Preparing for Swindon Pt. 3 – Southern Accents

You would think that as I make my own Accent pots producing a planting for Swindon would be a breeze – not on you Nelly!! When displaying Shohin, especially at the beginning of the year, it’s not easy to get plants that are in the correct scale for the composition. Winter is generally a time for bulbs which are on the whole too big for this type of display. Time to think laterally. 

For a few weeks I rummaged around mine, and my dad’s, garden to try and find some little bits and bobs to make a group planting or Kusamono. I’d never attempted one before and what a time to do it, displaying in Ritta Copper’s backyard – the "Queen of Bonsai Accents" in the UK!

Overall I’m quite happy with the result but I might just take a couple of back-ups just in case. Nothing ventured, nothing gained I suppose.

Preparing for Swindon Pt. 2 – Potting doesn’t get tighter than this!

Andy P from Stone Monkey Ceramics needs no introduction but due to our combined efforts of losing measurements we were a bit behind the 8 Ball with timings for my new pots. Andy was pretty flat out running up to Noelanders so my 2 commission pots for Swindon had to wait until his return. Forever the gentleman he offered to make them in a couple of different sizes for me to choose from. As if he didn’t have enough to do trying to re-stock after his record breaking sales in Belguim making my pots was almost a bridge too far but after frantic phone calls and hectic potting we got there with only days to spare!

As you can see these beauties were well worth the wait - let’s hope my composition doesn’t let this skilled work go to waste!!

Check out his new range of Porcelain pots this weekend as they have raised his already high bar up another notch.

Preparing for Swindon Pt. 1 – China Take-Away!

When I stalled out at Bonsai World last September I had to raid the plastic bags at home so that my customers had something to take their little treasures home in. After some thought I thought that I should raise my presentation up a notch or 3 so invested in some bags and labels. OK, the carrier bags are similar to the ones that you would get from your local take-away but they are biodegradable and have a useful handle.

My wife thinks that the combination of bags and labelling looks like the sort of thing that you would get from a high class lingerie store – here’s hoping that people don’t think my pots are pants!!