My name is Stephen. Married. In my mid 50s.

I live on the top floor of an apartment building in a southern european city where there is a small terrace with some plants on it.

I've been growing plants from seeds I collect from the wild for a few years now. I start them in 6" / 15cm plastic pots and then move up. I'm not a very good gardener and it's a hit and miss affair. Some plants don't survive our ferocious hot summers either because I haven't noticed it's dripper is blocked or some other reason - I have actually managed to drown an olive tree when I didn't notice its bung hole was blocked.

Most of my plants are now over 10 years old and in very large clay flower pots. I repot them every 3 to 4 years. I have some coming on including jacaranda, mediterranean pine, cork oak and holm oak. And what I think is a Chinese Elm that seeded itself in a pot that contained an amaryllis - this, I have decided is going to be my first bonsai.

Wish me luck!

Hey, Stephen!
I wish you luck!

Please post a picture of your trees (I happen to have some Jacarandás and a Mediterranean pine here in Brazil), so I am curious.

Ola Clicio

Here are my Jacarandas!

As you can see they have reached for the sky. The pots are 50cm. The plant includint the pot is about 3m tall.

I suppose my first step needs to be to stimulate growth lower down the trunk. Can you suggest how to do that?

Now let's see yours!

Many thanks!