I built almost the same thing this summer! If you go to a home store, you can find thin capstone blocks with slots that you can slide the wood through to make a little more secure. I spray painted by concrete too and it looks pretty good. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks, Safak! I also wanted the bench design to be easy to dismantle and reconfigure in the future in case I want to enlarge the bonsai garden. I try to make my video thumb0nail pictures look appealing like a magazine cover, so that people want to click it. I guess the dislikes come from people who click on the video and are expecting something different... I don't know. But I'm not worrying about it at all, while it's only a couple of dislikes. Thanks Bro! I hope you and your family are all healthy, take care!
@@jacktaylor6190 the rest of the world knows he didn't, we're just wondering how far he can twist the US justice system over the coming weeks. Anyways, back to the garden... just wanted to mention that leveling the blocks & benches has been the toughest part so you might want to prepare yourself for that.
It's uncanny, just as Jack Taylor said, I am also getting ready to make myself some benches just like yours (got come breeze blocks and planks from my "father-in-law" - I'm not married - that would have been thrown away, lucky me!). Now to watch how you do it!
Hehehe maybe this time of year is good for it, while there's no repotting and we're waiting for winter to do any pruning or chopping. Good that you got some materials donated! The wood cost considerably more than the blocks. Those blocks were only 49 cents each! Anyway, not to give too much away but levelling the benches has been the hardest part... depending on your ground you might need some sand and a small amount of cement powder. But if it's on patio slabs you'll be fine.
I'm getting ready to start my own build and am leaning towards benches in the same style that you made here. I'm curious if after 3 years you have any regrets or things you wish you had done differently?
I'm still happy with the design and structure. A year after I made this video I added an automatic watering system, still works very well. I have considered moving the blocks inwards by a couple of inches so the planks would overhang the ends. This would allow run-off water to drip off the ends rather than running down the sides of the blocks. That would also reduce the risk of the planks bowing in the middle... but thankfully I used thick planks and they don't bow. In the end it's better exactly how it is now, because with the blocks aligned to the ends, it means I was able to bolt upward columns to the blocks, to support the overhead shade in summer. Hope that helps.
Very ambitious! I just hope you’ve planned for that famous Madrid wind that often terrorizes you! Also just want to add: huge believer in “dig up everything you can see” method of bonsai. If we end up moving in the spring, as the plan seems to be, will be doing a whole hell of a lot of that. Cheers!
Cheers BBI! For defo, even though this side of the house is more protected, I'm putting in measures to prevent pots from flying off. The next concern is hail, we get a couple of hailstorms every year and they rip maple leaves to shreds 😬 Are you planning to move within Boston area or further afield? Cape Cod is calling! 🍺👍🏻
@@BlueSkyBonsai damn...regular hail. Sounds kinda terrifying! Yeah probably just doing the usual thing of moving out to the burbs for the better school system...hopefully not too far. Boston’s school system didn’t handle the covid thing very well so that was sort of the last straw for us. Wanna live in a US city and raise children? Prepare for crappy schools! U-S-A!! U-S-A!!!!
@@BostonBonsaiIdiot There comes a time... when families need to move to the burbs... I'm sure you won't regret it. When we moved out of Madrid, my only regret was not having any pubs within walking distance! So I got a beer fridge in the basement and a barbecue in the backyard, In the end the quality of life is better and your kids will love the new adventure! Schools, yep inner-city schools can be troublesome! 🍺👍
@@BlueSkyBonsai Yeah that's the thing...we've already moved out to the edge (hence be having a yard and all that) so we're primed for the lifestyle. It will just mean a tougher commute, but luckily will also mean nobody stomping around upstairs while i'm trying to sleep. But yeah, I miss those walk-to-the-pub days. My liver certainly doesn't though!
@@BostonBonsaiIdiot just heard from a colleague in Barnstable that there was a full-on tornado warning this morning, hope it didn't affect you too? I'm guessing the cape's weather system is far enough away
Another thing that I didn't mention in the video is that these wooden planks stay humid for an hour or two during the day so if you live in a dry region then they help to keep the humidity higher around your bonsai. What trees do you have?
