Bonsai with Australian Natives: Cascade

Posted on July 25th, 2009 by Jon Brown in how to grow bonsai |

This was part of my HSC Design and Technology major work in 2006. I combined my Japanese and Australian heritage with my interests in video and technology.

Part 3: Cascade
Tree: Grevillea
This video demonstrates how to create the cascading style.

Made with CyberLink PowerDirector4.

My brother helped film this one.

This tree was the first to die. Grevillea can be difficult to grow, they are a bit unpredictable as bonsai. As ground cover plants, they can have great natural shapes to become cascades, but since they often don’t last, it can be very frustrating. Few Australian plants are suitable for cascades, especially as some are known to drop weaker branches. Without control over the branches you want, you can’t control the bonsai’s shape. I think I have seen it done with Aussie figs however. Again, I recommend figs as the best Australian plants for bonsai.

Duration : 0:5:7


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12 Responses

  1. DestroyerMariko Says:

    Yeah, I wish I’d …
    Yeah, I wish I’d had more time to perfect it all. Good luck :)

  2. TheTodd1977 Says:

    Thanks for that. …
    Thanks for that. Never been into bonsais though i’m obssesed with hybrid-grevilleas. Will give it a go.
    Trial and error huh?

  3. DestroyerMariko Says:

    They’re really hard …
    They’re really hard to keep going, mine died after a few months (though it survived long enough to impress the markers). Be very careful with watering, and change the wire before it starts to grow into the branches.

  4. TheTodd1977 Says:

    Cool. I love …
    Cool. I love Grevilleas. May try this
    Cheers

  5. DestroyerMariko Says:

    Awesome!
    Awesome!

  6. runitbeatard Says:

    Man you are some …
    Man you are some kind of Bonsai Master!I have learned so much about wireing.

  7. DestroyerMariko Says:

    Yeah, having …
    Yeah, having tropical plants and bringing them in for the winter is a good way to go in cold places. Although deciduous trees can be quite interesting too.

  8. n2m4k4 Says:

    Thank you for the …
    Thank you for the info. I live in a cold part of the world so i only get a chance to do my bosai a few months out of the year, I will try your method with some tropical plants that i have.

  9. DestroyerMariko Says:

    I think the one you …
    I think the one you wanted was already reserved for one of my mum’s bonsai. I just grabbed it for the video.

  10. jeramii21 Says:

    ohhhh … it …
    ohhhh … it shoulda been the pot on the far left… the higher it is the better effect of the plant to show off…’cause ur trunk line is think.

    but good work though
    ;]

  11. DestroyerMariko Says:

    I learnt at a …
    I learnt at a Bonsai nursery where they hold classes. I did a few kids classes, then about 3 years of adults classes. But I got busy with work, and the classes became more about maintenance than creation, so I stopped going. My teacher loves me though, so I hope I’ll get the chance to go back sometime.

  12. Jackalski57 Says:

    Mariko, That was …
    Mariko, That was excellent! Where’d you learn? The couple of times I tried to make a go of Bonsia I didn’t do very well. I do have a sort of natural Bonsai in the front corner of my house. I’ll try to get a pic to send you…

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