Catalogue of Plants on Display - Canberra Bonsai Society 2011 Catalogue - final post show version.pdf · downstream and deadwood is created by regular floods. No. 3 Leptospermum laevigatum

8th National Exhibition of

Australian Plants as Bonsai

19 – 20 March 2011

at

The Australian National Botanic Gardens

Catalogue of Plants on Display

Melaleuca thymifolia Ray Nesci

A catalogue of plants displayed at the 8th National Exhibition of Australian Plants as Bonsai. The national exhibition was prepared as a joint activity by the Australian National Botanic Gardens, the Canberra Bonsai Society and participating clubs and bonsai nurseries :

Australian Plants as Bonsai Study Group

Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania

Bonsai Society of Sydney

Illawarra Bonsai Society

Ledanta Bonsai Nursery

Ray Nesci Bonsai Nursery

Shibui Nursery, Yackandandah

Leptospermum scoparium var. eximium (Mt Pillar, Tas.) Photo - W. Fletcher

Preface

Welcome to the 8th National Exhibition of Australian Plants as Bonsai. This exhibition is a joint initiative between the Australian National Bo-tanic Gardens and Australian bonsai clubs. Since 2003 these exhibitions, in conjunction with the Australian Plants as Bonsai newsletter, have helped to raise awareness of the potential of Australian plants as bonsai material. The beautiful native bonsai in the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia, which opened in Commonwealth Park in 2008, have also contributed to the growing interest in the use of Australian plants for bonsai. Many Australian plants have characteristics that make them excellent bonsai material: small leaves, small flowers in a diverse range of shapes and some stunning colours, rough or textured bark that con-tributes to the illusion of age. There is huge potential in our diverse flora yet to be explored as bonsai material. This year in conjunction with the exhibition, we are holding a sympo-sium to explore both the artistic and practical aspects of styling Aus-tralian plants as bonsai. A fully grown tree or shrub tells a story about its environment: dry, wet, calm, windy, fertile, low in nutrients, con-stant or changing. The symposium aims to promote understanding of natural growth forms and creation of bonsai inspired by trees as they grow in the wild. As you look at each tree in the exhibition, take time to reflect on what it suggests about its environment, and the sense of „being there‟ it creates. Thank you to all exhibitors for making their plants available, and to the volunteers who have made this exhibition possible. Half the prof-its from this exhibition will be donated to the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia. Exhibition Organising Committee - 2011

No. 1

Leptospermum rupestre Tasmanian mountain tea tree

4 years in training Island Bonsai Nursery, Tasmania In Tasmania‟s high country, Lepto-spermum rupestre will grow as a many-trunked shrub to 3m, but on the ex-posed mountain peaks it usually ap-pears as a mat, clinging to the rocky landscape for dear life, as gale force winds whistle overhead. This exhibit is based on the shrub form, and was actually two separate shrubs, growing right up against each other. However the foliage on each was slightly different, and it annoyed me, so I turned the shrub on the right into a section of dead wood. The form of this tea tree (including the fine dead branches within) is very rem-iniscent of this species in the wild.

No. 2 Callistemon sieberi River bottlebrush

16 years in training Shibui Nursery, Yackandandah

Inspired by callistemons growing on rocky outcrops in the Ovens river, this tree was started about 1990 by ar-ranging the roots of a tube stock seed-ling over the rock. It was allowed to grow on in larger pots and polystyrene grow-boxes to establish the basic root/ rock/ trunk structure. Basic shaping began about 1995. This tree reflects the hardships of life in the mountain rivers: roots hug the rock searching for footholds and pock-

ets of nutrients; branches are forced downstream and deadwood is created by regular floods.

No. 3

Leptospermum laevigatum Coastal tea tree

15 years in training Canberra Bonsai Society

This tree was grown from a small tube stock plant and has always been grown as a bonsai. It is about 15 years old. The Coastal tea tree has all the attributes that make it a good bonsai subject – having small leaves, vigorous growth, rough bark and a habit of twist-ing and muscling as it ages and devel-ops.

No. 4 Kunzea ericoides Burgan


Kunzea obtained as a small seedling (1995) and potted with a view of keep-ing it very small (mame) however it outgrew this style to the size it is now. Flowers in December and I am hoping to maintain the present style into the future.

