My Trunk Club Experience (for RNmom)
Comments (33)
mtnrdredux_gw
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Trunk chop help
Comments (8)I think these two articles will help answer the first two questions, and help me from doing a lot of explaining as far as trunks go :) Brent Walston's site (first link also has other articles that will help you. http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/trunks.htm http://bonsaijournal.com/beginners-trunk-chop-101.php I would allow the roots to stay the way they are and keep as large a root mass as possible (in a larger pot) while the tree is in training. The larger the root system the more vigorously the tree will grow and it will develop quicker. At this point the only root work that should be done is the removal of any 'tap roots' (roots growing directly downward) and any radial roots that are growing at a bad angle too large and out of proportion with the rest should be trimmed back. One of the most prevalent problem in the west is people are over anxious to get an instant bonsai and or put their trees in a Bonsai pot right away. I would save a Bonsai pot for a tree that has reached the refinement stage(no longer in the training stage) as once the trees roots are reduced and it is planted in a more confined Bonsai pot the tree will slow down in growth and development drastically. As for the second question, yes you should always use some training wire to secure the tree in the pot. This is to keep from have the tree fall out of the pot in the instance it will be knocked over as well as other reasons. As for soil while mixtures are tailored in accordance to the local weather conditions it is always best to use a course free draining soil that stays moist no longer than 2-3 days tops. Boon Manakitivipart's Mixture works just about anywhere though and is a optimal choice in my opinion and is comprised of equal parts Akadama,Pumic, and lava rock. That being said it isn't the cheapest and Akadama might be hard for you to find (cheaply). You will have to play around to see what works best for you but for a begginer Turface MVP is a good additive to use (and can be found at just about any sports store or farm store). All in all if you are a beginner nothing is better than to find and join Your local Bonsai club where seasoned artists will be able to give you valuable information as to special needs in your geographical location. Your local libary is also a good source to read up on Bonsai books at no expense. Hope this helps and good luck on embarking on your new and wondrous hobby. -Mike...See MoreHow does a tree trunk DO this? See photo...
Comments (18)Ken, this 'tree circus' is the result of a steady grafting hand using basically two techniques; pleaching and bridge grafting. Also, close observation indicates a seldom mentioned method, not used on conifers, which I learned about several years ago and have been practicing. Very useful for the bonsai addict who wants to add a branch onto a bare space in a tree trunk. Give this a try on a young sapling... In the very early spring (important) using an exacto knife quickly make/pound one vertical slice through the sapling's trunk and out the other side. Do not withdraw the knife. Instead, find another young, supple branch on the same tree that you can bend around and insert its tip end bud through the cut forming a new branch about 1" long. Remove knife carefully. Leave all in place until you are certain the graft has taken and the new branch is growing. Then, using sharp shears, cut the 'donor branch' cleanly next to the trunk which frees it to continue growing as before and the new branch continues normal development. A good way to practice this graft is on a shrub, making a cut in a branch, inserting the tip end bud of another branch which is still attached to the mother shrub through the cut, waiting for the graft to heal and then separating the two. Hope you can follow my explanation as interesting tree shapes can be developed with this grafting technique....See MoreMy Zone 9 Hosta Experiment
Comments (11)EAHamel, I was reading and scrolling going to ask if it was Houston after you mentioned River Oaks. You are, give or take a few miles, about 20 miles further south than I am, and probably about the same amount south of Paula (Ilovetogrow) in Jacksonville FL. We are all basically "South of I-10 Gardeners"....and that's pretty good. The Elegans will like a lot more shade, because it is blue. I have one from last year. But since 2011, I've had 3 hosta planted in the ground, one being Blue Angel (from Lowes) and it remained blue all year. A beautiful hosta. So is Winter Snow, in the ground, from Lowes, and beautiful but a chartreuse/gold with white margin. A beam of light striking it lights up the whole garden. The balance of my hosta (325 or so) are all in containers, which I diligently move to follow the shade, with a little more morning sun when I can manage it. To bloom, the plantaginea must have some sun anyway. I focus mainly on fragrant hosta, and there are a lot of green ones but also enough varied colors as well to keep life interesting. Hosta sweat and need water to replace the moisture. They also should be located so they get good air circulation, which helps keep them cool in our