We are having a wonderful weekend and it appears that the week may be a bit more comfortable than what is typically expected in Memphis in July.  Have your trees been demanding a lot of water? Mine don't seem to.  I guess the stomata have closed up quite a bit to prevent transpiration, a tree defense mechanism. In spite of the heat, there have been many days when I have skipped a day of watering because the trees were doing well enough.  I have to keep telling myself that in spite of the heat, the trees do not necessarily need a daily bath.
I was sitting on bench near my ìbonsai areaî with my cat, Garfield, and suddenly noticed how delinquent I had been in maintaining my trees.  I had stared at them day after day without really being observant as to the true condition of the trees.  The light came on and I then was busy doing what I should have done a bit sooner.  Got that done and the trees look much better now. Did some, but not much, additional wiring also.  Always enjoy working on the trees and watching them develop. Wish some would come along faster than but patience is a key word with the art of bonsai.  I had severely cut back my pride and joy Japanese Maple early this year.  The top was broom style and had gotten quite spread out.  It made the nice trunk look small; so, I cut the tree back severely and look forward to the next three to four years (or maybe more) in restoring a new top with plenty of ramification.
I probably will go back to the broom style, but then again I might not. Iíll have to see what the tree tells me.
 
Below are a couple of pictures of my dwarf pomegranate with its less than an inch in diameter fruit. Would go hungry if I had to depend on it for food. This pomegranate was given to me as a birthday gift and the main trunk was smaller around than a lead pencil.  It is more than twice that size now and still growing.  Would have grown faster if it had been planted in the ground but it came in a bonsai pot and I have left it there.  Did replant it into a larger pot (one larger than it will ultimately end up in) to encourage growth.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

Bought some seeds for Japanese Larch last week.  Have soaked the seeds for 24 hours and they now reside in a plastic bag in the refrigerator (stratification) for the next month.  We normally have the Golden Larch available to us but not any other of the Larches, Japanese or European. So, if I canít find the trees, Iíll grow them from seed.  I have two packets of seed and only prepared one.  Will save the other for late winter.  Hope to get  trees to make several groves.  Have not had too much luck with seeds.  Should have given the seeds to Jim Drier who I know has done well with Japanese Black Pine seeds in the past.  I still have one such tree from his successful propagation several years ago.

Am experimenting with a young Gingko.  It was a seedling collected about two or three years ago (some day I will keep a logbook about each tree).  I still have it in regular garden potting soil but have shaped it into a semi-cascade.  It is doing well and may be an interesting tree when it is more mature.
 
Have also taken two other gingko seedlings and have taped them together so that the two grow into one another and give me a tree with a thicker trunk.  Is that a fair shortcut to a heftier trunk? Will it work?
 
Have two Chinese Elms (seiju) that are sacrifice trees.  These were trees that were going to be discarded but I saw an opportunity to do some air layering.  I hope that I will have two trees as a result that have a nice size trunk.  I foresee a broom style canopy but that may change as the tree develops.
 
I have ranted on about what I have been up to.  Do you have some experiences that you can share? If you do, letís share them with the membership.  Bonsai is an exciting art form and hobby and one ought to enjoy it by not just maintaining the trees they have (although that is quite satisfying) but experimenting with them and constantly learning.
 
Hope all your trees are doing well.
 
See you the next time we get together.  When that will be and what the agenda will be is the subject of another day.
 
Fred