@Blue Sky Bonsai thats cool. I'm in Wales, so humid at the moment. I have just started out, so been practicing on my own plant's. I've made a 3 tree group of Blackthorn (about 3 year olds), added a young Japanese black pine and hazel, pruned up an azalea as I had to lift it. One thing I've wondered about wood is whether you get wood lice. We seem to get a lot here.
@@JustJane1972 my parents live in south wales, my dad recently renovated their outdoor wooden staircase. He said it didn't have woodlice, but just many years of damp rotting the wood. Here in central spain we don't get any woodlice but in northern spain where my wife is from I know they do because we have seen old oak beams with millions of wormholes throughout. For your bonsais in the welsh climate I would recommend very good draining soil with a high proportion of pumice, or perlite, both hold their structure well and allow good drainage. You would mix in much less of the retentive materials (like akadama and pine bark) than I do here. But of course... you will need to make sure they get watered while you're away any length of time.
Discoloration is expected, no need to replace them. The gravel under the garden pots, could go green with algae if it stays permanently wet. Algae can be removed with vinegar and scrubbing. Maybe it will be a bigger problem in the future if i expand that garden with more gravel. Cheers for your comments 👍🏻
Thank you!! I'm not yet sure about the new tree.. I looked up St. John's Wort Bonsai and saw no bonsai trees, at least not this species... only herbal antidepressants. Maybe I will discover something profound! Or not 😂👍🏻
@@BlueSkyBonsai At least you’ll be happy when you work on it 😉. Is this the side garden you mentioned in a earlier video, that was in a more protected area? Does it get morning sun? I love your backyard with all its hedges and trees and it looks to have plenty of growing room. Looking forward to seeing part 2!
@@cduff4505 lol 😊 maybe all gardening is a form of antidepressant! Yep this is the protected side of the house, at least more sheltered from the north&west winds. And it gets morning sunlight which is a real bonus in summer, will be in the shade of the house for the long hours of late afternoon heat. We also love our backyard here, especially the kids who keep hammering all the plantife with their football! I will need to wait until they all leave home before I expand this bonsai garden any further ... sheltered from wind but not from fast moving sports projectiles! Cheers 🍺👍🏻
@@BlueSkyBonsai ah yes, footballs can be damaging and certainly not compatible with small trees.I remember taking on to the face many many years ago in a flag football game. I believe that was the same then I stopped playing in the league ... fantastic that they will get morning sun! Looking forward to the next update!
@@cduff4505 cheers! Will try to mot disappoint! Maybe I'll be able to convince my oldest son to do some footy keepy uppy on part 2. Worth watching, if he agrees.
This is great! Something for me to aspire to. Do you have any videos that contain info on the flowering Tea Tree/Carmona Microphylla? Got one as a housewarming present and I love it.
Thanks Mark! Sorry, no videos on these, but not going to lie, the Carmona is one of the more tricky species unless you live in the tropics. They need plenty of light and benefit from high humidity. I had two. I now have one. One died shortly after I did a root-pruning repot at the same time as one branch chop. They're quite sensitive to pruning in general. My advice is: get yourself a a Chinese Elm bonsai, sit it next to the Carmona and you can see the differences over time. The elm can take much more hacking, shaping and pruning and bounces right back. Both need plenty of light and frequent watering. Good luck!
Btw did you see this video about bonsai health: th-cam.com/video/a_vYCvQL5iE/w-d-xo.html as long as you follow the advice in that video, the Carmona should be fine for years.
@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you very much. I had already watched that one! Haha, really invaluable tips for a beginner, great videos. I have given it it's first prune. Looks much healthier and tree like! So I'll just keep it watered and see it progress, maybe look into buying it a friend too...
I have a question please I forget my horticulture lights open all night , I realize this morning that some of my trees was under the horticulture lights for around 19 hours..😞 Do you think that they will dies??? And what I should do ?? Do I close the lights today all day?? Thanks and sorry to disturb you again 🙏
It's absolutely ok to leave them on sometimes. For new seedlings just unfurling their first leaves, I leave the grow lights on 24 hours for a couple of months! For established trees 12-14 hours a day is best. But no problem leaving it on now and then.
