Textbook procedures, against the odds and still survived.
 

Hi all.
I have the advantage of working on a Golf Course, which is mostly built on
clay/rock.
The course has been built over the past 7 or 8 years, this includes gardens
which have since either thrived, died or seemed to lay dormant.
Sometimes removal of the latter 2 is needed.
About a month ago I had to remove a garden which was full of Azaleas and
Camellias. The garden was planted below large Eucalypts so apart from near
constant shade the plants had to compete with moisture and nutrients.
Armed with only a bobcat I proceeded to remove the garden, but repeatedly
stopped checking for suitable stock for bonsai.
A long story short. 6 azaleas, and 2 camellias were the best specimens I
came up with. Pulled out by hand, sat with rootball exposed in the shade (I
had no other tools or time to do anything else but), got home, roots pruned,
tops pruned, wired and put into "makeshift bonsai posts" that is cut down
plastic pots as these plants were at the size I wanted.
All have survived some azalea have flowered, and all have new shoots, it's
currently the start of Spring here in OZ.
All I can say is I'm glad I collected them. A fellow worker, also new at
bonsai but read many bonsai books and had the textbook knowledge said they
wouldn't survive such treatment.
So for the newbies out there. If a plant you think would make a good bonsai
is going to be removed/die anyway, it's worth a try anyway no matter how
many tools/time you lack.
Anyway, just my 2 cents worth on this day at home sick.
Cheers
Andrew
--
Mid North Coast
New South Wales
Australia