I’m not renowned for being coy, my recalcitrant attitude has landed me in hot water a time or two. I have strong opinions on how things should be done (in common with most beer drinking Englishmen). I don’t profess to be the Messiah, in fact some mornings I don’t know which way is up. But one thing I can be sure about is what I like. In life I have generally found myself swimming against the tide. For instance as I have gotten older my cars (and bikes) are getting older not newer, so far I have regressed to the late 50s. I am also the only person in Britain today (under 90 years of age) who does not carry a mobile telephone. I didn’t get my first TV until I was 47. Some would call these things bloody mindedness, personally I don’t care what you call it. People with strong opinions aren’t popular in todays age of compromise. Whatever!

One of the things I do have strong opinions about is bonsai pots. There are a few points you need to know.

* Putting a plant in a bonsai pot does not make it bonsai.

* Putting a crappy bonsai in a nice pot is like putting a hat on a pig, it’s still a pig.

* Formal bonsai trees can go in informal pots but normally look better in traditional styles.

* Informal bonsai trees should go in formal pots. Too much informality in a bonsai composition ends up looking like a teenagers bedroom.

* Butt ugly trees will not be made beautiful by clever use of lots of wacky stuff (see above comment about hats).

* The bonsai tree should always be the centre of attention. Loud pots are much like loud 1960s trousers, ALL WRONG!

* Creating a TASTEFUL beautiful informal arrangement is something you can do AFTER you have mastered the art of the formal and traditional.

From the above you can tell I don’t like the current trend for loud, wonky pots and silly arrangements of old tat and bonsai hanging out of crappers and the like.

We recently bought in a small collection of generally scruffy bonsai trees and there were a couple of corking pots in amongst them. Here’s how I resolved to rid the world of a little ugliness……..

If these were pots you once owned or even, God forbid, made, I wouldn’t go any further than this 😉

G.