50 YEARS of Bonsai: My Journey, Trees & Anecdotes with Joe (Age 82)

[@user-OMF]

What a brilliant video,and what a wonderful lovely bloke Joe is,amazing trees and garden as well so he can get around. All that 50 years of knowledge locked in his head.unreal

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

He is also very humble and happily admits that he killed many trees during this long journey and that is an important part of the learning process :)

[@freespirit906]

Mastering his craft for nearly 50 years I’m really impressed with his collection and of magnificent trees.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I think the biggest message that came across for me was that he does bonsia 'no differently' than most of us - with time all our collections can look like this :)

[@PBwarfare]

Absolute gentleman. Inspiration to bonsai enthusiasts! Thanks Joe

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I am sure he is representative of so many bonsai enthusiasts who just go about their hobby quietly. So many beautiful trees :)

[@maryweber4176]

You two are so cute in your matching sweaters. But wow, what a treat for you to visit. Amazing trees. I have to acquire more patience.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

You need the jacket if you really want to succeed :)

[@maryweber4176]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat So that's your little secret..........

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I’m free to visit Joe’s garden any time… 😂 I particularly like those pines 😊😂😂

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That semi-cascade mugo was magnificent up close :)

[@dandanlego8796]

Love the matching jackets 😂

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I couldn't believe it when I saw that. he looked just like my dad did a few years ago. It is his jacket that i now wear in memory of him :)

[@dandanlego8796]

@ a wearable memory. Like a warm hug from dad.

[@OwenSpitfireStorvik]

Great watching!!🙏 thanks gentlemen!!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I am so happy that this has worked out well for him. This will be a lasting tribute to his bonsai journey...which is definitely not complete yet!

[@sueb1317]

Oh, that was awesome! So wonderful to meet the man behind the comments. I could have spent a month listening to Joe's discussions and advice. What an beautiful experience!!!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

As you can imagine he had lots of interesting stuff to say. Very quiet but had strong opinions on lots of subjects - unfortunately most of it couldn't really be put in the video :(

[@sueb1317]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat Haahaa - one of those privileges that comes with years. Some things are too good for KZbin :)

[@RocamboleMan]

What an amazing collection! and what a special man! Thanks for this.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It is amazing what joe has put into such a small area. He was a great person to spend a a few hours with :)

[@stephenkent1102]

Really nice video with Joe, what a history 👏

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

He surprised me when he satrted talking about some of the 'greats' in Uk Bonsai.

[@a.wartongarden1957]

Another fab video... Fascinating to meet Joe Thanks to you both 👏👏👏

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It was another surprising yet satisfying day. I certainly didnt expect to be coming back with more trees :)

[@joepearce1728]

Really liked this video trees and garden a credit to that man

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I think he shows what any of us are capable of doing. No instruction...just experience over 50 years :)

[@greenmachinesweden]

What a lovelly man you found there. I enjoyed every minute.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thank you Magnus - he is very humble about his own efforts.

[@TOMSAI]

Great to See this old trees and this cool guy 👍 i Hope to see more of that content 👍 Good Job xav.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I think I was lucky to have Joe so willing to chat. He surprised me with the poeple he had met and chatted with over the years. A lot of controversial comments had to stay onthe edit floor unfortunately :(

[@hassimgora]

Bonsai Heaven. A really stunning collection.❤

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I just wonder how many other people have similiar collections built up over the years - it would be great to document a few more :)

[@hassimgora]

@XaviersBonsaiRetreat . 100%. I for one know of at 2 people in my locality who have prize worthy bonsai but never publish them. They members of the club but always seem to stay in background not wanting to share their pieces to the world. They very inspiring though and always provide proper guidance to members on styling and shaping.

[@markperrin3112]

Great video Xavier, lovely to see how other people do their bonsais. You asked if you should start a club... Yes, yes and yes. If you start it you can make it what you want it to be and I'm sure it won't be elitist!! Keep up the excellent work.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It is just all the red tape and insurance and stuff like that which is the issue. I shall think it through over the winter :)

[@rtregear]

Thanks Xavier & Joe. A wonderful tour of a bonsai collection and a bonsai life. BTW can we assume that you and Joe will be launching a line of JoeXav merch soon starting with your matching jackets? Bonsaiwear that will cause a broom handle to backbud!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That is the funniest comment I have heard so far. Love it :)

[@JeffBelttari-fp7pd]

Thank you for this excellent walk through

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks to Joe for making this such a warm and interesting afternoon for me :)

[@thebrightsidepotteryandbonsai]

That is a great tribute to 50 years of study and practice! Truly , a gentleman from another age ❤ Thank you Xav and thank you Joe!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It was an incredible affternoon :)

[@conspiraterry7393]

That was so good! The matching cardigans look like they are wool and you needed it! Joe's the best would love to meet him!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

He reminded me so mcuh of my dad, even down to the cardigan. the one I am wearing was his before he died in 2020.