No. 5 Ficus rubiginosa ‘Little Ruby’ Port Jackson fig


I acquired this tree as a small stock plant from Bonsai South Nursery in

2005. It is not a fast grower and it was not until 2009 that I felt sufficient trunk size had developed to be able to cre-ate the image of an old fig. As is the practice by many bonsai artists with figs, I defoliated it in January this year to generate a new set of smaller leaves and a more compact foliage appearance. Over time I hope to cre-ate the look of a distant, very old, spreading tree. No. 6

Doryphora sassafras Sassafras

15 years in Training. Canberra Bonsai Society

This tree was a victim of a flooded stream in a canyon at Bundanoon. Its perch on a rock was not sufficient to withstand the torrent that washed it away, but it did serve to initiate the shape of the trunk. The tree in its pre-sent state mimics the struggle for the-se plants to reach the light far above and to grow past the looming rocks in the canyon. This shape invokes the passing of many floods and changing aspect in a turbulent world hemmed in by sheer cliffs on either side. A spreading canopy of vibrant growth above a gracefully curved trunk gives me a feeling of tranquillity and admira-tion of its survival in a remote valley somewhere. These quiet places in that valley are hinted at when I look at this tree. During one of our house moves, the tree grew too much to get to the light in its cramped position which made it necessary to be trimmed to reduce its height. The top of the trunk was dis-proportionate and the new growth had to be trained to hide the cut and ap-

pear to be a natural crown. This tran-sition is not complete but it is develop-ing satisfactorily. The soe is Back-housia myrtifolia.

No. 7 Casuarina sp. She Oak


Grown from collected seed and plant-ed in the ground for some years. It was dug up in 1999 and potted into a bonsai pot in 2000. Styling is still a work in progress and, apart from using native plant, slow release fertiliser, I treat it much the same as my other bonsai.

No. 8 Callistemon sp.

Bottlebrush


This tree has been styled as a bonsai since 1998. It had been growing in a nursery pot for some years when I acquired it in 1996. It has been reluc-tant to flower most years probably be-cause it is in too much shade.

No. 9

Elaeocarpus reticulata Blueberry ash


This tree was collected from my fa-ther‟s vegi patch at Bermagui in 2004, after he requested that it be removed

due to its excessive size. At 4 metres I cut it down to the first branch and removed it, much to his delight. Over the next 2 years it was hit hard by the Canberra frosts. Since 2006 I have been keeping it inside during winter allowing faster development of the foliage. This may also contribute to the lack of flowers which are quite delicate in the few areas it does flow-er. As with my eucalypts, pinching out the new leaves and removing the odd larger leaf seems to be a better option to reduce leave size than defoliation. No. 10

Acacia howittii Sticky wattle

13 years in training Bonsai Society of Sydney

The tree was purchased from Ray Nesci's Nursery in 1998. The shape of this tree has evolved over the years and its appearance has changed sev-eral times. At present it reminds me of weeping willows along the river banks. Its long thin branches are almost like a fine curtain and the solid and inter-esting shape of the trunk gives it a dramatic look. It is approx. 800 mm wide and 800mm high so it is quite a large tree and is in a brown pot 70mm x 320mm wide 450mm long. It was pruned fairly heavily in 2010 but has had a lot of new growth since then. There are quite a lot of this aca-cia as bonsai but this one is quite dif-ferent to others I have seen. The soe is a Borya nitida.

No. 11

Banksia marginata Silver banksia


Originally small nursery stock, this tree was allowed to grow on in the ground for several years with occa-sional cutbacks. I like its strong, com-fortable look, its bark and small leaf size for a banksia. If starting today, I would not have horizontal branches but the foliage is now full enough to camouflage this. Now that the tree has filled out I am reconsidering whether to keep the third trunk.

