Whew! What a workout.

Spring has sprung and our work has just begun. In bonsai, every season has it's focus ans it's chores. But of all the seasons spring always seems to be the busiest.

This spring is proving to be particularly busy for me. I've taken down my winter greenhouse. Finally that thing is gone. I've given the screened in porch back the the missus (mostly). Cleaning the yard and getting my bonsai garden in order is next.

Testing the sprinkler system proved that each of my three watering sections needed attention. It's amazing what can happen over a winter season. After replacing some sprinkler heads, mending broken pipes and adding some hardware, I ended up with something I've been wanting for a while. I now have a sprinkler dedicated to just my trees. Yay!

Spring is also time to start making some decisions. I have too much stuff. Too many trees. It's time to start culling the herd.

Let's face it. When you get started you put anything in a pot just to get you going and give you that excitement of watching something grow, but eventually you move past that. Sure there are still some twigs and saplings that I want to continue to develop. Some of these have sentimental value and I won't give them up while they still live and grow. But for the most part, this junk stuff has got to go. It's taking up too much of my limited space. I have good material now that needs that space.

It's a never ending job, this growing of bonsai, but it's done with love. How else can you justify the hours put into it. The money. The labor, and sometimes, the disappointments.