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Learn-to-Bonsai Learn-to-Bonsai. Bonsai Nursery: Specializing in Beginner Bonsai Training, Bonsai Service Point. Learn to Bonsai Kai.

Bonsai Nursery - Specializing in Beginner Bonsai Training, Bonsai Service Point, Holiday Care. Expert Bonsai knowledge - Established 1986
(Mondays and Tuesdays By appointment only)
GPS Co-ordinates: Lat: -30.902102/Long: 30.322488

Olea europaea subsp africana. Grown from seed in 2011. Height 17 cm. This little tree was/is styled with the clip-and-g...
02/10/2026

Olea europaea subsp africana.
Grown from seed in 2011. Height 17 cm.
This little tree was/is styled with the clip-and-grow method of styling. It the best method for styling a wild olive bonsai i e to obtain natural curved branches that resembles the branch structure a mature tree in nature has. In general wild olives has a rigid growth habit and does not take well to wiring to achieve style. Curved branches lends great movement to a tree. Remember the definition of a bonsai is to have a replica of a mature as it is in nature, but on a small scale. So it took me 15yrs just to create, to my mind, an authentic branch structure. Fromout that a well developed tersiary branch structure carrying the leaves to be developed.

Nikkie Cilliers
Learn to bonsai.
R450. This is not much for 15yrs' dedication to achieve authenticity

Portulacaria affra. Spekboom. 7liter bag R450. Showing the growth a year after initially styling this spekboom bonsai. ...
30/09/2026

Portulacaria affra.
Spekboom. 7liter bag R450.
Showing the growth a year after initially styling this spekboom bonsai. Sept 2025. Also done the final styling. Well formed clouds/platforms of leaves developing. Remember a spekboom can be grown rather succesfully indoor and the leaves are edible.

A cute potulacaria afra var. Common name: Elephant food. Created into the 'Exposed root style". Planted in 9cm potHeight...
26/08/2026

A cute potulacaria afra var.
Common name: Elephant food. Created into the 'Exposed root style". Planted in 9cm pot
Height: 10cm
Age: 2019
Price: R95
Contact detail on my 'Learn to bonsai' fb Business Suite page.
Nikkie Cilliers

The same Dalbergia armata tree ( Thorny rope tree ) as in the previous post. Photograph taken 21 Aug. Defoliated it on...
21/08/2026

The same Dalbergia armata tree ( Thorny rope tree ) as in the previous post. Photograph taken 21 Aug. Defoliated it on 19 Aug.
In appox 3 days the buds started opening and will soon be in full leave. By keeping the old leaves on until it drops by itself it uses the vigorous growth that can be of more value to the new leaves

This Dalbergia armata tree in fact is a decidious tree. With some experience one can ,by means of defoliating manipulate...
21/08/2026

This Dalbergia armata tree in fact is a decidious tree. With some experience one can ,by means of defoliating manipulate the tree to have leaves in winter. But keep in mind that as spring arises the tree will send out new buds as if it had no leaves. As soon as buds starts showing one has to take off the old leaves it had during winter.
More defoliating a tree during the growing season it helps to reduce the size of the leaves.
This photograph was taken on 18 zaug 2026. Since then I've defoliated the tree.

By: Nikkie Cilliers. Learn-to-Bonsai page Portulacaria afra variety. This variety has smaĺler leaves and n more droopy...
07/06/2026

By: Nikkie Cilliers. Learn-to-Bonsai page

Portulacaria afra variety. This variety has smaĺler leaves and n more droopy habit of growth than the ordinary spekboom. The common name for this variety is
"elephant food"
This tree was only 7cm high and I styled it in the twintrunk style. One of my alltime favourite creations

A follow- up photograph of the previous post. The Dalbergia armata here in full leave. The connected-rootpiece bonsai ...
06/05/2026

A follow- up photograph of the previous post. The Dalbergia armata here in full leave.
The connected-rootpiece bonsai still in training. I am greatly satified with the reduction of leave size achieved in 6years.

Dalbergia armata. Thorny rope treeTo me personally this is an excellent example of the 'connected rootpiece' style. Tree...
17/04/2026

Dalbergia armata.
Thorny rope tree

To me personally this is an excellent example of the 'connected rootpiece' style. Trees different in height and thickness from out the base. But all the trees must be of the same style , movement and flow so it creates good harmony, pleasing to the eye. This tree is still in training.
In front is n little terracotta pot overgrown with beautiful moss.

a Little Ficus burt-davyi bonsai 2016Grown from a cutting. Common name: veld figNoemnaam: veld vy. Amazing how a tree ch...
19/03/2026

a Little Ficus burt-davyi bonsai 2016
Grown from a cutting.

Common name: veld fig
Noemnaam: veld vy.
Amazing how a tree changes over a couple of years. This one I did not interfere a much...rather left it to follow its own style.
These photographs were taken respectively 2020, 2021, 2023 and the last one taken last week 2026 then. To my mind and experience one of the best tapered trunks this tree has.

A follow-up on my previous post dd 16 March 2026. Dalbergia armata. Since styling the bonsai I've defoliated the tree mu...
16/03/2026

A follow-up on my previous post dd 16 March 2026. Dalbergia armata.
Since styling the bonsai I've defoliated the tree multiple times. The purpose of doing this is to achieve reduction in the size of the leaves. When this shrubby tree grows in the wild the leave size is about 10 times the size of what I achieved regarding size with this miniature version of it.
The second photograph is to show how multiple branches were growing from the base.

Address

Corner Old South Coast And Oatlands Road, Ramsgate Ext 3
Ramsgate
4275

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Sunday 10:00 - 17:00

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0722224578

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