Dear Liza,
I have told you about my bonsai forest, The Hundred Acre Wood. I’ve been nurturing it along for a few years now.
This past winter was extra cold and long, and the cotoneaster didn’t survive. In this picture taken back in March, you can see that the larch is sprouting a bit and the bunchy juniper is fine, but the cotoneaster is not waking up.
I have been on the lookout for a tiny Japanese maple to put in. I love the delicate umbrella shape and the tiny skinny leaves.
And it just so happened that on a walk the other day, sharp-eyed Auntie Bridgett saw this tiny tree growing under exactly the sort of tree I was looking for, not a foot from the sidewalk! Being careful to not disturb the soil or the tree and to be gentle with his thread-like roots, I peeled away some moss and dug the little guy out, carrying him home in my loving hand.
I chose the right sized tools for the job…
Removed the dead cotoneaster and loosened up the soil…
And ever-so-gently placed him in his new home. I laid the moss from his home bed around him to make his new spot feel like home.
Here is the new Hundred Acre Wood, with its newest addition, Mr. Naito.
I named the baby Japanese Maple after Bill Naito, who was a Portland businessman and leader of the Japanese community here in Portland back in the 1970s. Our Naito Parkway which runs along the West Bank of the Willamette River in downtown is named after him, as well.
I will keep him watered and let you know of his progress.
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 