BUKUNA

Fagus sylvatica as bonsai is always long term project. I know that for a while. Tree produces its buds only once in a season, so one must work with it with a lot of patience and right feeling. Totally different as Carpinus which sprout from everywhere; more you cut it, more it grows. So, the Lady, which I worked on today is in pot for last five years. Before she grew happyly in a mountains for 70 yrs. Her first photograph shows how dense she was, but the green was too far from trunk. I was impressed by her line, obviously she was wounded in a struggle for survival. But I was prepared for long process of branch-selection and getting green closer to the trunk.

Da je bukev kot bonsaj vedno dolgoročen projekt, mi je že dolgo znano. Drevo nastavlja brste za naslednjo sezono le enkrat in zato je z njo treba delati z zvrhano mero potrpežljivosti in občutka. Povsem drugače kot z gabrom npr., ki poganja od vsepovsod, bolj kot ga režeš, bolj poganja. Skratka gospa, na kateri sem delal danes, je v posodi zadnjih pet let, prej je 70 let zadovoljno živela visoko v hribih. Njena prva fotografija jasno kaže, kako gosta je bila, žal pregosta, saj je bilo zelenje daleč od debla. Navdušila me je linija debla, očitne šosledice boja za preživetje, toda treba se je bilo pripraviti na dolgotrajen proces izbora vej in bližanja zelenja deblu.

After two years I did a first selection of branches, the rest were cut to the last bud. A long voyage started.

Po dveh letih sem že napravil močnejšo selekcijo vej in ostale skrajšal do zadnjega brsta. Dolgo potovanje se je šele začelo.

After two more years the skeleton of future bonsai started to show. Slowly opening of the crown and cutting at the right time was resulting with budding near trunk. On thicker basic branches first smaller ones grew, I'll use them for creating a crown. 

Minili sta še dve leti in okostje bodočega bonsaja se je začelo kazati. Počasno odpiranje krošnje in pravočasno obrezovanje se je obrestovalo s poganjanjem brstov bliže deblu, na debelejših osnovnih vejah so se pokazale prve tanjše veje iz katerih bom sproti ustvarjal krošnjo.

This year I cut branches even more, some of them are already so short as I want them, I already started with detailed shaping on that ones. I must still cut others. But silhouette is emerging. The long voyage is still waiting ...

Letos sem jo še skrajšal, nekaj vej je že tako kratkih kot jih želim, na njih sem se že lotil detaljnejšega oblikovanja. Druge še čaka krajšanje. Toda počasi se kaže obris. Pred nama pa je še dolga pot ...

PELIKAN

After three days the works on Pelican are over. If I must talk about feeling, then I just can say: this is it. Such a tree can give you absolute satisfaction. Last day I was already tired. I have a hard time to get me into a rhythm that I need for wiring. But then the hours went like minutes. So. First work on dead wood, details, searching for live veins which were covered by old bark. 

Tri dni dela na Pelikanu je za mano. Če bi govoril o občutkih, potem bi na kratko lahko strnil v: to je to. To so drevesa, ki človeku dajo popolno zadovoljstvo. Zadnji dan je bil že malce naporen. Težko sem se spravil v ritem, ki ga moraš imeti ob žičenju. Ko pa je steklo so ure minevale kot minute. Skratka. Najprej delo na suhem lesu, na detaljih, odkrivanje ven, ki jih je prej zakrivala stara skorja.

Wiring, wiring, all together 15 hrs of wiring. Branches needed thinning for air and sun to come in.

Žičenje, žičenje, vsega skupaj 15 ur žičenja. Veje je bilo potrebno razredčit, vanje spustiti zrak in sonce.

Cleaning. Applying lime sulfur on dead wood. Cleaning the pot which turn out as nice Tokoname.

Čiščenje. Suh les na novo premazati z apnenim žveplom. Očistiti posodo, ki se je izkazala za lep primerek Tokoname.

Finally top layer of substrate was changed and Pelican is ready for new season!

Še zamenjana vrhnja plast substrata in Pelikan je pripravljen na novo sezono! 

