Personal Bonsai Collection and Online Journal

Located in Tennessee, these trees are all of the outdoor variety. After admiring the concept of Bonsai for many years, my wife has created an inspiration that placed me in the plant/tree direction again. Most of the trees on this page have been aquired and put into bonsai training since March of 2003 and others are just pre-bonsai. As a youngster of 13 I had lot's of gardening interests with rose gardens, african violets, various house plants, lawn care and landscaping. That was 28 years ago and now my art interests are merging with the horticultural interest. The biggest challenge now is to keep these beautiful little trees alive and feeling good. And of course, keeping myself balanced and my family feeling good.

I am a member of the Nashville Bonsai Society which meets monthly
at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Belle Meade, a suburb of Nashville.

TONY GERBER

The Japanese definition of bonsai is "tray planting" or Chinese "pot plant."
The correct pronunciation is "bone - SIGH"

MORE LINKS TO GERBER'S HORTICULTURE WORLD
Gerb's Tiny Gardens ...  Shomu-en Japanese Garden ...  Gerb's Herbs & Garden Delights 

member since 2003

Dwarf Alberta Spruce

ABOVE: The tree on the left is as I brought the tree home from the nursery. The shot on the right shows the little alberta spruce after removing a major branch or split trunk. All part of the downsizing.

Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Picea glauca 'Conica'
Age 4 Years

ABOVE: From my sketch book journal as the tree may look in a few years down the line. I think "shari" on the trunk and possibly some "jin" branches may be in the cards for this tree. I purchased this from the local Walmart Nursery. It will be trained to the "formal upright" or "Chokkan" style.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Shimpaku Juniper

Shimpaku Juniper
Juniperus chinensis
Age 18 Years

The pruning/trimming and shaping of this tree was done by Dana Quattlebaum of Brussel's Bonsai Nursery 30 minutes south of Memphis, TN. This was the demonstration tree as part of the April Nashville Bonsai Show at Cheekwood Botanical Hall. It is trained in the Literati or "Bunjin" style. I got this in a silent auction after the demonstration. I will probably repot this next year and might even make a trip to Brussel's in Memphis to have Dana assist with this one.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Hinoki Cypress

Hinoki Cypress
Chamecyparis obtusa "Fern Leaf"
Age 5 Years

This tree was purchased as part of a workshop. Dana Quattlebaum of Brussel's Bonsai Nursery 30 minutes south of Memphis, TN was the instructor and he guided me in the creation of bonsai training. This basically in the "informal upright" style. I picked out the tree from a total of 13 trees used in the workshop. Allen Roach of Bonsai-Mart confirmed my decision that this was the best cypress tree there. The trunk has a very nice size and taper for the age. The Hinoki Cypress is an evergreen conifer with flat deep green fan-like foliage. Leaves edged with blue on undersides. Pea-sized cones. Beautiful uncommon evergreen which is the smallest of the species. The turntable toolbox shown above was created by my father and me in his Indiana woodshop. It is made of solid cherry and is still in need of a finish. I am debating whether to use Tung Oil or Polyurethane for the final finishing.
.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Japanese Dwarf Garden Juniper

Japanese Dwarf Garden Juniper
Juniperus procumbens 'Nana'
Age 5 Years

I purchased this from a local Home Depot Nursery. I am still trimming/pruning on this one. It is a gradual trimming over 2 weeks or so until I get it to a basic shaping state.The pot is from Thailand, but it is not really a "bonsai" pot in the traditional manner. That will come later down the road for this classic juniper species tree. It could even be turned into a semi-cascading style bonsai at some point down the road. I am still studying this one and will be for quite some time.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Heller's Japanese Holly

Heller's Japanese Holly
Ilex Crenata 'Helleri'
Age 5 Years

TThis was a purchase from a Lowe's Garden Center outside of Nashville, TN. I looked through gobs of them and found this one that I thought would do well as a bonsai. I did drastic pruning and repotted within a few days of purchasing this one. It was also my first attempt at trimming/pruning and training on a nursery tree stock. I guess an infiormal upright is the style for this one.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Japanese Maple

Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
Age 5 Years

This little beauty was purchased from Horticulturist, Randall L. Davis of Lynnewood Gardens, Bonsai Nursery located in Boaz, KY. It was during the Nashville Bonsai Show at Cheekwood the last weekend of April. He was one of the vendors. All of his tree's shown were grown from seed. I will probably put this in a group arrangement of maybe 6 more trees in a couple years.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Dwarf Kyushu Azalea

OrABOVE: Original Pre-Bonsai purchase 4/03
BELOW: Repotted and the two lowest branches removed on 5/14/03

Dwarf Kyushu Azalea (Tsutsusi)
Rhododendron kiusianum
Age 3 Years

Purchased from Bonsai artist, Allen L. Roach of Bonsai-Mart.com from Pensecola, FL. This is one of the original Japanese micro mountain azaleas that were collected from the mountains on the Kirile islands of the Japanese inland sea. Native to Kyushu Island, Japan. A number of hybrid varieties were developed from just these azaleas such as the Gumpo and Kurume.hybrids. It is also known as a mountain azalea. The flowers are purple and about the size of a nickel. The leaves turn bright green in the spring and then the flowers come out next.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Sago Palm

Sago Palm
Cycas Revoluta
Age 3 Years

This was actually a Wal-mart purchase for $8. I had to repot it immediately as the soil is poured over with some kind of a glue that keeps the soil and rocks from falling out during shipment, I suppose. I am hoping that it will make it. This species has outlived the dinosaurs and has been on the planet for approximately 200,000,000 years. It is hardy for sure...

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Chinese Elm

ABOVE: Original purchase 4/03 from Randy Lewis of Lynnewood Gardens
BELOW: The tree was taken to a bonsai master session with Ben Oki 5/16/03
The tree is setting on my new outdoor, porch greenhouse that my wife pieced together. Just brilliant.

Chinese Elm
Ulmus Parvifolia "Yatsubusa"
Age 5 Years from Cutting

This tree was purchased from Horticulturist, Randall L. Davis of Lynnewood Gardens, Bonsai Nursery located in Boaz, KY. It was during the Nashville Bonsai Show at Cheekwood Botanic Hall the last weekend of April. There is some great looking roots, but the trunk seems a little spindly...Will have to get some assistance with this perhaps. Or at least more study for sure .. No sooner speak than....This tree accompanied me to a dinner with Bonsai Master Ben Oki...The above photo shows the results of his maestro touch.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Ben Oki Cuttings from Nashville Bonsai Society Sessions

These cuttings were dipped in root hormone and planted within 24 hours of being cut from their mother tree.
They will remain in my porch greenhouse until next year at this time and I will then plant the ones that root to individual containers.
The cuttings include Gardenia, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Hinoki Cypress, Trident Maple and Ulmus Parvifolia "Seiju" or in laymans terms a Seiju Elm. I also added some cuttings from the dwarf Alberta Spruce.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Jack Pine Seedlings

Jack Pine Seedings
Pinus banksiana
Age 1 Month

This is what started it all for me. These jack pine seeds were in a "miniature bonsai kit" that I purchased at a Joann Fabric store. Everything I read on the web about this little kit, when I got home, was negative and said that the seeds would not sprout. There were 5 seeds included and here are 4 that sprouted.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Bonsai Tool Drawer

This picture was taken in April of my top drawer in the turntable/tool box which I made with my father in March.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

The Front Porch Arboreum

A Beautiful May Day in 2003

The trees are residing on our front porch. They kind of rotate around depending on the weather.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

The Front Porch Greenhouse

A clouded day on May 20th, 2003.

This is the front porch greehouse with access flap cut in front. Velcro holds the flap together when closed.
Designed by my wife, Heather, it is made with stuff we already had around the house. I will add a wood tray at the bottom, cover with moss from Georgia. This should help to keep the humidity up.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Bonsai Tree Loving Wasp?

The above photos illustrate activities from 2 different mornings. Apparently, the same insect, traveled to the ilex crenata "helleri" holly tree and hung out on that leaf for at least one hour. Then on the following morning, parked it on the Shimpaku Juniper, in the Bunjin style for probably over 1 hour.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION

Grand Daddy in the dwarf Juniper

The above photo was a grand daddy long legs found as I was pulling some tips off with my fingers. They are good spiders so I left him there.

GERBER BONSAI COLLECTION