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Tiki Loco

Crystal Beach is the ol' proverbial sleepy little coastal village nestled on The Bolivar Peninsula (named after Simon Bolivar) across the Houston Ship Channel from Galveston, Texas. To get to Galveston, we have to ride one of the ferries operated by the Texas Department of Highways. To get off the other end of the peninsula, we have a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway connecting us to the Texas mainland. Over the years, many colorful people have taken up residence here...but few as 'in living color' as Kevin Kavanagh... or "Tiki Kevin" as he is fondly referred to.    Kevin has a local business called Tiki Loco where he carves tiki heads or tiki totems out of palm tree trunks and other types of trees. Kevin is quite creative and his artwork adorns many houses and businesses alike here on this little island. Kevin is a Viet Nam Era veteran of the United States Navy and is aided by his wife and son in his artistic venture. Tiki Loco is located on the main thoroughfare of the island; Hwy.87. On just about any day of the week you can drive by or stop and watch Kevin plying his trade of tiki art.     Artists and writers seem to gravitate to The Bolivar Peninsula due to its unique coastal allure and scenery. The local folks add a great deal to this artistic appeal. I can't help but recall chapters and passages from John Steinbeck's novel, "Cannery Row", when I think of all the out of ordinary people that have taken solace on this little emerald isle. Not to mention their cute nicknames... "Barefoot", "Crab Trap Ron", "Backup Birt", "Rockin' Robin"...and countless others... have all added their  technicolor personalities to the patchwork quilt of this community. I love it...it's almost like living in another country; with Houston but a scant sixty miles away.    Though I have included a few photographs of Tiki Kevin's art; I have done little justice to the vast body of artwork he has done over the years. One can hardly drive down one of our roads without passing some of his work. Tiki Loco has two websites;  tikiloco.webs.com and tikiloco.com Tiki Kevin's mobile phone number is: 409 750 0086... give him a shout for his original and customized artwork. Positively, Truman

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Stalking the Wild Indoor Bonsai Tree Revisited

In yesterday's blog, Stalking the Wild Indoor Bonsai Tree, I explained briefly how I collected indoor bonsai tree specimens out in the wilds of Mother Nature. In this blog I'll go deeper in detail on how to successfully gather and cultivate these bonsai. Basically we will be trying to duplicate the living conditions the specimen was thriving in and gradually introducing it into your indoor environment.    After finding our new bonsai candidate, we want to carefully dig it up with a shovel or sharp shooter and save as much of the root system as possible. Leave as much of the original soil around the roots to help minimize shock to the tree. I usually put a layer of spaghnum moss in the bottom of the pot with some coarse potting soil on top of that. I then dip the roots with original soil in a mixture of water (preferably rain water) and root growth hormone. Then place the collected bonsai in the pot and pack more coarse potting soil to set the tree at the desired angle. Wet the soil and add a little fertilizer; monitor the tree's progress as we get it re-established.    We will want to keep it somewhat shaded for a week or two to make sure it doesn't dehydrate and gradually introduce it into full sunlight. Once the new bonsai feels firmly rooted and appears to be hydrated and healthy, we can take it indoors to a window or patio door that gets 5-6 hours of direct sunlight. If there is no window with full sun, a high wattage fluorescent bulb with a timer set for 14-16 hours a day can be used. The fluorescent bulb should be about 6-8 inches above the top of the foliage. With plenty of tender, loving care your newly crafted indoor bonsai tree will flourish in its new home.

Stalking the Wild Indoor Bonsai Tree

I generally collect specimens for indoor bonsai trees from plant nurseries, bonsai nurseries, tree farms...and  sometimes even, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc...But when I get to feeling really creative and wanting something  new and different, I take a little road trip and venture out into the wilds. The beautiful thing about that is that  it can be as close as a block or two from my house, or hundreds of miles away.    I usually load up a shovel, sharp shooter, a couple 5 gallon buckets, a machete, some lunch and some drinking  water and head on out...to wherever my senses take me. Sometimes out into public forests, or the swamps and bayous  of Southeast Texas; looking for a miniature tree that started out as a poor little sapling growing at the base of a  larger tree. One that has scrapped and fought for every beam of sunlight, every drop of rain, and every morsel of  nourishment from Mother Earth. A precious little tree for me to take home and shape, cultivate, and nourish into an  indoor bonsai tree.    At first, I pot the new tree and water the soil with some root growth hormone to help get the root system  established. I usually leave them out on my potting table in the shade to let them get used to their new  environment. After they seem to have gotten over the shock of transplanting, I bring them in to a shelf on a window  sill to get their sunlight and monitor their progress. I make sure all of my indoor bonsai trees are watered and  fertilized regularly to keep them healthy. Especially when the central heating or air conditioning is in use. Positively Truman