PELIKAN

Last two days I am working on Pelican intensively. It is Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa, top class, I am preparing it for next EBA convention in Ljubljana next year. Cleaning and wiring, wiring. More then 10 hrs of wiring already done, but still one day to go. This afternoon Miha and his azalea came by. It was a lot more fun to work in company ;-) . 

Zadnje dva dni intenzivno delam na Pelikanu. Gre za kitajski brin vrste itoigawa, vrhunske kvalitete, ki ga pripravljam za konvencijo EBA prihodnje leto v Ljubljani. Čiščenje in žičenje, žičenje. Že več kot 10 ur žičenja. Pa še za kakšen dan ga je ostalo. Danes popoldne mi je družbo prišel delat Miha z svojo azalejo. Šlo je veliko hitreje ;-) .

Pelican, starting material

Still one or two days of working and I'll show the result!

Še kakšen dan ali dva dela torej in pokažem rezultat!

SAMOBOR 2

This weekend we, me and Raje, were in Samobor, Croatia, in our branch school. This time we spoke about collecting yamadori trees and aftercare. Of course we also worked on material and learned some bonsai-skills. Material was better then first time, there were some new faces. 

Ta konec tedna sva z Rajetom preživela v Samoboru na Hrvaškem v tamkajšnji podružnici šole TORA. Tema tokratnega srečanja je bila kopanje in vzdrževanje jamadorijev, seveda pa smo tudi tokrat delali na materijalu in se učili bonsajskih veščin. Materijal je bil za korak boljši kot prvič, pridruižilo se je nekaj novih obrazov.

Dejan was a great host once again, boys (and some girls too) are all real bonsai-enthusiasts!

Dejan je bil ponovno izjemen gostitelj, fantje (in tudi nekaj deklet) pa so vsi po vrsti pravi bonsajski intuziasti!

MOTORKA

If day would be 48 hrs long it would be just right in this time of year ... In the morning we, me and Joze, were working on giant Crataegus, which is joined by dead Sorbus. At the end we did it by chainsaw!

Če bi imel dan 48 ur, bi bil v tem obdobju ravno prav dolg .... Dopoldne sva z Jožetom delala na velikanskem glogu, ki ga objema suh mokovec. Na koncu sva se ga lotila kar z motorko!

In the afternoon I finally find some time for my trees. Juniper which I brought from Belgium in 2009 (it is urban yamadori) get his first bonsai-pot. When I took it out of plastic container it was clear that combing the roots will not be possible. In reach humus Juniperus grew so many roots that if I would try to comb the roots I would be damaging the root ball. So I simply cut 1/3 of the root ball and put it into pot.

Popoldne sem le našel čas tudi za svoja drevesa. Brin, ki sem ga leta 2009 pripeljal iz Belgije (gre za urbani jamadori), je dobil svojo prvo posodo. Ko sem ga vzel iz plastičnega kontejnerja je bilo kmalu jasno, da ne bo nič z razčesavanjem korenin. V bogatem humusus se je brin tako prekoreninil, da bi z vsakim razčesavanjem napravil več škode kot koristi. Zato sem enostavno odžagal tretjino korenin in ga posadil v novo posodo.

Despite of high pot it is still planted too high. But I'll change that next time. Now I'll concentrate on detailed wiring of crown and work on dead wood.

Kljub relativno visoki posodi je še vedno posajen previsoko. Ampak vse ob svojem času. Zdaj me najprej čaka detaljno urejanje krošnje in delo na suhem lesu.

Still, from autumn 2009 until now It did a great step forward ...

Vseeno pa je od jeseni 2009 napravil kar lepo pot ...

ŽEGEN

In years from now, at some exhibition, I'll telling the weird story about tree: it grew peacefully for 40 yrs at graveyard until I dig it out ... All for good material! :-) Graveyards are potentially one of the best finding places. Abandoned graves, overgrown by junipers and pines ... Roland helped me collect a mugo pine, which developed a massive, 30 cm wide nebari in last 40 yrs growing at grave. It has also some movement and according to it's vitality it liked the earth ...  