Wait a minute...your hobby is planting things in gravel...but now you think somehow a weed mat is going to stop things from growing in gravel? Weeds, nonetheless. Haha. At least it'll make them easy to pull up.
I built almost the same thing this summer! If you go to a home store, you can find thin capstone blocks with slots that you can slide the wood through to make a little more secure. I spray painted by concrete too and it looks pretty good. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks mynala110! Definitely the planks need to be more secure.. more in part 2! Hopefully next weekend weather permitting 😊👍🏻
It has been very stylish Bonsai coffee tables. Congratulations. I don't understand why there are 2 dislike for this beautiful and simple design.
Thanks, Safak! I also wanted the bench design to be easy to dismantle and reconfigure in the future in case I want to enlarge the bonsai garden.
I try to make my video thumb0nail pictures look appealing like a magazine cover, so that people want to click it. I guess the dislikes come from people who click on the video and are expecting something different... I don't know. But I'm not worrying about it at all, while it's only a couple of dislikes.
Thanks Bro! I hope you and your family are all healthy, take care!
@@BlueSkyBonsai Keep going. No stopping. Thank you very much for your good wishes.
Amazing work my friend, really enjoying your videos can’t wait for part 2. ✌️
Cheers SB! I'll try not to disappoint 🍺🍺👍🏻
Nice work
This looks awesome!!!!
Cheers! At least it's on the protected side of the house so that was the main goal. Still got to convince the boss about the pergola..........
Love ya work. Of too bed now... will fully watch in the morning.
Thanks mate! Rest well 😴
That is indeed a very blue sky. Appropriate channel name! Good stuff as always
Thanks Toby! Yes it was amazingly bright out so I put a polariser on the camera and that's the blue sky that resulted. Cheers! 😊👍🏻
It's looking fantastic, maybe one day I'll get benches too for my bonsai
Thanks! You should do that 👍
How to make a bonsai garden 👍 good new friends
Thanks so much 😊👍🏻
Getting ready to move my current location to a new space myself, very similar to what you are doing.
Hehehe I thought you were going to write Getting ready to move to Spain!!!
@@BlueSkyBonsai That might have happened if Trump had won, which he really did not do even if he claims he did!
@@jacktaylor6190 the rest of the world knows he didn't, we're just wondering how far he can twist the US justice system over the coming weeks.
Anyways, back to the garden... just wanted to mention that leveling the blocks & benches has been the toughest part so you might want to prepare yourself for that.
This is looking great! 👍
Thanks @Katy B 😊
Wow. Amazing
Thanks WAD Madhushan! 😊👍
Fantastic idea!!! Good video 😜👍
Thanks so much!! 🌳😊👍🏻
It's uncanny, just as Jack Taylor said, I am also getting ready to make myself some benches just like yours (got come breeze blocks and planks from my "father-in-law" - I'm not married - that would have been thrown away, lucky me!). Now to watch how you do it!
Hehehe maybe this time of year is good for it, while there's no repotting and we're waiting for winter to do any pruning or chopping. Good that you got some materials donated! The wood cost considerably more than the blocks. Those blocks were only 49 cents each! Anyway, not to give too much away but levelling the benches has been the hardest part... depending on your ground you might need some sand and a small amount of cement powder. But if it's on patio slabs you'll be fine.
really I will visit your house, to your bonsai garden, but your house is far away😀 good job my friend👍👍
Thanks so much!! 😊👍🏻👍🏻
looks great
Cheers Ben!
I'm getting ready to start my own build and am leaning towards benches in the same style that you made here. I'm curious if after 3 years you have any regrets or things you wish you had done differently?
I'm still happy with the design and structure. A year after I made this video I added an automatic watering system, still works very well.
I have considered moving the blocks inwards by a couple of inches so the planks would overhang the ends. This would allow run-off water to drip off the ends rather than running down the sides of the blocks. That would also reduce the risk of the planks bowing in the middle... but thankfully I used thick planks and they don't bow.
In the end it's better exactly how it is now, because with the blocks aligned to the ends, it means I was able to bolt upward columns to the blocks, to support the overhead shade in summer.
