Here at KB we like to think we have the best selection of bonsai and raw material available for sale in the UK. It appears a whole bunch of you agree. We have just had what must be the best few days selling bonsai ever.
Sincere thanks for all of our customers for your faith in us and you continued support.
Here are a few of the better trees we have re-homed in the last 5 days.
Don’t worry we won’t be running out of stock any time soon, lots more cool trees are on the way.
Sunday 3 November found me stumbling around in the dark at 4am in my keks trying to get dressed without causing too much of a ruckus. The reason for being afoot at such an unearthly hour? I had agreed to attend the Heathrow Bonsai show and because I live in the nether regions it was a fair hike. We set out at 5am in the dark and it was cold, I HATE winter time. One of the great benefits of living in ‘clod hopper’ country if that we can travel 60 miles on a Sunday morning without even seeing another car on the road the upshot of which found us at the venue before 8am.
All was pretty quiet upon our arrival but a warm cuppa’ was quickly provided. As we stood around people started coming from all corners, cars arrived and spilled bonsai and related paraphernalia all over the yard. By 9am the place was packed, it reminded me of one of those colonies of soldier ants moving home. I have to say how impressed I was with everyone beavering away and working together. The result was an impressive display of bonsai in every size, shape and colour.
My job for the day was to provide a little entertainment and education with a demonstration. Mark had asked me to bring along a privet. The tree I chose belonged to my good friend Stuart who was only allowed to purchase the tree on the understanding I had it for this event. About 5 hours saw it tidied away thanks to a little help from Bob, Bill and Rammon, thanks guys.
I have to say I absolutely loved this event. I do not remember the last time I had the priveledge to be involved with anything in bonsai that had such a great atmosphere. It was a joy to attend and I will remember this one for a very long time. Thanks to everyone that worked SO hard to put it all together.
Hopefully it will all happen again next year. If it does BE THERE!
No I wasn’t in an actual fight. Riding a motorcycle at the weekend a bee hit me in the face. I still had to go to the Heathrow Bonsai Show and knock out this cool privet though. More details soon.
One of the things that has always motivated me in bonsai is making something out of not a lot. Being a Brit’ I am genetically a sucker for a lost cause. When I buy trees I never go out of my way to get the best stuff, that costs a lot. I like to buy the oddball stuff nobody else want’s. There is little to compare to the rewarding feeling of turning an ugly duckling into a swan and it can pay very well too.
This week we had a whole bunch of yamadori arrive. The tree I made a b-line for was the worst and cheapest of the lot. This oak was looking very sad with it’s dead top and a big ugly stump sticking out of the side. A perfect candidate for a 15 minute fix. Sure it will need a bit of growing and the deadwood needs a little refinement but now it looks worth the effort.
I live on the edge of the Norfolk Broads National Park. Nice if you like boats, fishing and GREAT if you are a twitcher. Not so cool if, like me, you love mountains. Our flat landscape certainly produces some amazing and inspirational spectacles including some of the largest trees you will see in the UK. Our huge skies are also pretty humbling at times. However for pure bonsai adrenaline I need to be high up in the mountains.
I was recently the privileged guest of a good friend who was gracious enough to share one of his special places with me. I find these places extremely inspirational and refreshing and every time I am lucky enough to visit such places what I see gets imprinted on my consciousness. Creating bonsai requires a broad repertoire of such experiences and a huge library of wild images. Here are a few glimpses of a very inspirational wild place.
