Summer is coming to a close, and as a new year is about to begin on the pagan calendar, I’m thinking of what can be done in the coming year to move along my idea of this business, as well as reflect on the lessons learned in the past year. This past year has taught me a lot about both what I want to do in the future, as well as gave me some instruction on how to do it. I also feel that I have grown as a person, becoming more involved in my church community, finding my own spirit, and moving myself toward the sort of person I long to be.
One of the lessons that I learned is that heat is a greater danger to my trees than the frost we experienced last winter. The hot weather must have dried out the soil and roots of the penjing displays, which killed them. I believe that in such a heat wave I need to move them to a more shady area and give them additional watering each day of the heat wave.
Even though I now fear the heat more than the cold, as winter approaches, I’m planning to move my trees under the small bit of outdoor roofing I have to prevent freezing rain and snow from directly impacting them. I also plan on removing all of my miniatures and burying the planters in Douglas Fir mulch to help hold in some warmth and give additional protection from the freezing elements.
Ultimately, to make the business of my dreams, I would need a rather large piece of land upon which I could build a hoop house to grow my trees under. But to help get there, I need some kind of side business now to help establish those funds. To that end, I want to see what I can do with bonsai sales and designs before I commit to buying land.
Growing more trees from seed will help me have trees that are essentially zero cost. I gather seeds for free around my neighborhood and in various parks through the city of Portland. After my foraging mission last year, I did not have the best luck growing anything from seed. Once again, the seedlings were killed in the heat wave. Still, I need to persevere in this and try again. I’m going to stick to Japanese maples and nut-bearing trees.
If I can manage to save up a small investment, I could simply buy some bonsai starters and pot them. This would help me build up a small inventory of products I could sell. Once I have a few items to sell, I want to buy a pop-up tent and participate in various farmer’s markets and street fairs. During these sales, I could also promote the idea that I can build custom penjing and bonsai designs for people!
Finally, I want to donate my talents to next year’s church auction. I could start the bidding for my labor at around $60 and inform buyers that they would also be responsible for purchasing the needed pot and tree. I can provide screens, wire, and soil. Also, it would provide my church community with a small amount of cash to help fund operations. This would be a great way of getting my name out to the local community and showcase the sort of work I am capable of producing.