Hope that helps.
Thank you!
Very ambitious! I just hope you’ve planned for that famous Madrid wind that often terrorizes you! Also just want to add: huge believer in “dig up everything you can see” method of bonsai. If we end up moving in the spring, as the plan seems to be, will be doing a whole hell of a lot of that. Cheers!
Cheers BBI! For defo, even though this side of the house is more protected, I'm putting in measures to prevent pots from flying off. The next concern is hail, we get a couple of hailstorms every year and they rip maple leaves to shreds 😬
Are you planning to move within Boston area or further afield? Cape Cod is calling! 🍺👍🏻
@@BlueSkyBonsai damn...regular hail. Sounds kinda terrifying!
Yeah probably just doing the usual thing of moving out to the burbs for the better school system...hopefully not too far. Boston’s school system didn’t handle the covid thing very well so that was sort of the last straw for us. Wanna live in a US city and raise children? Prepare for crappy schools! U-S-A!! U-S-A!!!!
@@BostonBonsaiIdiot There comes a time... when families need to move to the burbs... I'm sure you won't regret it. When we moved out of Madrid, my only regret was not having any pubs within walking distance! So I got a beer fridge in the basement and a barbecue in the backyard, In the end the quality of life is better and your kids will love the new adventure! Schools, yep inner-city schools can be troublesome! 🍺👍
@@BlueSkyBonsai Yeah that's the thing...we've already moved out to the edge (hence be having a yard and all that) so we're primed for the lifestyle. It will just mean a tougher commute, but luckily will also mean nobody stomping around upstairs while i'm trying to sleep. But yeah, I miss those walk-to-the-pub days. My liver certainly doesn't though!
@@BostonBonsaiIdiot just heard from a colleague in Barnstable that there was a full-on tornado warning this morning, hope it didn't affect you too? I'm guessing the cape's weather system is far enough away
Aussie Dave here, very nice structure David 😃.
Thanks Dave! Maybe before the end of the year I will do an update on these benches. They're still going strong...
Am just starting out, so came looking for inspiration. Weed membrane helps a lot but weedkiller would take out your grass, hedge and trees too.
Yes - thanks! That's why I didn't use weedkiller, my wife insisted on keeping the hedge and trees...
@Blue Sky Bonsai a great backdrop. Really loved your project and being able to move it is great too.
Another thing that I didn't mention in the video is that these wooden planks stay humid for an hour or two during the day so if you live in a dry region then they help to keep the humidity higher around your bonsai. What trees do you have?
@Blue Sky Bonsai thats cool. I'm in Wales, so humid at the moment. I have just started out, so been practicing on my own plant's. I've made a 3 tree group of Blackthorn (about 3 year olds), added a young Japanese black pine and hazel, pruned up an azalea as I had to lift it.
One thing I've wondered about wood is whether you get wood lice. We seem to get a lot here.
@@JustJane1972 my parents live in south wales, my dad recently renovated their outdoor wooden staircase. He said it didn't have woodlice, but just many years of damp rotting the wood. Here in central spain we don't get any woodlice but in northern spain where my wife is from I know they do because we have seen old oak beams with millions of wormholes throughout.
For your bonsais in the welsh climate I would recommend very good draining soil with a high proportion of pumice, or perlite, both hold their structure well and allow good drainage. You would mix in much less of the retentive materials (like akadama and pine bark) than I do here. But of course... you will need to make sure they get watered while you're away any length of time.
amazing video,
friend
Thank you! 😊🙏🏻
Nice work!!!!!
Thanks!
Nice job so far 👌👌
Cheers J! It's looking really cold over there at the moment... will it be that snowy now until spring or do you expect some drier or warmer weeks?
Yes, actually it will be getting mild again over the next couple days and having some rain. 😄 Tonight will be going down to -7 °c
Phew! looking on the bright side, at least all your trees won't dry out in a hurry!
id love to know how those stones look after a couple years. are you anticipating needing to replace them?
