I have been working on the Retreat’s trees the last few days. Most of what I have done is remove wire and clean them up a bit. We may have lost the two Chinese Plums due to watering/potting problems. We will see if they come back. I have put them into a place where they can get plenty of light and moisture in new soil and pots. I am not sure if I got to them in time.
I am trying a new aspect of cleaning out the deadwood on them by using a dremel. While not traditional nor particularly Zen in any way, it does produce a well-balanced cut away. I think in the future that I will use it more.
On a final note, I believe that the cutaway on the Purple Queen bougainvillea may have died. The up side is that the rooted lower section has put out 3-4 leaders in very good points. As soon as they harden up a bit, I will trim back and wire them throughout the summer. I think it is a good beginning for the specimen.
End of Winter should come in the next few weeks. Temperatures, while they dropped for a bit, are warming back up during the day and night. Daylight savings time in the United States is the 10th of this month. I hope over the next few weeks to have the time to clean up around the physical retreat and get ready for the Spring growth.
Xiong Nai Xin Retreat 
Share Your Insight