shiukopuppy's Blog

Going to look at gardens in Japan!
Dec 28, 2007 | 1:10 AM PST
Tags: bonsai , japan

My boyfriend and I have decided to go back to Japan to see more gardens among other things.

When we were last in Japan, we tracked down a rural bonsai nursery. It was an adventure.. We visited the tourist centre with some printouts from Japanese websites with maps to bonsai nurseries. They managed to locate one near us and we had to catch a train into the countryside and navigate our way through a country town. The map was in Japanese and I was relieved that I could remember enough Japanese to get there. Eventually we found the bonsai nursery and had tea with the owner who showed us books with his bonsai at various shows. We discussed bunjae (korean bonsai) and penjing (chinese bonsai) as much as we could with my level of Japanese. It was a sort of pilgrimage for my boyfriend who is passionate about bonsai so we were happy! ^_^

This time, we're going to visit a bonsai community near Tokyo where he can admire the trees at various nurseries and buy some more bonsai tools/books. Last time we were there, my partner learned the kanji for 'bonsai' and was able to buy lots of books and magazines for me to translate. This time, I hope we can meet some more bonsai enthusiasts. I have tried to grow bonsai but I don't have the magic bonsai touch.. but I enjoy choosing the saplings and looking at the little accessories - bridges, fishermen, etc.

Seasonal flowering!
Sep 25, 2007 | 3:35 AM PST
Tags: almond , nashi , Asian Pears , apple , bonsai , flowering

Here are the first spring blossoms on my almond tree! The nashi pear, cherry, and apple trees also have blossoms which is very exciting as they my first fruit trees ever! I've spent a lot of time in Japan where they go to view the spring cherry blossoms and also the autumn leaves. My partner is into bonsai so he has been creating the same scenes in miniature! Some of his bonsai are flowering, and all of the deciduous bonsai are growing leaves again. You should have seen autumn in his tiny maple forest!

When a chilli or tomato grows from a flower, it's very exciting, so I look forward to the flowering of fruit. My avocado tree is extending its branches but it had an infestation of tiny white 'dots' - possibly aphids? I gave it a good spray of pyrethrum. I went to the hardware store to get some bird netting to protect the berry canes and couldn't resist getting some more spring onions (they were getting quite large!) I bought some planters to grow the chicken forage in too.

And is there any advice on fertilizing a herb garden? I haven't fertilized it for a whole year as I'd heard herbs don't need anything, but my partner was saying that they do need something. hmm.

 

 

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Here comes the weekend..
Jul 26, 2007 | 5:07 AM PST
Tags: bonsai , food dehydrator , preserve

It's been a long week, and I won't be home to enjoy my garden on the weekend as I'm going away. I did find time to rake up lots of leaves and found some greenish native hummingbirds in the hedge. I chased some parrots with my mobile phone camera, trying to take their photos.

We bought a larger fridge so that we can learn to preserve our garden produce which is exciting. The extra vegetables had sometimes gone to waste as we have been learning to grow things. My little old fridge that I bought in 1999, which survived 4 share houses and knew the eating habits of 24 people intimately, will be traded in. Have any of you used a food dehydrator, and would you reccommend it? I could sun-dry food just as well, just wondered how it compares.

I'm worried about my kumquat bonsai - I will have to ask Slimezilla for the pre-bonsai talk that I never had! Its soil is sometimes dry when I check it, and I have no idea how to look after it. If any of you remember the karate kid, the above pic is Mr Miyagi's bonsai room..

Bonsai shopppin' and thieves
Jul 18, 2007 | 4:34 AM PST
Tags: bonsai , mame bonsai , penjing , avocado

Slimezilla and I went to some bonsai nurseries in Sydney on the weekend. Bonsai is Slimezilla's hobby, and mine is the edible garden. I accompanied Slimezilla as he bought lots of starter trees and different pots.

I don't really know that much about bonsai. Although bonsai are cute, I have always been more interested in vegetables. Anyway, this time, I came across a kitchy little fruiting kumquat in their nursery! I could not resist it! I bought a few mame (tiny) bonsai pots to raise a few miniature fruiting trees from seed. I think it's very hard work and it's something I know little about, but still willing to try! I will also embellish my trees into little scenes, in a bunjae/penjing style! I bought some tiny scholars, contemplated pots with in-built lakes and will consider some stork or buffalo in the future!

That aside, I bought an avocado sapling and a red seedless grapevine. Still very much winter here, we have had terrible frosts and I worry for the peas I was so proud of in this blog! I can't wait for the days when I can stay outside as the sun sets, and not shiver into the house!

Speaking of my house, last night, some delinquents tried to break through my front door with some garden rocks and a butter knife. It was very scary, they stood back and tried to come inside until we turned on the lights. They managed to use so much force that the broken glass travelled several feet into the house. Anyway the garden has been violated, I am mourning for it, and I am thinking of redesigning the front yard to get rid of heavier things that can smash windows with.