Nekoliko čudna bo zgodba tega drevesa, ko jo bom čez leta pripovedoval na kakšni razstavi: 40 let je mirno rasel na pokopališču, dokler ga nisem izkopal ... Vse za dober materijal! :-) V bistvu pa so pokopališča potencialno ena najboljših nahajališč. Zapuščeni grobovi, ki že leta samevajo in jih preraščajo brini in bori ... Roland mi je pomagal izkopati ruševje, ki je v 40-ih letih življenja na grobu razvilo izjemno masiven 30 cm nebari, tudi nekaj gibanja, glede na vitalnost pa mu je bila zemlja rahla ...

Before collecting

Pred izkopom

Ready for transport

Pripravljen na transport

In training pot

V trening posodi

NOV DAN

Despite fatigue after such a day you must be satisfied. What a day in TORA! In the morning Mrs. Jolanda came for the basic workshop. Because she live in coastal area we could not work on Larix or Picea as she would have problems with them there. So she picked an azalea - this was no beginners material. With courage and enthusiasm we worked on it, in a year or two Mrs. Jolanda will have a very nice bonsai!   

Po takšnem dnevu se človek kljub utrujenosti počuti izpolnjen. Dan v TORI kot se šika. Dopoldne je na tečaj za začetnike prišla gospa Jolanda. Ker živi na Obali, se nisva mogla učiti na macesnu ali smreki, ker bi z njima tam imela težave. Pa si je gospa privoščila nič začetniško azalejo. Pogumno in z veliko intuziazma sva se je lotila in končala. Gospa bo v sezoni ali dve imela zelo lep bonsaj!

As I was just in azaleas I take a chance and did an "self-grafting" on one of my own. Because in a last two years it didn't produce a branch in spot I wish, I drilled a hole and pulled a longer branch trough it and elegantly solved a problem.

Ko sem bil ravno pri azalejah, sem izkoristil priložnost in na svoji izvedel "samogrebeničenje". Ker v dveh sezonah ni pognala vej na željenih mestih, sem daljše veje potegnil skozi izvrtane luknje in tako elegantno rešil težavo.

Then Miha and Jan helped Raje with re-potting his giant Larix, a little bit later Raje helped Jan with re-potting his a lot smaller Chamaecyparis ...

Potem sta Miha in Jan pomagala Rajetu pri presajanju mrcine od macesna, Raje pa je malce kasneje Janu pomagal presaditi njegovo veliko manjšo pacipreso ...

At the end David came in. He is in bonsai for a long time. But as he chose a way which requires the most patience (as he said: I'm the most patient among all of us), he is growing a trees from a seed, his little elms are now just ready for a group planting. With green mass It will be nice!

Za konec se je oglasil še David, ki se že dolga leta ukvarja z bonsaji. A ker se je odločil za pot, ki zahteva največ potrpljenja (ki ga ima največ med nami, kot je sam poudaril), namreč za vzgojo dreves iz semen, so njegovi sejančki bresta zdaj ravno pravšnji za gozdiček. Ko bo ozelenel bo prav simpatičen!

P.S.: Happy birthday, Raje! I hope that you enjoyed as I was!

P.S.: Vse najboljše Raje, upam da si užival vsaj pol tako kot jaz!

FUL

Today was fulfilled with bonsaism. Great weather made all even more nice - truly first day of spring! In the morning me and Natasha were working on Carpinus betulus. Not nice material, without movement, but with enough branches that she could trained wiring. From bush she created nice crown. Natasha was a nice host!  

Za mano je bonsajistično izpolnjen dan. Da je bilo vse skupaj še lepše, je poskrbelo vreme - res pravi prvi pomladni dan! Dopoldne sva z Natašo delala na gabru. Nesimpatičen materijal, brez gibanja, vendar že dovolj razvejan, da je lahko trenirala žičenje in iz grma ustvarila simpatično krošnjo. Nataša je bila prijeten gostitelj!

In the afternoon I was helping Primoz with re-poting his Chamaecyparis. After a few years of work on them he decided to re-pot them into first bonsai pots. This could be even final pots. Especially the second one which fit the tree perfectly! "Finally I could say that I have a bonsai at home," Primož said. But it is true. Now he'll have more will to do bonsai. This Chamaecyparis are perfect material for learning!  