No. 12 Melaleuca bracteata Black tea tree, river tea tree


Bought as a tall, thin stock plant with just a few branches near the top, I cut it down to about 5 cm above ground level. I kept six of the resulting shoots to create something between a multi-ple trunk and a broom style. I will ad-mit this was inspired by street trees in Melbourne suburbs. One trunk has become dominant, but overall I like the shape and balance of this tree and the contrast between its rough bark and soft, bright green foliage. No. 13

Melaleuca styphelioides Prickly paperbark


As one of my first trees, this has been very forgiving material. I recently searched the web for images of M. styphelioides and was pleased to find images very similar to my tree in over-all shape. I like the movement in the upper trunk, structure of individual branches and the well-rounded crown. I have also thinned the foliage recently to reveal more of the finer structure and I like this more open effect. No. 14

Backhousia myrtifolia Grey myrtle or ironwood


The grey myrtle, or ironwood, is a tall shrub or small tree, found near water courses of the coastal regions of southern NSW through to central Queensland and grows to a height of 5-10 m. It responds very well to prun-ing and it will shoot from old wood. If regularly tip pruned during the growing season, it ramifies strongly and also reduces in leaf size. Young leaves can be a rich velvety, burgundy red, later becoming shiny dark green. The grey myrtle has small white to cream flower heads but as yet my tree has not flowered. The species can be adapted to most bonsai styles. This tree was a starter plant obtained from Roger Hinnrichsen‟s Cambewarra Bonsai Nursery in 2005. I am using clip and grow techniques to develop it in a Chinese influenced root over rock style. The tree was re-potted into a shallow, round, Mirkwood Forest Pot-tery, bonsai pot, by Pat Kennedy, in 2007.

No. 15

Banksia integrifolia Coast banksia

8 years training Canberra Bonsai Society

This tree originated as an aerial layer from a tree in the garden taken in about 2003. It has been styled in the informal upright style and kept in-shape mainly using the clip and grow method. No. 16 Kunzea ericoides Burgan


This tree was one of the demonstra-tion trees at the Australian Native show in November 2006. Since then it has been re-potted twice and is cur-rently in an oval Pat Kennedy pot. It flowered for the first time this last spring with a small display of white flowers.

No. 17 Kunzea ericoides Burgan

Approx. 7 years training Canberra Bonsai Society

This group planting was inspired by the native trees planted outside the Japanese Gardens in Cowra, NSW. The group, consisting of seven trees, was first styled in a demonstration at the Australian Natives as Bonsai Exhi-bition in 2004. The group is planted in a Pat Kennedy pot. Only two of the original trees survived and in 2006 the

group was reconstructed with five new cuttings, also from the parent tree. The group was re-potted on 6 August 2008. Two trees did not survive as the pot depth is quite low in the front and the potting mix washes out if not wa-tered correctly; the remaining trees flowered in November/December 2008. In February 2010 self-sown seedlings from the parent plant were combined into the group planting in several groups of three. The older trees flowered in November 2010. Currently there are 15 trees in the group. Powerfeed, Seasol, Dynamic Lifter and Rooster Booster are used to fertilise. No. 18 Melaleuca sp Melaleuca


This tree started out as a small cutting about 5 cm long in 2005. It has formed into quite a good looking tree by con-tinual pruning over the years. In No-vember 2010, the tree had its first for-mal styling. The first flower was in mid January this year. The single flower, situated at the end of a branch, was round, mid purple in colour, fading to

white within a few days. No. 19 Ficus rubiginosa 'Little Ruby' Port Jackson fig


'Little Ruby' was purchased in 1995, as a small bonsai starter from Ray Nesci Bonsai Nursery. Since then the

tree was re-potted into a larger pot. Over the years, styling has been of the „clip and grow‟ method. In autumn 2008, the original apex died and a side branch has taken over as the main apex. The tree was potted up into a Pat Kennedy pot in 2006. The tree is still over-potted to encourage more growth. In late February 2010, the tree was completely defoliated and new growth was slow to appear and has remained small over the past year. Some pruning was done earlier in the February 2011 to shorten the branches.

No. 20

Casuarina equisetifolia Coast she-oak


Sitting perched on crumbling coastal rock, I can hear the wind whispering through the thin branches overhead. Roots that are strong, hold firmly to an infirm base. I‟m reminded of the beau-ty of life, the strength to survive, and the impermanence of all. No. 21 Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ Cultivar of B. spinulosa


In wet-heath on cliff-edges, where sea breezes clip the tops of all shrubs, lives a low, gnarled, dwarf banksia. This miniature of a miniature surprises me each time I see the exuberance of flowers that it sends forth each year. Drought and floods, fire and wind are the heritage that shape its trunk and

braches, but it bursts forth with rich green foliage, then rewards with can-dles of yellow.

