[Bonsai Beginner's weekly thread - 2026 week 43]

Visited the Longwood Garden with some friends this weekend, and to my surprise they had a wonderful little courtyard with an attached workshop demonstrating some tanuki techniques with pre bloom chrysanthemums, later on we stumbled across some that were actually trained and had already bloomed.

I would highly recommend this place to anywhere around or visiting the area!

I last posted this medium sized JBP about 10 months ago at the time of the winter needle thinning.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/s/6fRiK9pQOE

It has grown very strongly over the year since, I will have to thin it even more aggressively this winter.

This tree is about 20 years from landscape nursery stock, has been in a bonsai pot for about 5-6 years.

I've included a pic from about 5 years ago.

I don’t quite like the top half of this tree. My plan A is to chop it back to below the first branch, there is a small bud that I can build a new tree from. However, figured that I should try and see if I can make something I like from it. I’m going for some literati style. It’s a prunus (padus) and has nice white flowers in clusters and small black berries.

Lost a lot of leafs today after a stormy night. Unfortunately because it would get even more red but it lost a lot of leafes in the front view. So this is the backside. Just to catch its beatiful fall colours quick. Picture does not show how good the nebari is. Check my previous pics of last years if you wonder how it looks.

Kishu juniper shohin restyling,

Tonight's work

Cheers

Please read the tag

Thinking this juniper has too much foliage for the size of the trunk—it’s looking bushy. Considering taking off most of the top foliage, leaving the lower foliage so the apex is much lower and closer to the front of the pot.

Hello there, this video contains the start of the journey of one of my Ulmus Parvifolia "Seiju" trees, from cutting to future Shohin tree. In this video you can see the progress of the tree from January 2026 (when I took the cutting) to Late October 2026.

I stopped by Bonsai Master in Apopka fl. to help Mr.Kim pull out a hand full of good material to take photos and help him start a labeling process with dog tags I made him.

Reddit saved the day and has helped get his address updated, for that he is extremely grateful. However me posting his number online may have set him up to receive an endless amount of spam calls so please text him, his number is on the previous post(I don't want to post it again if its contributing to more and more spam calls)

These photos are some examples of trees he has for sale, I have a lot more photos upon request. If it takes me a little while to respond please keep in mind I have a very demanding career and a young family and I am doing my best.

I also have a little better understanding on his prices of his bigger bonsai Quince and some of his other stuff, although those would have to be a local pickup.

My intention is to help him get back on his feet and bring his motivation up as his pride and joy (previous farm and home) was stripped from him and I can tell he is exhausted by the physical and mental stress of the whole situation. He thrives on sharing his work with others and he hasn't had anyone besides me come around since the move 6ish months ago.

If the local community can come together to help me out on this one, I am slightly over extended here. I will continue to help out the best that I can however my work is going to pick back up again and I don't want to leave him hanging and lose the momentum this has gained. I wouldn't be doing this if he didn't deserve it.

I received a new shipment full of Lilliput Portulacaria Afra. Here I compare the Lilliput and regular Portulacaria Afra. It's really awesome to see the size difference.

P.S.: I sell them.

It was an air layer from a much older plant.

Worst case scenario this becomes a plant for the pollinator garden but I wanted to give it a go. It was $5 after the sale. It's going into the ground asap for now, going to let it grow for a year or so before trying anything fun with it I think. Thoughts?

Hibiscus syriacus

This Chinese Elm arrived last week and has been acclimating to its new home. It dropped over 100 leaves but has since stabilized. This morning, I noticed new buds. I’m currently planning on a repot and wanted to go ahead and add a permanent rock. What type of rocks do you guys prefer? I know people have preferences and personal choices may vary. But what’s been some of your favorites that you like to work with? What about ones you avoid at all cost?

If you zoom in you will see the wire has been engulfed by this JBP. It was hidden away for a few years.

I tried to cut it and dig it out but it’s grown around it. Any advice?

it was so nice watchin the tree being styled and also then at the kokofu-ten 100th

Found this maple growing along the foundation of my home, was able to pull with root intact so replanted and topped down to size here is my progress in less than one year. Rocks collected from river rock in yard. Plan to repot into something nicer in spring. Thanks for checking it out.

Thought it had a very cool look to it for a young yew