humid climate. If the air is stagnant, I think you might look for southern blight to strike your plants. I lost a beauty to southern blight last year, and it only took a day or two for it to happen. This year I have several large patio umbrellas scattered around the garden, which extends the amount of shade I have available. I'm told that you can also help keep the roots cool by placing ice cubes on the surface of the pot soil when you've kept them watered but they still want to wilt down. I took a shot of my major plantaginea family players today, and will show you a section of the garden where they are corralled . VERY pleased to have another person delighted by hosta join the discussion. It's been several years since I drove through Houston on my way to work in south Texas from Mobile, and I always left here to transit Houston at 3am--the only time I could count on no traffic congestion! :)...See MoreMy ThreadUp experience
Comments (14)I was quite surprised by the "smelliness" of the ThreadUp clothing that I got. The one sweater that I was able to redeem by soaking in vinegar was from the bargain selection, so I guess that was not out of line with what should have been my expectations, but they do advertise that they only accept clean clothes, and that sweater clearly was not. I mean it wasn't DIRTY per se, it was just saturated with someone's personal perfume and odor. But I got it out. However, like I said, it is paper thin and runs in tepid water, so I can't imagine it taking a lot of even hand washings and coming back strong. I imagine that was why the person who owned it got rid of it. The other stuff was advertised as "like new" and it was, sort of . . . But something in the box must have had an odor that stunk up the rest of the stuff. That kind of thing doesn't really bother me if the stuff is washable and the odor is mild and I know it will wash out, but if it needs to be dry cleaned, then that has to be factored into the price. It was my fault about not returning the items in time, BUT the window is small and it is from ship date, NOT arrival date, which can be several days later, which is how I got caught. As with all online shopping, the kicker is you have to try on stuff and with many, many clothing items it is a crapshoot as far as sizing, how it will look on you, etc. That's the problem with online shopping, you have to order maybe two sizes or a couple of styles and then that has to go on your credit card and you have to be careful about returns. That is the main reason I hate online shopping and ThreadUp was no different, in fact worse since thrift has even more unknowns to it. I like shopping thrift, but it's really not that often that you can find specific items you need. The best approach is to just look and see what is being offered, and every once and a while you find some amazing things. I have two workhorse jackets in my closet that were like new at the Goodwill. I wasn't specifically shopping for them though. Similarly, the one ThreadUp jacket from Talbots I like, I know I will wear but really wasn't needed or what I was specifically looking for. The folks I know who do the best with thrift, just have their actual thrift store routes and check in from time to time. That's why they call them FINDS at thrift store, you just have to be open to only buying something you need and know is going to get used. That takes willingness to do a lot of sifting, one way or the other. Unfortunately, my take on the online thrift was too many unknowns to make the time invested worth the trouble. If I was just casually perusing the site and found something inexpensive and fun and perfect for me, great, but that's not how I'm going to spend my time at this late stage of my life's game. I can see younger fashionistas who are eco-conscious having a lot of fun with it. It's also not worth selling consignment with them is the general consensus, the return on the dollar is minimal. But if you're doing a lot of shopping with them, turning in your stuff gives you some extra cash towards something you might want. It's sort of a thrift community so if I was into frequent closet clearing for fresher things, or really loved wearing new outfits constantly, I would maybe get into the system, but it's not really me. I hate shopping so would prefer to only have to do it maybe every five years . . . :)...See More
dedtired
2 years agoFunkyart
2 years agoFunkyart
2 years agoThis batch includes items I liked but didn't purchase. In some cases, it was just one thing that wasn't right.. and in others, just the wrong season.
Continuing with my new found love of Nike products lol.. I LOVE this Tshirt dress for wearing around the house/cleaning etc. The only reason I didn't purchase is that it is fairly heavyweight. Too much for summer.. but I'd consider it for fall. It isn't flattering at all.. just very comfy.
Loved the linen material on this Eileen Fisher top-- i just didn't like the cut on me. It is fairly light and breezy. I might have liked it better with a v neck.
I liked this top .. forget which of the nordstrom house brands it is.. but i passed on it only because the nordstrom site had a similar top i liked more. First one is what came in trunk club.. second one is what i bought on my own (in white and blue).