No. 22

Baeckea linifolia Weeping Baeckea


A sentinel pair, standing together to display their delicate floral arches. Like dancers at mardi gras with over-size costumes, the small but sturdy trunks carry huge, light, exploding red arcs emblazoned with white-pink stars of sequins. Or maybe they are arches of fire-works. In any case, they speak to me of mature miniatures that haven‟t lost the verve of youth.

No. 23 Ficus rubiginosa Port Jackson fig

17 years in training Ledanta Bonsai Nursery, Canberra

The tree started life on the north coast of NSW but has been in Canberra now for about 4 years. Figs are generally a very versatile and hardy species. The proof of this is its year round use in my hire business, spending time in private and government offices where it is en-joyed by the staff. Between these of-fice engagements it also gets a 'coffee break' with the patrons in a number of cafes around Canberra. To keep it in good health, it gets suitable breaks between engagements; I defoliate the tree in mid-summer and during winter keep it in a heated garage overnight. During the day, it is placed in full

sun. The less humid and colder Can-berra conditions mean that I have not been able to retain the aerial roots that are often seen on older figs.

No. 24 Callicoma serratifolia Black wattle

approx 20 years in training Ray Nesci Nursery, Dural

One of the greatest challenges I have had with this plant is leaf reduction. This is because the leaves are normal-ly up to 10 times larger than you see on this particular specimen. The other challenging feature is that it tends to develop long internodes. So you can see not exactly your typically endear-ing plant for Bonsai! But I have been able to successfully produce an aes-thetically pleasing image with great proportions by defoliation and regular trimming of young shoots. The image that this tree displays in nature is not one that you would choose to repli-cate. It grows under tall trees along creeks with a spindly and elongated growth habit. So the image I have achieved is one that highlights the plants potential beauty for bonsai ra-ther than replicating it's actual image in nature. This plant started from a small beginning, so when I view this plant I get great pleasure knowing that much has been achieved with it and that lots of exciting things can be achieved with our natives even though at times certain native plants may not look as likely bonsai candidates. This plant is a constant reminder to me that there is still much to explore with our native species.

No. 25

Melaleuca alternifolia Narrow-leaf tea tree

7 years Illawarra Bonsai Society

This Melaleuca was purchased in 2004, sun-starved, neglected and pot-bound. It responded quickly to re-styling and re-potting and developed into a nice bonsai. In August 2009 it had grown top heavy and the apex and major branches were re-moved. It responded enthusiastically and in March 2010 was exhibited at this show. In August 2010 another restyle was necessary to spread the branching and give the tree more shape. I love the quiet elegance of this tree and the Penny Davis 'Mudlark Pot-tery' bonsai pot brings to mind a tree by a quiet waterway with light and shadow from the tree dappling the sides of the pot.

No. 26 Melaleuca bracteata ‘Revolution Gold’ Melaleuca „Revolution Gold‟

2 years 4 months in training Illawarra Bonsai Society

Purchased in November 2008 from a desolate nursery, the tree had been starved, in deathly dry soil and gave 'ugly' a new meaning. However, I wanted the foliage and I know how Rev Gold‟s develop. The tree lapped up plentiful food, water, care and peri-odic styling and in January 2011 the Bonsai came out of the bush. I love this tree, the vibrant colour of the foli-age, the very Australianness of it. In twenty– eight months it has devel-

oped from unbelievably hopeless to a beautiful tree and the Penny Davis' 'Mudlark Pottery' pot emphasises the casual elegance of this Rev Gold.

No. 27 Kunzea ambigua Tick bush

8 years in training Illawarra Bonsai Society

The Kunzea was at the 2010 All Na-tive Show but in a very different perso-na. Bonsai is a living art form and as the tree grows and changes so the artist must be alert to make major changes to improve styling. In Sep-tember 2010 the major branch was removed leaving only the back branch to become the tree. The original rock was replaced and the roots were repo-sitioned. The same pot was used be-cause the tree should give the impres-sion of a wisp of a plant growing from an inhospitable cliff face, moving out and away to seek the sun.

