A Bonsai Side Quest

For this episode, Jarryd visits Hugh at Tree Makers Bonsai Studio in the Blue Mountains after completing some BSA events in Sydney. They catch up on their activities of the past month and discuss Jarryd's demo Nothofagus styling (with some bloodshed), collecting trips, the opening of the Tondoon Botanic Gardens Bonsai collection, weather updates, the seasonal challenges, hardscaping maintenance, and wire materials.  Love the podcast? You can support us here and 'buy us a coffee' https://buymeacoffee.com/bonsaisidequest Hugh Grant - Tree Makers https://treemakers.com.au/ Jarryd Bailey - Montane Bonsai https://www.montanebonsai.com/  Eve Sczechowski - Yves Media https://www.yvesfilm.com/ 

After a long hiatus, we return and apologise for our absence!   Winter has kept Hugh and Jarryd busy behind the scenes: learning, refining, and evolving as their practices and businesses grow. Jarryd’s been deep in the work, tending the Niwaki pines at MONA, surviving spider attacks, pencil pine forest cleanups, and travelling for the GAB event in Western Australia. Hugh’s been also immersed in Niwaki pruning, teaching an intensive rock planting course, creating with students, including a long anticipated forest planting, and making a trip to the U.S., including a visit to Mirai and the Oregon Coast.   Love the podcast? You can support us here and 'buy us a coffee' https://buymeacoffee.com/bonsaisidequest Hugh Grant - Tree Makers https://treemakers.com.au/ Jarryd Bailey - Montane Bonsai https://www.montanebonsai.com/  Eve Sczechowski - Yves Media https://www.yvesfilm.com/ 

In this episode, Hugh and Jarryd share their upcoming repotting season anticipation, preparation work, and woes from mistakes past. They dig into the nitty-gritty of soil substrates, chopsticks, moss, and much more.    Love the podcast? You can support us here and 'buy us a coffee' https://buymeacoffee.com/bonsaisidequest Are you stocked up on soils for the repotting season? See our premium substrates from Tree Makers - https://treemakers.com.au/store-all/substrates Hugh Grant - Tree Makers https://treemakers.com.au/ Jarryd Bailey - Montane Bonsai https://www.montanebonsai.com/  Eve Sczechowski - Yves Media https://www.yvesfilm.com/ 

Hugh is back from a client trip 'across the ditch', making trees in some of New Zealand’s top bonsai garages, and Jarryd is deep in proud dad bonsai mode, with students studying at his garden. In this episode full of catch-ups and predictable detours, the two reflect on a surprising truth: bonsai isn't as patient as it's made out to be; it’s actually quite busy. After several rounds of beer, the conversation finally lands on the key question: what defines a tree as having "soul"? Love the podcast? You can support us here and 'buy us a coffee' https://buymeacoffee.com/bonsaisidequest Hugh Grant - Tree Makers https://treemakers.com.au/ Jarryd Bailey - Montane Bonsai https://www.montanebonsai.com/  Eve Sczechowski - Yves Media https://www.yvesfilm.com/ 

In this episode, Jarryd and Hugh finally accomplish the long-awaited finale of the top 20 Australian native species for bonsai. Sample side quests include: life updates, snow, and hot tips on paperbark species bark removal.  Hugh's picks - Banksia Integrifolia, Melaleuca Nodosa Jarryd's picks - Melaleuca Virens, runner up - Sassafras    Love the podcast? You can support us here and 'buy us a coffee' https://buymeacoffee.com/bonsaisidequest Hugh Grant - Tree Makers https://treemakers.com.au/ Jarryd Bailey - Montane Bonsai https://www.montanebonsai.com/  Eve Sczechowski - Yves Media https://www.yvesfilm.com/