This dress fit well and looked nice on .. but (at the time) i had no need for a party dress. I don't have anything against it really but i guess it seems... uninspired? common? not sure. Maybe i should reconsider it for the wedding... but is the color wrong for summer?
This Madewell dress is sweet-- had i kept it, i would have worn the neck open instead of closed (i forget it it is a tie or a button at the neck-- but it can be worn open). It fit super well and is a nice weight for summer but just a little too "first holy communion" for me. :) However, I would consider any other Madewell dress.. and unfortunately, i let a few slip by thinking Madewell wasn't a brand for my size/shape. I was wrong.
I have been looking for a casual tote.. and these are a few they sent that I liked. I didn't purchase either because the Tory Burch was maybe a little too tailored and I didn't think the quality was up to the price. The straw one was a little too whimsical. I do like them both though.
I am a huge fan of Beyond Yoga leggings-- i never wore leggings until i discovered these (through Trunk Club.. my stylist urged me to try them even though i said i wouldn't wear them!). I just didn't care for this color for me.
localeater
2 years ago
jill302
2 years ago
l pinkmountain
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago
eld6161
2 years agoFunkyart
2 years ago
rubyclaire
2 years agoFunkyart
2 years agomtnrdredux_gw
2 years agoWhile we are talking shoes, I have to give a shout out to these. They are sooooo comfy. They are a lil' cheap looking TBH but hey, they are cheap!
The straps are stretchy. They fit like a glove but are feel great, I have the white w navy.DSW et al.
Funkyart
2 years agoFunkyart
2 years agoI am opting not to post the fails.. of which there were many!! Items that were not even close to my style.. items lacking in quality.. items that didn't fit. I will share them going forward when I will show a whole trunk. I have one coming up in a week or two so I can take you on that ride with me.
I will share a few additional items that I bought on my own and were big wins.
This top comes in regular sizes also.. I LIVE in them. I have 4 colors and 3 of the white. Some reviewers complain about the short length in the front but that is what gives it style and movement. I couldn't love these more ... but note they are a thin slub material.
A youtube influencer turned me on to these-- the Laura Mercier Chrome Caviar Stick eyeshadow. I used to wear a chanel gel eyeliner in "platine" which was a shimmery platinum color (i also wore the bronze). They have been discontinued for years now.. and this is now my replacement! I wear it the way some women would wear a white eyeliner. I have small eyes so it just helps to set them off with a little shimmer. This color is intense moonlight.
Not sure if this is still available anywhere-- it was a fall/winter item but i just love this Eileen Fisher twin set (cardigan and tank) and i get SO many compliments on it. It is generously sized and i really should have sized down in it. I wear them together or separately -- usually with a scarf that is brown, lavender, aqua and pink floral.
OK that's all until my next trunk... oh no, i will share ONE huge fail. I don't know what my stylist was thinking.. The pattern turned my stomach and while i didn't try them on, i am pretty sure the cargo pocket would have made me look like i had saddle bags!
Funkyart
2 years agoFunkyart
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoFunkyart
2 years agoFunkyart
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoI will eld.. it should arrive in the next week or two. I'll share what they send in a preview.. what they ultimately send after my feedback and then what i purchase.xsm
Mtn, looks like those pieces from Eileen Fisher are in limited supply. I don't have a photo of the two tops together but this photo covers the cardigan (they call it a jacket) and the pants. They have a few smaller normal sizes available. I do think the sizing is generous-- I could easily have gone down a size from my normal EF size... but the jacket/cardigan is not quite that long on me.
Also it has stretch to it. i think they call it a stretch crepe?
Funkyart
2 years agoSue, the T is from Treasure and Bond .. and is called the Mixed Media T-Shirt, I went to grab the normal size link for you -- so sorry! they are showing sold out-- but don't fret. I am seeing all sorts of things come back in stock as they prepare for their annual sale.
That reminded me of another dress I got in trunk club-- i swapped it for black but the blue shows the tiers better. I prefer a longer skirt but it's more sporty at this length.
Funkyart
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agomtnrdredux_gw
2 years ago
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
2 years ago
FunkyartOriginal Author