Just Rocked up…..
We have just taken delivery of some old rocks. If this is your thing keep an eye on the web site, they go quickly.
G.
Brave or Stupid. Yamadori 99p Start on Ebay
It occurred to me recently that I might be a bit of a hoarder. I have always had a penchant for gathering stuff around me. Ever since I started work at age 13 I have been broke but I have always had a lot of stuff. I like stuff I can add value to, it’s better than money in the bank and has always served me well. However over the last few years business has been good and so my spending power has increased. This has allowed me to expand the business and also develop some great product lines at very competitive prices. But, it has also allowed me to gather more stuff than I have ever had. The problem i have is that there is no longer enough hours in a day to allow me to take care of everything much less to add any value. So, I have embarked upon a stock rationalisation programme. Over the summer we will be taking a lot of the stock we carry that nobody has ever seen and selling it on for whatever we can get. Hopefully this will mean I have more space and more time to take care of the things that will really benefit from the application of my time. Basically everything is for sale even the stuff that’s not for sale.
First up is this pair of yamadori mountain pines. We have listed these on Ebay at a 99p start with no reserve. I have to say this makes me nervous, these are two spectacular trees that I have quite a lot of money in but I must be firm with myself.
If my gamble pays off I will be happy. If not you just might bag a very special couple of trees and see me cry.
Yamadori Bonsai Pines x 2 Bargain Stock Clear Out
G.
Still Here.
A few people have asked if we are still here, what with a lack of web site updates and so on. Well the answer is YES. We are still here and in fact busier than we have ever been. So much so that we are looking to employ the services of another pair of hands. So what’s been going on?
So far this year we have attended two shows. I have been on a couple of buying trips. Collected 40 trees. Re-potted close to 450 trees so far. Prepared 1000 starter trees. Planted 250 hostas. Planted 100 trees in our growing bed and lifted 50 others. Taken delivery of close to 400 new bonsai and 50 pieces of yamadori, bought in two private collections. I have also filmed two new movies. Since Christmas we have prepared and shipped over 10 tonnes of our very popular bonsai soil mixes. We have also sold around 400 bonsai trees and gained Ebay top seller status. Just for good measure we have also been developing our all new web site that should be live very soon. Oh, and I did a few workshops and packed a few parcels too.
On a personal level I have also recommissioned my lovely old car after more than 10 years in storage. I have also nearly finished building a very special motorcycle I have been beavering away on for the last year and my daughter just turned 21 too. What did I buy for her? A set of very special custom wheels for here ride!
So it’s been a busy few weeks and it’s just going to get worse. Once my new yamadori deliveries arrive soon I will have a total of over 600 trees to photograph and put onto the web site along with a whole host of new products, tools and pots.
I’m off for a lay down…….
G.
Meet Benny
Having so many trees (just over 3000 pots at this moment in time) it’s tough to keep an eye on everything. I have a working nursery not a display garden and as such, should you visit, you will have to be very diligent in your explorations to really appreciate what we have here. However as the year progresses one or two trees do make their themselves known.
I have said before that I do not really have a favourite bonsai tree or species. I tend to gravitate towards whatever looks good in the moment. Trees I particularly like are those that have just arrived. This week we had just over 400 new plants come into us. Among them was Benny.
Benny (Beni-chidori) is a pretty Japanese maple. I sold one of these several years ago and have always had a hankering for another. Benny crossed my path a few weeks ago and I wasted no time in thrashing out a deal with the owner. The tree needs a lot of time and careful work to refine and build ramification but the basics are all there. Once I get the tree refined I will look at the pot but for now this old clunker will do. However for the next week I will be happy to enjoy the beautiful foliage colour as it turns green.
G.
Bonsai Show Date & Rant
Once agin this year (Sunday 6th April) we will be attending the BTA event at The Sports Connexion, Leamington Road, Ryton on Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL.
This event has run for decades now and was actually the first event Kaizen Bonsai ever attended in an official capacity. However over more recent years we have seen the events attendance declining, maybe in part due to our excellent delivery service 😉 Last year we barely covered our costs and so this year we have reduced our presentation by 40%. Therefore if there is anything you were particularly hoping to see or buy from us please either call or email in good time so we can bring what you need.
From where I sit bonsai in the UK is absolutely booming. We find lots of new customers every week and are certainly supplying literally hundreds of beginners out there. However it is a sad fact that both bonsai shows and bonsai clubs are seeing falling attendances. In my experience you will NEVER be able to learn great bonsai skills unless you travel. I have spent thousands of hours staring through a windscreen in my quest for bonsai knowledge. Forums and social media are ABSOLUTELY no substitute and just compound the confusion and disillusionment of many bonsai hobbyists by spreading the half baked ideas of some very inexperienced and ill opinionated folk. I can say that here because this is MY soap box. Bonsai should be learned by practical experience, out in the sun whilst enjoying the company of bonsai friends. Also your trees should be out there on display for all to see, trust me it’s a fantastic learning experience (but can be nasty medicine all at the same time).
I get SOOOO many emails from folk just desperate to learn how to create bonsai. So what do I advise? Get off your ass, get in your car and go seek out skilled folk, visit shows and nurseries, attend EVERY workshop you can, make some friends and be prepared for a long but rewarding slog. Computers and smart ass phones have never made one iota of difference to my own journey. All you need is two hands an imagination and some plants, how beautifully simple is that?
G.
Nothing to do With Bonsai.
Since my post about us being a little behind things have gotten a little worse. In spite of drafting in extra help we are not really making much headway. We are now like a cow’s, cow’s arse. You might need to cogitate on that last bit for a while 😉
Just to add insult to injury I have had to get another project on the go. This week I am busy working on this old motor I have left over from a previous life. Having been in storage since 1996 it’s being recommissioned ready for the road and will be sold at auction early next month. My good friend Richard (nice bonsai collection) is helping and lending me his facilities but, it’s a long job and explains why I am writing this at 3.30am. I’m doing 18-20 hour days and at my age that’s no joke!
Next week I am away on a buying trip and will be gathering up some amazing trees so keep an eye out. I already have a lot of plants reserved with our collectors and suppliers and a couple of private collections in the bag too. I advise you don’t go buying anywhere else until you see what i’ve got coming, trust me, it’s the smart move.
So please bear with us, we are all busting our humps to keep you all supplied.
G.
