What's your bonsai "MO"?

[Potawatomi13]

My bonsai "MO" includes equall parts "Larry, Curly and a healthy dose of Shemp..

What a wonderful unserious and uplifting answer and attitude. Whether my intention or not this seems to be the way things go too many times.

 

[Andrew Robson]

I like to find the trees that have been neglected, and bring them back.

This is something that my father and I quite enjoy doing! We have bought several great trees that were really suffering and brought them back to life!

I would say my main concern is having healthy trees. I still have a lot of work to do with refining and wiring, but I'm getting there slowly!

I've also been getting interested in collecting east coast trees lately. I have frequently been going on scouting missions looking for material and observing the natural landscape around me.

 

[Anthony]

Like you didn't already know - seeds - seedlings and cuttings.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[aml1014]

I like it all, Igrow from seedS and cuttings, I love to style nursery stock and refining it, I also love to go collect trees that call me and refining them as well. It doesn't really matter with me Im only 21 and have a lot to learn and if it has to do with bonsai I'M IN. My main goal I guess is to see them live longer than me.

 

[just.wing.it]

Cool old thread, thought it's worth a revival...
My bonsai M.O...
I guess its creating bonsai from landscape/ nursery material...
Here's why:
Yamadori material, true yamadori, has its own natural beauty that you have to accentuate and make a tree around that focal point, whether it's deadwood, natural shari or uro....or whatever.
Which is fine and good...I also share some of @Adair M 's sentiment about removing nature from nature....though I could easily over that if the tree is right.

Landscape/nursery material.....it's a blank canvas.
No natural beauty whatsoever.
Just a blank canvas, waiting for some love.

 

[Rambles]

Even before getting interested in bonsai, I always loved taking plants bound for the bin and bringing them back from the brink. Most of my trees have been "throw aways," that I've taken great pleasure in working on

 

[Joe Dupre']

I prefer collecting native trees. I am always looking for trees that grow well here but are not seen much in the bonsai world. Two that I'm looking into are the groundsel (bacharis) and button bush.

 

[AlainK]

From seeds to "yamadori" (though either they're too expensive to buy for me or I have very few opportunities to collect one), and everything in-between...

In fact I even like building the stands and even some scrolls.

Great trees, great stands, congrats.

 

[Starfox]

I was reminded just yesterday on why I got into bonsai and just what sort of trees I want to have, I looked around and I am some way off that for now.

The problem is for the trees I want yamadori really isn't an option and as far as I know nobody is selling the same trees here in the EU so my options are really limited to nursery stock and from seed. Not that I am adverse to different species and all that, I still have many and it is good experience it's just that I now want to start being a bit more specific.

My motivation is pretty simplistic too, not driven by anything more than wanting little versions of trees that I don't have the room on my land to plant a forest.
Now I want to go to a nursery.

And pots, I like pots.

 

[LanceMac10]

 

[Giga]

Simple answer, yes

 

[Carol 83]

When I see something flower, it makes me happy.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Good bones...somewhat quirky. I want something that is in my price point...that will draw an eye to it. Making each unique from the other on my bench beside it. But...at the end of the day...just something that draws me in...and makes me happy.

 

[M. Frary]

I WANT PINES!

 

[Tentakelaertje]

I WANT PINES!

Someone's hungry for the pinus!

 

[just.wing.it]

Someone's hungry for the pinus!

Damn I can't believe I missed that!
I was even thinking for a few seconds!
Hilarious!

 

[Starfox]

I had "Pining for Pines" but Pinus totally wins.

 

[just.wing.it]

I had "Pining for Pines" but Pinus totally wins.

I'm thinking that he left that one out there on purpose...
Great regardless!

 

[makarovnik]

My MO is hunting and gathering. I love hunting in the local wild. I have the great forests of Home Depot and Lowes, I love hunting at those as well as the local woods we call nurseries. Then when I feel like gathering instead of hunting I will hit up a bonsai nursery. I don't like going to petting zoos to buy any finished material. I want to raise them on my own.

 

[Adair M]

My MO is hunting and gathering. I love hunting in the local wild. I have the great forests of Home Depot and Lowes, I love hunting at those as well as the local woods we call nurseries. Then when I feel like gathering instead of hunting I will hit up a bonsai nursery. I don't like going to petting zoos to buy any finished material. I want to raise them on my own.

There's a benefit of buying a "finished" tree. First off, they're never finished if they are still living. There's also the challenge of keeping the tree small. Oh, sure, with rough stock, it's pretty easy to cut back overgrown branches. But, even highly refined trees continue to grow. How do you keep them small? Are you brave enough to cut back or cut off a branch that took two decades to build? How will you fill the void removing such a branch? Does the tree need an overhaul? A complete redesign? Is there a better front? Would a different pot help it? How can I best advance this tree? (All trees can be made "better")

All these issues need to be figured out.