Over the last few weeks we have bought in several large private collections of bonsai trees. The thing I love about doing that is we always turn up some very unusual trees. When you buy a whole collection you also get some strange items like weird pots and a few scruffy bits and bobs. This week we have prepared about 30 new items for the web site and they will be listed in the next few days. Here’s a taster of what’s coming up.
This week I have been away on a buying trip. By the end of next week we will have a large delivery of some really nice yamadori trees including junipers, scots pine, oaks, olive and even some vines. Obviously more information and pictures will be available once everything arrives but for now here are a few snaps.
I have been at some form of business since I figured out how to get my gran’ to give me sweets. I have been relentlessly beavering away ever since. These days our primary business is bonsai and everything that surrounds it. Keeping employees and a family afloat is no easy task, trust me. Thanks to the loyal support of our friends and customers business has been very good, a little too good. The result is that I have filled our nursery with more plants that you can shake a stick at. Over the summer we have clearer hundreds of plants but no sooner do we clear a space than more arrive. We are literally getting buried under thousands of bonsai. So, in spite of my hard wired need to make a profit we just have to clear some stock.
Today i have posted reductions on over 120 trees in our Outdoor Bonsai and Raw Material pages. Many prices represent what we paid for some of the plants. There are savings of up to 30% and reductions up to £255 on some items. These are genuine reductions on top quality plants. This is costing us about £4000 but unless we clear some space soon we will have a serious problem.
If you find a cool tree that you would like but can’t quite stretch to we are happy to take a 30% deposit with the balance within 3 months (for further details please drop us a line – [email protected].
Take a look at our massive reductions….
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Grab a bargain and break my heart 🙁
G.
I’m not renowned for being coy, my recalcitrant attitude has landed me in hot water a time or two. I have strong opinions on how things should be done (in common with most beer drinking Englishmen). I don’t profess to be the Messiah, in fact some mornings I don’t know which way is up. But one thing I can be sure about is what I like. In life I have generally found myself swimming against the tide. For instance as I have gotten older my cars (and bikes) are getting older not newer, so far I have regressed to the late 50s. I am also the only person in Britain today (under 90 years of age) who does not carry a mobile telephone. I didn’t get my first TV until I was 47. Some would call these things bloody mindedness, personally I don’t care what you call it. People with strong opinions aren’t popular in todays age of compromise. Whatever!
One of the things I do have strong opinions about is bonsai pots. There are a few points you need to know.
* Putting a plant in a bonsai pot does not make it bonsai.
* Putting a crappy bonsai in a nice pot is like putting a hat on a pig, it’s still a pig.
* Formal bonsai trees can go in informal pots but normally look better in traditional styles.
* Informal bonsai trees should go in formal pots. Too much informality in a bonsai composition ends up looking like a teenagers bedroom.
* Butt ugly trees will not be made beautiful by clever use of lots of wacky stuff (see above comment about hats).
* The bonsai tree should always be the centre of attention. Loud pots are much like loud 1960s trousers, ALL WRONG!
* Creating a TASTEFUL beautiful informal arrangement is something you can do AFTER you have mastered the art of the formal and traditional.
From the above you can tell I don’t like the current trend for loud, wonky pots and silly arrangements of old tat and bonsai hanging out of crappers and the like.
We recently bought in a small collection of generally scruffy bonsai trees and there were a couple of corking pots in amongst them. Here’s how I resolved to rid the world of a little ugliness……..
If these were pots you once owned or even, God forbid, made, I wouldn’t go any further than this 😉
G.
If you weren’t at the BTA show at Sheffield last weekend you missed a great opportunity. We love this show, some great trees and lots of haggling. Every year this show throws up some great deals from traders and bonsai collectors alike. This year we had a number of deals done before arriving and came home with loads of exciting new trees that will appear on the web site in the next few days.
Next years show will be at a new venue on 19 October. Put it in your diary!
Here’s a few pic’s …….
We will be attending the Bonsai Group Enfield’s Autumn show at Capel Manor College Gardens, Enfield on Sunday October 13th. http://bonsaigroupenfield.wix.com/home#!
We will have a trade stand and Graham will be presenting a demonstration throughout the day. We do have limited space so if there’s something you would like us to take along please let us know in good time.