[@kenmunro1320]

Joe what a lovely bloke

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

We had only chatted by email before this visit so it was wonderful to speak in person and see he is truly a genuine bloke.

[@oachkatzlsmum]

It’s all about scale 😊 and passion 🥰 I wonder how many years all of Joe‘s trees would have combined. Thank you so much for sharing your time 🙏❤️ Stay safe and healthy both of you and have fun with your trees many more years. God bless you 🙏 Cheers 🙋‍♀️ Martina

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

He reminded me yesterday that he forgot to show me the 100 year old tree he purchased back in the 80's. Such a gentleman

[@BonsaiCornwall]

Thoroughly enjoyed this, thanks Xav and thanks Joe 🙏🏼💚

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

So mcu experience around us - it is easy to forget sometimes :)

[@greasylimpet3323]

What a lovely bloke, and such a privilege to have a couple of his trees to take home. His trees are amazing after all those years of refining them.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It was an incredible mixture of home grown as well as purchased bonsai. All packed into quite a small area too.

[@johnpugh5867]

Great trees Joe my benches are a bit of a mess I will tidy mine by next year after seeing your garden John from Nottingham

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It is a beautiful set-up he has.

[@malsrfun2956]

Always a treat to see the most experienced among us. ❤😊 I have two of those hinoki cypress with the gold tips, left over from doing fairy gardens years ago. They are very slow growing dwarf variety. Nice to see one that big.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I still need to do a video onmjy Hinoki - Joe was an absolute pleasure to chat with

[@pamelahanel7584]

What an incredible gentleman Joe is, and his trees are simply amazing. Thank you for sharing your bonsai journey with us..

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It was a priveledge to be able to chat with him for a few hours.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I talked him into the ground and it was Joe who eventually had to admit defeat and tell me it was time to rest :)

[@deepanjanbanerjee3491]

Loved every minute of the video! Very nice tribute to a true bonsai veteran content being away from the limelight!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I am just so pleased for Joe that people have been watching this. It is always tough to guess what KZbin will put in front of people :)

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Really enjoyed this one - really fun to see trees that have been trained for decades. Thanks for sharing.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

His collection and display method are brilliant

[@donnadornbusch6738]

Great interview - you are the best !

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks for that Donna - Joe was a true gentleman

[@Darkfire1300]

We should all be so content with our lives and trees at 82! I am betting that the issue you folks in the UK have with junipers is your climate. Junipers are native to Idaho - high steppe/desert here (think Russian Steppes). As such they are not very happy to be wet and in good soil. Better with full sun, pretty judicious watering and rather meager soil conditions. Such a delight to see how someone else has set up their "garden". Thanks and thanks to Joe for sharing his special bonsai garden!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I really enjoyed listening to all of his stories - most of which I couldnt risk uploading! You are spot on about junipers - but I keep trying :)

[@hsvfanjan17]

Interesting episode, nice trees he's got there!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It was such a treat being able to visit and chat with someone who has supported me for so long.

[@markeccleston1285]

Great video, good to see Joe still enjoying bonsai after nearly half a century. Lovely trees and some words of wisdom form Joe. 👍🏻

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It is just a shame I couldn't include some of the more controversial words he shared with me :)

[@brianparnell2256]

Great tour Xav. Some very interesting trees there.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

So many we didnt even get to talk about as well.

[@digitaIgorilla]

Oh such history and fascinating to hear Joe's stories and view of the Bonsai world. Cheers both ❤

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It was definitely worth dropping byu to see him on the off chance he wanted to chat :)

[@dkstott29]

Nice crassula. 😂❤ and matching cardigans

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Unfortunately only the crassula flower :)

[@Donpapibonsai]

Really good video really enjoyed it A lot of knowledge And stunning trees he gave you

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I am looking forward to seeing that pyracantha develop next year :)

[@PhillipWaterman-f9u]

Joe's is really nice man and his bonsais are beautiful thanks

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

You summed that up perfectly Phillip

[@CoffeeandBonsaiwithTom]

Wow - I absolutely LOVED this tour and discussion, fantastic! You are quite an excellent interviewer and I so appreciated the show. Thanks!! 🎉. He is a national treasure. And you have 2 very special trees now - love it!!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I hope this will be a nice little memory video for his family in later years. Such a wonderful example to us.

[@KennetDeBondt]

Great video, great guys! grts Kennet

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks kennet - so many enthusiasts just like Joe quietly go about their hobby in peace ;)

[@andrewwinslet]

Great video Xav and what a lovely guy Joe is 👍

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I am constantly reminded to be humble by the collections so many of you all seem to have. He was a real gentleman.

