Sure sign of spring--my honeysuckles are starting to bud. They're
always the first thing to wake up.

I've got my new fence in for my enlarged bonsai area, all but the
gates. I've had to put in 8' deer fencing because the deer have just
taken over, eating everything in sight. I'm also going to run a single
strand of electric fencing around the top. I thought coiled barbed wire
might be a bit too much.

Another sign of spring--the ground is thawed out! Which means it's
collecting season! I was out in my favorite honeysuckle collecting area
yesterday and brought home a monster-- 10" diameter trunk, a nebari to
die for! It's going to require a wooden box 30" x 24, which I happen to
have already. This one won't get moved around much! I'm going to use
the soil mixture I mentioned a few days ago--cedar mulch and
turface/grit, probably 3/4 mulch. I may throw in some perlite if I can
find it, to cut down a bit on weight. This is definitely going to be at
least a 2 person tree. I'll post some pics when I can. I am also
thinking of doing an article for Andy's BTO since I brought along my
digital camera and used the timer to take pictures. This bad boy is at
least a century old, probably 110-115 years old.

The greatest thing of all is that I'm doing all this a full month
earlier than I would have in Maine. Living in the tropics has it's
advantages!

Craig Cowing
NY
Zone 5b/6a Sunset 37

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