I wish you luck! They do look very promising as bonsai subjects. I would love to follow your process, and see lots of photos. Please keep us informed.

Very interesting collection you've got there, Mike! I see great potential for what you have in mind!

I hope the Tangerine and the first plant pictured... I can't tell what kind it is... will winter over well for you at lower temperatures. The other plants look like they're more of the cold hardy type.

The White Cedar already looks like a tree in miniature!

So, you'll wait until spring to re-pot, then? I'd guess you really don't want to disturb root systems this late in the season, right? But I can already feel that you'll be collecting your gritty ingredients and getting ready for spring! I can't wait until spring gets here again, either! :-) (waving to Mom) Hi, Mom!

Hey, Mike. Neat score! I'm sure I'll be around when we all come out of hibernation ..... full of renewed enthusiasm.

Al

I agree with Al... even though it's been deceptively mild, I can feel winter is just around the next corner... and something tells me it won't be very mild! I am not looking forward to the cold or snow... and once again, I can't wait for spring to get here! :-)

I've been waiting and waiting for our weather to stabilize so I can get all the potted stock stored... but it just keeps fluctuating, and not everything seems to think it's time for dormancy!

Hey, Mike, Ohio, Al, Jodi! :-0

Mike, some cool specimens to play with next year! So these are the babies you mentioned, eh? ;-)
I can't wait to see how you shape them!

Josh

Josh! Shape them!...lol. That is where Al or you come in.lol I have not got a clue on this one! Thanks

Ohio! Thanks for the comments! Yes, keep watching as my friends here try and help me transform them into something worth talking about then. I hope they look as good as Al's.

Al: I will meet you on the other side of hybernation, lol, that is if we even get a winter.
Thanks in advance my friend.

Jodik! Always soooo glad to see you around these parts. Snow and cold is something I so much dread now that I have to pay the heating bills and now that I can not snow board this year:-(
At least I have my small greenhouse to make me feel like I am in the tropics when I close my eyes and feel the humidity and warmth.lol

The citrus I am keeping the the warm greenhouse, but all the plants that go dormant will be held in the shed. I tried to decide between burying them under brush and hay, or sticking them in the very cold shed.

Thanks for noticing that little pine tree. Let me tell you that it smells very nice.

I was wondering what you ever did with your dormant bulbs?

Mom waved right back this morning when I told here. She is very sick right now:-(

I am so happy I found this thread at the top. Thanks everyone:-)

Mike

Well I'm here for moral support, Mike ;-)

Al has the actual bonsai training....as in, he can help you design some future show-winning plants.
Whereas I will make some intuitive and educated guesses, but mostly I'll just encourage you to chop!
The first cut is always the hardest, then it gets easy...

I do look forward to working on the Trident maple with you ;)

Josh

Hello Everyone,

Beautiful trees Mike!!!

They look like you will have some beautiful future Bonsai!!

Good Luck!!!

Hope your mom is feeling better.. Please give her a hug from me!!

Laura

I, too, hope Mom feels better... and I wish you a decent and mild winter!

Yesterday, I saw the very first few flakes of snow fall from the sky... nothing stuck, and it didn't last very long, but it's at least a sign that winter is here. I overworked myself trying to get a decent amount of plant material put away, and I think I'm about half done. If I can finish up tomorrow, I'll be happy.

I can't wait for next spring so I can follow you and your new plants as they go from little seedlings to lovely little forms under the tutelage of Al and Josh! The first cut IS always the hardest... this much I know!

The Colocasia I mentioned before is sitting in the basement, without its pot... I cut the stems rather short and sprinkled some cinnamon on the cut ends to deter fungi and rot. Once the soil ball dries out, I'll try to separate the rhizome from the leftover medium. The roots are so dense, I can't really do much with it now.

I decided to save the three large Geraniums, and they are also in the basement, being forced into a semi-dormant state, or at least encouraged to slow growth.

Be sure to tell Mom I wish her well... and you take care, too, Mike! :-)

Aw! Thanks Josh, Jodi, and Laura!

Boy has it been crazy around here lately.

Laura: Thank you thank you! I have told Mom about you all and it made here smile. She is still so sick that she wants to pass out when she stands. I am a bit concerned.
I hope she gets better sooner than later.

Jodi: My bulbs are still in their pots stuck in the corner of my basement away from light and dry until I give them a small bit of water. I will treat them like I do my plumerias. I hope yours fare well:)

Snow, please...We have been very fortunate around these parts with highs in teh 50's and 60's most of last month into this week. Yesterday it was 67 here and humid. Quite strange actually!

I too have been getting ready for winter, well, it seems that we are never ready for winter. I could find something to do everyday until the first snow fall or before it's too cold to rake. By the way, where the heck do the leaves come from every time I rake them away even though the trees are bare?

My pond is covered, my greenhouse is covered with a 'Solar Tarp' which makes a huge difference, the plants are stored away, yard raked, weeds pulled, shrubs berlapped, and trees covered.

Josh: I appreciate your support along with Al's and I will keep everyone up to date about these babies. By the way, that beautiful tree you gave me is now bare and in the cold shed. I will take a pic this week.

Jodi: By the way, Geraniums are my next craze. I have several of them growing in the greenhouse at this moment. I love them all. The fancy ones of course.

Thanks all. As I speak, the temp has dropped 10 degrees and it's pouring out, turn to snow by the am. I hope the cold snap is brief.

Take care all and to Al, a good night:-)

Mike