I recently "discovered" the idea that I could do bonsai, to whatever
extent. I purchased a used book called "A step-by-step guide to growing
and displaying Bonsai" by Colin Lewis and Neil Sutherland (Smithmark).
It is a good book I think; I say knowing a fair amount about growing
other things, and having seen a zillion how-to-grow books, as I'm sure
we all have.

Toward the beginning, the authors make a plea for folks to seek out
local plants and trees and develop unique styles based on them. That
sort of thinking is right up my alley, but, again, I know nothing about
Bonsai. Nevertheless, I've found myself with the audacity to draw up a
short list of common Pacific Nortwest trees/shrubs I'd like to try, some
of which are not "typical" material for Bonsai, to my extremely limited
knowledge. I greatly welcome any thoughts on using or trying these, in
general and/or for the beginner:

1. Madrona (the bark seems to naturally have a great "bonsai effect")

2. Apple

3. Cherry

4. Camellia (sinensis)

and finally

5. Rose ?????

Portland being the City of Roses, I wonder if one can do a Bonsai rose.
I know there are "miniature roses" but that's not what I mean. I mean
taking the stock of a real rose and training it in Bonsai fashion. Is
that possible?

Adam Gottschalk wrote in message ...
I recently "discovered" the idea that I could do bonsai, to whatever
extent. I purchased a used book called "A step-by-step guide to growing
and displaying Bonsai" by Colin Lewis and Neil Sutherland (Smithmark).
It is a good book I think; I say knowing a fair amount about growing
other things, and having seen a zillion how-to-grow books, as I'm sure
we all have.

Toward the beginning, the authors make a plea for folks to seek out
local plants and trees and develop unique styles based on them. That
sort of thinking is right up my alley, but, again, I know nothing about
Bonsai. Nevertheless, I've found myself with the audacity to draw up a
short list of common Pacific Nortwest trees/shrubs I'd like to try, some
of which are not "typical" material for Bonsai, to my extremely limited
knowledge. I greatly welcome any thoughts on using or trying these, in
general and/or for the beginner:

1. Madrona (the bark seems to naturally have a great "bonsai effect")

2. Apple

3. Cherry

4. Camellia (sinensis)

and finally

5. Rose ?????

Portland being the City of Roses, I wonder if one can do a Bonsai rose.
I know there are "miniature roses" but that's not what I mean. I mean
taking the stock of a real rose and training it in Bonsai fashion. Is
that possible?

Don't know about Madrona, but Cherry and Camellia are both fine.
Roses have been done too. I think the problem with Apple might also
be insight into warnings about working 'small' with Roses. An
important, maybe crucial aspect of bonsai is "Scale" ... You should be
able to look at a well-done bonsai and "See" a big old tree. You never
see a 20 foot tree with leaves 4 feet across, or fruit the size of
beachballs, right? If your leaves, flowers, or fruit cannot be made to
grow small, you're going to lose the sense of scale and things are not
going to look appropriate, and in a purely practical non-aethetic
sense, the limb might not even support the apple ! So ... crabapple -
yes ! Granny Smith apple - no. I would think this would apply to
roses and you should try to find a rose variety with small blooms.
And to all you people who love beautiful things ... Portland has the
most incredible rose garden I've ever seen. Well worth the trip !
Good luck !

The following native Northwest trees may be used for bonsai: vine maple (A.
circinatum), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Port Orford cedar
(Chamaecyparis lawsoniana). There are others.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)