No. 28 Leptospermum petersonii Lemon scented tea tree

6 years in training Sydney City Bonsai Club

The tree was the best of a bad lot, in very poor condition and it took several years to really start to grow and lose its long time arid look. It has only been in the past few months with the growth spurt from the Sydney rains that the foliage has finally filled out. Of all my trees this is my favourite to prune as the lemon scent of the foliage is won-derful.

No. 29

Ficus rubiginosa Port Jackson fig - 'The Mermaid'


In 2002 I bonded with a wee curvy fig-starter and established it as a root over rock. As the fig grew it assumed the shape of a Mermaid sitting on a rock and hence the name. This is one of my earliest trees and it has been a good trainer for my bonsai styling. I was never much of a 'fig person' but as The Mermaid grew as a bonsai so I gained a love for Port Jackson figs.



I got this tree from a collection cull when the owner didn't think it had enough going for it. I loved the trunk but not the top and substantially re-styled it. Although I did not do the initial work I have given it such a new persona that I definitely call it 'my' styl-ing. After two years, I discovered that the back made a better front, more styling readjustments and this bonsai has become my favourite fig. I feel it now has a lot going for it and will con-tinue to improve.

No. 31

Ficus rubiginosa Port Jackson fig


Being in the right place at the right time, with the will to cover the cost of just the trunk [but what a trunk], and this tree had a new home. Two years growth and styling has produced a fun mini, showing that majestic old growth forest giants can be less than 15 cm high.



Bought 6 years ago as a wild, unkempt and out of control bonsai; systematic pruning and styling is enhancing the strong idiosyncrasies of this fig. Its massive trunk with innumerable lumpy, bumpy protrusions and aerial roots gives it the ambience of a tree in an ancient wild wood with great age and attitude. Have the Ents returned?

Photographic Exhibits (digital projection)

No. 33 Eucalyptus vernicosa Varnished gum

Years in training: 3 Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania

One of the smallest of the eucalypts and in nature, growing to 0.5 to 2 me-tres high. Endemic to western Tasma-nia where it grows as a prostrate shrub in exposed alpine heath. This tree was purchased as nursery stock in 2008 and is being trained to resemble a stunted alpine gum with its top killed

by either fire, drought or exceptional cold. It was first planted into a bonsai pot (Mudlark Pottery NSW) in winter 2010. A slightly oversized pot was used and no root pruning was done at the time. The companion plants on the pot are alpine natives, and the fungi and toadstools appeared naturally in Summer.

No. 34 Polystichum proliferum

Mother shield-fern

Years in training: 18 Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania

Originally this was a collected seed-ling from a mountain suburb of Hobart on the side of Mount Wellington. It was planted into this Pat Kennedy pot in late May 2010. This fern regularly has severe root pruning in winter and has all its fronds cut off. It is a link to Gondwanaland vegetation and is slowly developing a trunk reminiscent of tall tree ferns. No. 35 Leptospermum scoparium

Coastal tea tree Informally also in Tasmania: Jim's rocky rambler

Years in training: 2 months only Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania

A prostrate type of the manuka or broom tea-tree purchased as nursery stock in early 2010. First training, in Summer 2011, included severe trim-ming, styling, root pruning and plant-ing into a bonsai pot . A large sur-face root, hidden at the back in this photo, has restricted the planting an-gle, but it may be possible in the fu-

ture to remove it as the tree already has plenty of fibrous roots.

Additional Bench Exhibit No. 36 Eucalyptus nicholli

Narrow-leaved peppermint gum

16 Years in training Canberra Bonsai Society Found at south Canberra dump in the Revolve section in the summer of 1995. It was in very little soil and full of disease. (mealy bug and sooty mil-dew). Over the following months I removed the pests, re-potted, cut back and trained a new leader. It was kept as a as an experiment as I was unsure how a Eucalypt would react to Bonsai techniques. In 1999 I potted it into a bonsai pot and continued shaping it into a gum tree style. After the 2001 show I carved the lower and mid sections of the tree and then re-potted. Since that re-pot I have re-potted it four times into an Australian made pot by “Pat Kennedy”. Over the years I have had a battle with die back and have lost some of the original branches. Generally when this happens the tree goes through a redesign utilizing old branches and new shoots.

Documents

Catalogue of Plants on Display - Canberra Bonsai Society 2011 Catalogue - final post show version.pdf · downstream and deadwood is created by regular floods. No. 3 Leptospermum laevigatum