, germany
USDA Zone
8
#6 just potted today. Nothing too special but some interesting roots.

#7 another little bush. Not much green left but a few flowers are opening
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20210508_140352.jpg
    IMG_20210508_140352.jpg
    113.2 KB · Views: 10
  • IMG_20210508_140509.jpg
    IMG_20210508_140509.jpg
    168 KB · Views: 22

Lorax7

Omono
Messages
1,428
Reaction score
2,113
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
6a
I will give them numbers and update them when necessary.
But numbers are so boring! I mean, these are graveyard trees. Don't they deserve some spooky names? 🎃👻
 

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,544
Reaction score
15,202
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
BTW: I don't know much about growing azeleas. Any tips for growing or styling are very welcome.
Be aware that some town water has high pH which is not good for azalea long term. You have acidifying fertilizer available which can counteract the effect of alkaline water.
Azalea is generally styled to give a platform for showing the flowers in spring. That means leaving enough space between branches so flowers can develop and be seen, otherwise just a rounded shrub shape.
They are a little slow to develop so styling can take a few years as the new branches grow and develop.

I find the varieties we grow down here are really resilient and rarely fail to put out new buds all over bare branches after pruning.

It appears you have some really nice trunks. Do you know if these from gardens that have been renovated or plants that people leave on graves when they are in flower? Whatever the source it is worth the dumpster diving! maybe more of us should to investigate the local graveyard dumpster!
 

Auffi

Seedling
Messages
19
Reaction score
20
Location
Essen, germany
USDA Zone
8
Thx for the advise. I guess people think they are dead because there is not much green after winter. There are a lot of little places to throw your green trash in. I just walk around with my kids and take a look. Now my little one knows the deal and wants to look into all the dumpsters without knowing what to look for :)
 

PA_Penjing

Chumono
Messages
762
Reaction score
1,208
Location
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
USDA Zone
6b
Some of those are really good starts, I love this project. I've been obsessing over the idea of free bonsai lately and wanting to specialize in a genus or species. You seem to be doing exactly that haha. Great stuff, azaleas are a lot different than most bonsai material. Make sure to read up, it would be a shame to lose some of those interesting trunks. I don't grow them personally but was at an azalea demonstration yesterday. Didn't pay a ton of attention because it wasn't applicable but I do remember him (Rodney Clemons) saying that they'll need more water during winter dormancy than other trees. In fact at the nursery there were a lot of days where I only watered the boxwoods and azaleas, I guess the roots stay pretty active on those two genus, I don't grow boxwoods either.
 

Tieball

Masterpiece
Messages
3,098
Reaction score
3,173
Location
Michigan. 6a
USDA Zone
6a
Thx for the advise. I guess people think they are dead because there is not much green after winter. There are a lot of little places to throw your green trash in. I just walk around with my kids and take a look. Now my little one knows the deal and wants to look into all the dumpsters without knowing what to look for :)
I can hear these kids in school or at a friends house......And, what did you do this weekend? Well, we walked around the graveyard and looked in the dumpsters. My dad found stuff and took it home. We go there a lot.
 
Top Bottom