Popoldan sem Primožu pomagal pri presajanju pacipres. Po letih ukvarjanja z njima se je odločil, da ju presadi v prvi bonsajski posodi, ki bi utegnili biti kar končni. Še posebej drugi posoda paše kot ulita! "Končno lahko rečem, da imam doma bonsaj," je pomodroval Primož. Pa je res. Zdaj bo imel še veliko več veselja do bonsajizma. Spet se je pokazalo, kako dober materijal za učenje so paciprese!

P.S.: This is TORA school!

P.S.: To je šola TORA! 

FLORA

I was on fair Flora in Celje this weekend. We prepared a small club exhibition, demonstrations, meeting friends. I took nice minde off !

Ta konec tedna sem preživel na sejmu Flora v Celju. Manjša klubska razstava, demonstracije, druženje s prijatelji. Prijeten odklop!

ONA

Queen Prunus mahaleb is home. Safely in pot. Almost two hours we, me and Joze, were sweating before we freed her from stone armor; also nearby growing Fraxinus held her tightly. Far bigger then her, tall tree, but much younger, so it's roots grew around her and held her tight. But we manage to rescued her. We worked slowly and with respect as it is proper for more than 150 yrs old lady. 

Kraljica rešelika je doma. Varno v posodi. Slabi dve uri sva se z Jožetom potila, da sva jo osvobodila kamnitega oklepa; v svojem objemu pa jo je trdno držal tudi blizu rastoči jesen. Veliko večji od nje, visoko drevo, a hkrati veliko mlajši in njegove korenine so obrasle rešelikine in jih stisnile v trden objem. A sva jo rešila. Delala sva počasi in  s spoštovanjem. Kot se za več kot 150 let staro damo spodobi.

Then we planted her in her first pot. She immediately showed which side will be her front and how glad we could be for her future. Fragile but at the same time also full of power. Outstanding bark with lichen and moss, fantastic movement. Top class bonsai material! 

Potem sva jo posadila v prvo posodo. Takoj je nakazala, katera stran bo njeno lice in kako zelo se lahko veselimo njene prihodnosti. Krhka a hkrati polna moči. Izjemna skorja obraščena z lišaji in mahom, fantastična linija. Vrhunski bonsajski material!

I finished what I started yesterday. Well, preservation of dead wood is still waiting, also some detail, but Prunus mahaleb is ready for new season. Tomorrow I'll go for her older sister!

Končal sem, vsaj približno, včeraj začeto. No, zaščita suhega lesa še pride na vrsto, tudi še kakšna podrobnost a rešelika je pripravljena na novo sezono. Jutri hitim po njeno starejšo sestro na Kras!

My son cought me working on prunus

DAMA

So, we are starting for real. Today I was working on ancient Prunus mahaleb, which always fills me with respect. Work on it is something special - concentrated but full of enjoyment. Natasha joined me, she was learning by watching this time. In silence and talking with tree. Work is not finished yet, this is only after first day:

Začenjamo torej zares. Danes sem delal na stoletni rešeliki, ki me vedno navda s spoštovanjem. Delo na njej je vedno nekaj posebnega - zbrano a polno užitka. Pridružila se mi je Nataša, ki se je tokrat učila z gledanjem. V tišini in v pogovoru z drevesom. Delo še ni končano, za nama je šele prvi dan:

Prunus mahaleb 2009

Prunus mahaleb 2011 after first day of working

Natasha is first member of the pack, Joze the second, they joined intensive program by Tora - they will be noticed about my bonsai plans and they will join whenever they feel so. So they will be in all year-round school, they will learn about all phases of working on and caring for the trees. 

Nataša je prva v jati, Jože drugi, pridružila sta se intenzivnejšemu programu Tore - sproti bosta obveščena o mojih bonsajskih načrtih in se, ko se bosta za to odločila, pridružila. Tako bosta pravzaprav deležna celoletnega šolanja, spoznala bosta vse faze obdelave in skrbi za drevesa.