Discoloration is expected, no need to replace them. The gravel under the garden pots, could go green with algae if it stays permanently wet. Algae can be removed with vinegar and scrubbing. Maybe it will be a bigger problem in the future if i expand that garden with more gravel. Cheers for your comments 👍🏻
Nice job bro !👌 Was that the fruit of a Pomegranate at beginning of the video ?
Thanks! Good spot, it was indeed a low hanging pomegranate 🙂👍🏻
Looks fabulous and you did a great leveling job! And you ah e a new tree to play with 👍🏻
Thank you!! I'm not yet sure about the new tree.. I looked up St. John's Wort Bonsai and saw no bonsai trees, at least not this species... only herbal antidepressants. Maybe I will discover something profound! Or not 😂👍🏻
@@BlueSkyBonsai At least you’ll be happy when you work on it 😉. Is this the side garden you mentioned in a earlier video, that was in a more protected area? Does it get morning sun? I love your backyard with all its hedges and trees and it looks to have plenty of growing room. Looking forward to seeing part 2!
@@cduff4505 lol 😊 maybe all gardening is a form of antidepressant! Yep this is the protected side of the house, at least more sheltered from the north&west winds. And it gets morning sunlight which is a real bonus in summer, will be in the shade of the house for the long hours of late afternoon heat.
We also love our backyard here, especially the kids who keep hammering all the plantife with their football! I will need to wait until they all leave home before I expand this bonsai garden any further ... sheltered from wind but not from fast moving sports projectiles! Cheers 🍺👍🏻
@@BlueSkyBonsai ah yes, footballs can be damaging and certainly not compatible with small trees.I remember taking on to the face many many years ago in a flag football game. I believe that was the same then I stopped playing in the league ... fantastic that they will get morning sun! Looking forward to the next update!
@@cduff4505 cheers! Will try to mot disappoint! Maybe I'll be able to convince my oldest son to do some footy keepy uppy on part 2. Worth watching, if he agrees.
This is great! Something for me to aspire to. Do you have any videos that contain info on the flowering Tea Tree/Carmona Microphylla? Got one as a housewarming present and I love it.
Thanks Mark! Sorry, no videos on these, but not going to lie, the Carmona is one of the more tricky species unless you live in the tropics. They need plenty of light and benefit from high humidity.
I had two. I now have one. One died shortly after I did a root-pruning repot at the same time as one branch chop. They're quite sensitive to pruning in general. My advice is: get yourself a a Chinese Elm bonsai, sit it next to the Carmona and you can see the differences over time. The elm can take much more hacking, shaping and pruning and bounces right back.
Both need plenty of light and frequent watering. Good luck!
Btw did you see this video about bonsai health: th-cam.com/video/a_vYCvQL5iE/w-d-xo.html as long as you follow the advice in that video, the Carmona should be fine for years.
@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you very much. I had already watched that one! Haha, really invaluable tips for a beginner, great videos. I have given it it's first prune. Looks much healthier and tree like! So I'll just keep it watered and see it progress, maybe look into buying it a friend too...
I have a question please
I forget my horticulture lights open all night , I realize this morning that some of my trees was under the horticulture lights for around 19 hours..😞
Do you think that they will dies???
And what I should do ??
Do I close the lights today all day??
Thanks and sorry to disturb you again 🙏
It's absolutely ok to leave them on sometimes.
For new seedlings just unfurling their first leaves, I leave the grow lights on 24 hours for a couple of months!
For established trees 12-14 hours a day is best. But no problem leaving it on now and then.
How does this only have 67 comments
Thanks - good question! Part 2 of this video has more comments so maybe half the viewers of part 1 went on to watch part 2 to see the end result??
Wait a minute...your hobby is planting things in gravel...but now you think somehow a weed mat is going to stop things from growing in gravel? Weeds, nonetheless. Haha. At least it'll make them easy to pull up.
simple! :)
Did you have to go back and reseal that right yet? Lol
Haha not yet!! I guess I'll find out when the house starts to collapse!!
@@BlueSkyBonsai lol the 20 year sinkhole test. I like it! Enjoyed the video. Can't wait to watch some new stuff this fall from you.
Awesome! Can't wait for the next part!
Thanks Edinborogh! I will try to not disappoint!