There’s some amazing bonsai on here. Just expect that they show a bit of taiko drumming at the beginning of the vid from the exhibition! XD
I wondered about this mix of white and wood though. 
Looks like they’ve painted some of the wood? Is that what they’ve done?
My favorite is probably the one in the video thumb image, being all personality and a bit awkward in how it has a lot of trunk but only leaves on the back! XD
The white parts have had their bark stripped off. You actually damage the tree to do this, in order for it took look like a mature tree that’s recovered from being hit by lightning or disease. I don’t have bonsai (beause they always die on me), but I have many japanese garden trees. It took me so many years to grow and prune them that I’d never dream of damaging them to create the aestetic above. So that technique feels a bit weird for me. However, it definitely looks awesome.
Here’s my Japanese garden in the north of England. It took about 7 years to make a garden from a space which previously was bricks and grass:
I have plum trees 梅の木, cherry 桜の木 trees, loads of acer trees カエデの木 along with bamboos 竹 and sasa ササ grasses to really finish off the Japanese look & feel.
So gorgeous! Life goals! 
That is so cool, I admire your dedication! 
I hope that you can enjoy the (beautiful-looking) fruits of your labour for many years to come!
(Replying to this where it’ll be on topic!)
Going into Spring (I live in a warmer climate, so it’s going to be Spring-like weather in a few weeks), I’m looking to grow mostly the basics: lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes.
Maybe a watermelon, but I’ve only ever had a few seeds germinate, and all those were eaten by crustaceans, save for one I grew indoors.
Also, trying for some flowers, but I haven’t been able to successfully grow much in the way of flowers before.
Over the past few years, I have constantly failed at growing romaine/cos and caesar lettuces. Both in soil and hydroponics. But I’m trying yet again this year!
I need to check out the growing season for various melons, as I’d like to give them a try.
Nice!! Enjoy your warm weather soon. Thanks for introducing me to the thread. I love visiting gardens.
Sorry I totally forgot about this until I found the tab open. Do you have any smooth plastic, like from packaging? ダンゴムシ can’t climb smooth surfaces (source: I accidently killed a lot of them as a kid), so unless they burrow from underneath to reach your plants, you should be able to deter them with a plastic shield. Actually, a cut up water bottle should work well until they establish themselves.
After losing every single cucumber and melon plant I planted in soil outside last year, my plan this year is:
Wait longer before transplanting the plants from indoors to outisde. Aim for four weeks rather than two-three weeks.
Put a glass mason jar over some of the plants and see if that keeps the roly-poly population away. (Once the plants are more mature or too big for the jars, I can remove the jars.)
Keep an area right around each plant clear of mulch so that it’s less attractive to the hungry armies. (Once the plants are more mature, I can then mulch closer around them.)
Regarding my planned use of a mason jar, I don’t have any kind of plastic I could use.
Aren’t you worried about that intensifying the light and making it too hot? That’s why I suggested cutting plastic bottles since you can leave both ends open.
Hm, what about toilet paper roll holders or old towel holders? idk how many you could get or if they’re too textured, but they might block the roly polies
I did wonder if that will be an issue.
I typically avoid buying products that come in plastic, so I actually don’t have much I can cut. However, I do happen to have some thin plastic cups that I might be able to find something to cut through. That may also be better as it doesn’t block air flow and doesn’t restrict growth in the long run. I’ll give it a shot!
That’s a possibility, but I don’t know how well they would hold up with watering.
Do you have a good relationship with your neighbors? You may be able to ask them for some 
That’s what I did for a cosplay project and people were really helpful.
Judging by my mom’s worm composting, cardboard takes a while to break down, even when shredded, so I think it’d probably last the week or two that you’re wanting it for. I’m not sure if it would keep the roly polies away though. Like they might want fiber or something. I don’t know much about them but apparently they eat pavement for the calcium.
I need to think about which kabocha varieties I’m going to grow this year. I’m at 55 degrees north in the UK. Last year the crop totally failed. Gonna succeed this year💪🏻
Neighbor? What’s a neighbor? (I’m a hermit.)
I do have a friend who probably has plastic soda bottles.
That’s true. It’s not like I need it to be on there forever.
Coincidentally, I had a whole bunch of cardboard rolls that (due to laziness) had been collecting forever and ever, and I finally was not-lazy and put them all in recycling that went out earlier this week.
Well, so much for the plan to put a ring of cement around the plants…
Have you tried growing Hokkaido varieties?
They look like they’d work!
Sounds like it would’ve been a buffet sign lol
I wish you the best of luck. I sadly give up on most crops that might be a bit tropical. While Gothenburg is on the warmer side, as to growing regions, it’s still just not good enough. We’ll see what I go for this year. i do want to grow something!! 
Maybe try grow naga-negi. I grew them successfully last year. They added fresh japanese onioniness to so many dishes. It was just a slight hassle to keep burying their stems with soil week by week, to make them develop the long white section at the bottom.
So far, I’ve planted about 20-30 seeds between these two variety to start indoors, and they all specifically did not sprout. (All my other lettuces started in the exact same conditions are doing well.)
As for outdoor plants, I have a strategy in motion.
The enemy, and reigning champion of 2022:
The contenders of 2023, sporting plastic fortresses with cut-out bottoms:
A few days since transplant, and so far so good. But I must remain ever vigilant and not let down my guard.
Your garden is much bigger than I thought it’d be for some reason. Is your backyard mostly garden or do you have more land compared to your neighbors??