[@pauletheridge7594]

What a lovely bloke Joe is and so generous as a newbie to bonsai very inspirational thank you 🫶

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I think he typifies what we can all achieve if we are patient and enjoy our hobby :)

[@pauletheridge7594]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat yes your so right Xavier patience is a virtue and mostly the key to success I’m very new to Bonsai and I follow you guys for information and I read a few books my collection is only small mainly garden centre material but thank you for your great work keep up the great job you do kind regards Paul

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@pauletheridge7594 It all starts from there Paul. I had just 20 larch saplings and now I lok at them and can't believe how some of them look? Just time no real skill :)

[@sylviahardy4568]

Wonderful 😊 As a newbie, I'd love to own even one of Joe's more mature specimens. The fact that he makes cuttings says all the right things about age being a state of mind. Joe's obviously just a sapling ❤

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I think we all have that in us once we get bitten by the bonsai bug. I did laugh when he showed me his cuttings and talked about his plans for them :)

[@gaiabonsai]

Some great trees Joe. Thanks for showing us around. I love the matching cardigans :-)

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It was a little like 'Little & large' at some points :)

[@markjagger7139]

Great to see Joe’s garden, lovely trees and great styling. I agree with you both style for your self and not others, by the way loving the new graphics a great addition 👍

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks - I am finally starting to look a little deeper into what Davinci can provide. I will be spending a lot of my winter learning more :)

[@Hollylivengood]

Do me a favor and take that one. What a soul.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It was totally unexpected as you could probably guess from the commentary. he has been commenting on my videos since the early days. Such an honour to be allowed to interview him :)

[@Hollylivengood]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat ❤

[@natrjack965]

Absolutely amazing I loved it .....just goes to show our never too old to start the hobby... And where do you get them jackets from I want one ...

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I couldn't believe it when I saw he was wearing the same jacket. Mine belonged to my dad so it it felt very familiar seeing Joe wearing one too :)

[@jamesbutcher7171]

Lovely garden, great job Joe!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

He is an example to all of us - nice cat too

[@grahamharlow7471]

Great video xav, some magnificent trees there.. what a lovely fella Joe is

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

He took me by surprise and we chatted for nearly 3 hours. he actually had to kick me out :)

[@MartinBBB]

Hi Xav, This is a superb video and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe you could start a series of videos visiting subscribers' tree collections? You're welcome to visit my garden, but the bench tour would take about five minutes maximum! 😁

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Hi, i have made that suggestion in a couple of videos so it really is down to people reaching out to me. This visit was because of the support he has shown my channel and the amount of trees and longevity we could talk about. I have pencilled in a couple of visits so there will be more to come. The issue is a lot of people don't seem to enjoy garden tours - although mine tend to be more chat based than tree based :)

[@AlexBraunton]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video Xavier and Joe. I knew it was going to be brilliant! Joe you've got some wonderful trees and it's a pleasure to meet you and learn more about you

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I am just thakful that so many people have responded well to this video about a true Bonsai Gentleman

[@zimartiste1]

Very big respect....

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

His garden is so well laid out but the history of each tree was a wonder. it was nice to meet somebody else who could provide so many back stories to his bonsai journey

[@Bonsaicrazy]

I’ve always wanted to see Joe’s trees xav So cool Thanks for taking the time to do this mate. How generous of him as well mate 👊👊👊👊

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

We had a really great afternoon and chatted about so much other stuff as well. he was very open and honest...more so than I could safely put in this video :)

[@Bonsaicrazy]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat 😂😂😂😂

[@MeadowViewBonsai]

Joe is a great guy, his garden looks worth a visit, does he open it up for muggles, not just superstars like yourself? I’ve invited you to my garden, but I’m not Joe and you will be disappointed and I’m looking forward to seeing other subscribers gardens now, pop corn grabbed

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I definitelyw ant to visit your garden Darren - but when the Duchess is in full bloom if that is ok?

[@MeadowViewBonsai]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat of course, I’d be honoured indeed🌳

[@tasanastasi7799]

What a lovely video .. Can you please tell me where Joe got his black turntables from PLEASE

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I think he said he picked them up from TEMU

[@raymondbirds2392]

Lovely job

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thanks rraymond

[@raymondbirds2392]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat thank you, coming up with some great videos and ideas. Keep up the great work

[@bonsaisn]

25:36 hello người bạn khu vườn bonsai trong tuyệt vời 👍

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

anh ấy rất thân thiện và hào phóng

[@EricShingles-p6q]

Same in Australia, back in the 70s I was told there would never be inside Bonsai and I was foolish for pursuing it, 50 years later and my backyard and house is full of Australia Native figs

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That's the joy of bonsai - I would love to see some pictures :)

[@EricShingles-p6q]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat way beyond my technical knowledge, I have no idea how to send pics with youtube

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@EricShingles-p6q If you like you just send a couple to me at: [e-mail]

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Cheers Bruce

[@bonsaikastur]

You both wore the same jacket. Was that planned?

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Took me totally by surprise :)

[@trybonsai]

If you start a club, would it be open to foreigners?? 😊

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Bearing in mind I grew up in Australia and my children are half Spanish...maybe? If you can bring some hot sun with you I would be happy to see you :)

[@trybonsai]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat well I'll be coming with the sunshine 😁