You may laugh but I already got what I want in my bonsai practice

Cajunrider

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Well. I am going to be laughed at here by some but...

My goal for bonsai is my own enjoyment at piddling with trees in small pots. For some it is a profession, of course they will have to push everything to show ready ASAP. Mine will be slow and contemplative. Take my two oak trees and my ilex for examples. The oaks were dying in my friend's backyard among all his hurricane debris and broken tractors. The ilex grew along the fence on the roadside and the fence was blown down by hurricane. It took me 2-3 years and now I have 3 trees that have roots developed to be in shallow pots. Perhaps next year I will begin styling, wiring, and developing branches. When I die they may still be in pre-bonsai stage but I am happy with them.

Other examples are my BCs. @Mellow Mullet and @BillsBayou inspired me. I went to my friend backyard and collected a bunch of seeds. Now I have about 60 out on my land and 2 dozens in pots.

Those are just a few samples. The latest is @Pitoon who inspired me to look into Nippon daisy.

So in a few short years, I have sharpened my skills in horticulture and now am going into pre-bonsai with enthusiasm. I can't tell where I'm going with my bonsai. However, I have people like @Adair, @Brian Van Fleet and so many others here to show me what good bonsai are like (and how pity mine are hahaha).

All in all, I already got what I want in my bonsai practice - Joy!
So where are you going with your bonsai practice BNutters?

PS: I can't wait to show off my Guava bonsai a few years from now with huge fruits on a tiny tiny tree. There are bunjin bonsai and there are Nutjin (trademark) bonsai.
 

Hack Yeah!

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I'm with you, about 4-5 years in. I've been growing out most of my own material. Fairly successful in keeping things Alive! Step one. Watering, fertilizing solving pests/ fungus issues improve each year. Looking forward to building branch structures and grafting techniques in the coming years...
 

berzerkules

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All in all, I already got what I want in my bonsai practice - Joy!
So where are you going with your bonsai practice BNutters?
This is what it's all about IMO. Doing something you want to do because you enjoy it. There are countless ways to approach bonsai and endless avenues to explore but everyone that does is passionate about it because it just makes them feel good.

One of my favorite parts of bonsai is searching for material. I just like running around in nature looking for unique trees. It makes me feel like a kid again when I would disappear to the forrest or desert for hours chasing lizards, snakes or anything that moved. I lose myself out there and temporarily forget about real world problems. Most of the time I don't come home with anything but at least I got to run around like a kid again. If I do find something I'm all smiles for the rest of the day.

Then when I'm just around the yard playing with trees I have that constant reminder of how I felt collecting that tree or the one over there or that one behind it... like a care free child stomping in puddles and playing in the mud.
 

Cajunrider

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Bonsai is different things to different people, there is room for all levels and types of enjoyment within the practice. I am glad you’ve found your sweet spot!
Well to me, bonsai are actually bonsai. From here I have learned what bonsai are and have learned to truly appreciate the effort and artistry it takes to create a bonsai. I wouldn't call my current trees or any stick in a pot a bonsai. However, my goal for my bonsai journey can be different than that of many people here. In that respect, yes, I've found my sweet spot.
 
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