Trident Tour 1

Trident Tour 2

Trident Tour 3

Backyard Tour

Olive Tour

Welcome to my bonsai web page.
New updates will be starting as of March 3rd, 2004 as time allows.

A lot has been going on since the last contributions, sorry for the delay in getting the newer information posted. One thing of particular note is that the wire frame concept for trident maple construction has proven to be the absolute best in faster/better fusing of the seedling trees. Look for a new tour button coming soon, demonstrating the progress in frame evolution. I can hardly wait for the new seedlings to grow and place on the frames that have been made for the next two trees that will be constructed next January, 2005. Wood frames are now officially out.

Also, I'm considering placing the Trident #1 and #2 for sale, keep an eye on the for sale page if you might be interested.

Olive Heads fear not, new postings of the latest information and photos will be updated for you as well, stay close.

If you are new to this site, take a look around. I think you will find something of interest.

Because trees are always changing, this site is changing too. You might want to check in periodically to see what is going on. It is a process of evolution based on gaining more knowledge and developing better techniques. I am usually experimenting with Trident Maples and Olives, among other types of trees, in an effort to develop procedures to get collected material from the ground into a bonsai pot.

I believe that collecting material from the wild is the quickest way to develop larger size and higher quality material for bonsai. Mother Nature does such a wonderful job of dwarfing and stunting the growth of plants and trees. Let me assure you that just because collecting is a quicker way to larger/older trunks, it does not mean that I rush to get it into a container. I choose to take the time necessary to allow the development of "A" Class Trees, Mother Nature just gives us a great head start.

On this site you will also see an experiment of the past 10 years using seedling maples to build a larger tree. I call these "Fused Trunk Tridents". Look on the trident trunk page and take the time to see the tours. The photos and text are presented are for you use, I hope you will try this on your own. This Trident project will be documented for years with updates and new photos.

Olive tree lovers will want to visit olive head central for a look at training large trunk trees for small bonsai pots. The flat cutting procedure for olive tree stumps is available for your review. The information on this page has been accumulated over the past 16 years, with the majority of the photographs taken since 1997.

I love to go collecting, and there is a page dedicated to that interest. The Jeep and Harley pages are there just for fun. The jeep is one of my favorite tools for collecting. It gets the other tools for digging trees up to the mountains and the trees back down. In the mountains, my favorite tree to collect is the native Sierra Juniper, click on the Collecting button for more information. Collecting in the local area around my home, the tree of choice is Olives.

Visit the new page for the Study Group, if you are visiting in the area consider dropping in for a day of "bonsai addicts workin' on trees." If you live nearby, consider joining the group. We invite all skill levels from beginner to advanced. There is no fee for this event, but there is one requirement, work on trees.

The new formal tree display is under construction in the backyard, the photos are in the Backyard Tour. Check it out.

Both maintainance and assistance with the evolution of this website have been newly entrusted to Karl Franzen and Zobin Stafford. They both hold certificates in web design and are very enthusiastic about the web.

Over the years, many teachers have contributed to my bonsai knowledge and skill. About 1994, one teacher in particular said something profound that changed my outlook and priority. I was told that it is ok to practice and learn skills on any type of inexpensive/ low grade material, but once learned, don't waste your time on anything except grade "A" material, spend your time developing only trees that hold the highest potential to become the best bonsai.

We, individually and as a community, need to set the bar of excellence continually higher. Consider getting rid of those trees that just don't have what it takes to make a grade A bonsai. This might be hard for some to do. There are sentimental reasons and many other reasons that justify you keeping a "B" grade tree on your bench. It was hard for me, but I did it, since 1994, the rewards for investing time in better potential material are now paying off. Bonsai is not "instant". It is a process of progress over time.....

Keep Striving...
And most of all have fun.

Doug Philips,
Bonsai enthusiast, Olive Head