Smaller informal style Privet Bonsai - a bit dainty

This little tree has nice movement to my eye, and will heal quickly the sore from the cut I made to give it that 'curve' motion.  Another of my test subject privet bonsai that actually has some small potential.

These pics being almost 2 weeks old;  I've had endless rain here the past 2 weeks, the growth showing now is about double what this pic shows.  The tree is doing well in it's first pot after moving from a small 1/2 gal planter.

Another Privet Bonsai gets it's first pot

I have used privet to test my bonsai knowledge over the years, and although not the best tree/bush for presentation, it has many attributes that make it a good species for learners;  it grows like nuts (it's classified as a weed), roots like mad and puts out alot of growth for you to play with.  Hardy, and springs bad furiously in springtime, usually holding a significant number of leaves through the winter.  Best of all if you live in more humid areas, or namely the southeast US - it's likely in your back yard or along your fence line...  :)

I'm working on alot of other species too, but my larger and more interesting privet are all up for pot moves right now, so they get some air time..  :)

Even though this is currently a 'side' I think this will become it's front next re-potting or pot change it has.

This is a pot that I made from one of my pot creation sessions a few years ago.  I dig the crackle pops in the glaze that was used.  (I have it around here somewhere)

Privet Bonsai loses a trunk, seems happier

Finally back with a few things to share, I'll start with this Privet Bonsai that I've featured a few times over recent years as it's been a 'test' tree for many learning bonsai activities for me (learning how to transfer into a bonsai pot, pot fertilizing, carving and natural aging, wiring )  Now into the final stages of refining branches, and a final pot selection on the horizon (something a little more shallow to show off the nice trunk the tree has).

As you'll see if you just go back a few posts in my blog, this used to be a dual trunk tree.  I literally came home one day to find the entire 2nd trunk with all withered leave in a days time.  No suffering from lack of water or from too much - it just decided to go on it's way..  Well I cleaned it out and trimmed out the roots that had fed it.  I could find nothing outstandingly wrong (no bugs, no dry roots and no old clays as I'd bare-rooted this tree long ago..).   Sometimes..  Nature happens and that is ok and part of what we celebrate with Bonsai.  :)

So here are a few pictures of it now.  The trunk hollow is a bit bright as I did just apply lime to help protect the wood some and help give it that aged look.  2-3 weeks in the elements and it will look much more naturally blended.

Bit more trimming of the upper branches, and will pull things down a bit more next season.  A few guy wires are already in place.

The back where the other trunk was - carved away and left for now.  I plan to drill into it and connect this end with the main trunk opening to allow for a view through, and to help with water drainage out of the hollow.

View up the hollow.

Trimming aggressive growth to fill out the back side, and laying the foundation for future ramification.

This neat brick pot was made one evening a few years ago (08 or 09) during a pot creation evening with my best friend Aaron.  It's thick, and was made to resemble a aged brick wall where many bricks had fallen out of the cement holding them in.  I call it my 'aggressive starter pot'.  It will receive a new renter soon as this tree moves into something a little more shallow next springtime.

Privet Bonsai Spring Maintenance

Haven't had much time to work on bonsai, however this Privet deserved a visit from the scissors.  Going to clean up alot of the free growth, and partially defoliate to reduce leaf size to spur further back-branching and ramification of the crown/apex.

 Before work begins, looking a bit wild.

Trimming and defoliation complete. 

 

View of the hollow I'm working on over time to carve into the main trunk. 

Privet enters into a new future as Bonsai

This Privet soon-to-be-bonsai has been collected for about 14 months.   Right after collection I moved it into my garden in the ground, with a large flat brick underneath the root ball.   It's a single trunk, will be 'informal' style tree.   The many privet I have collected, I use as training trees before I move into more common (and less hardy in comparison) trees.  However some of the Privet - are pretty interesting in their own right (down the road more likely).

Here you can see it has a pretty decently flat root base as is.  Time to bare root all this famous 'Georgia Red Clay' and good soil I used around the root ball when I first collected.

All clean, lots of good roots here.  Time to reduce the root ball's height so it can fit into a pot snugly. 

The pot.  Training pot for sure, it will go into something smaller in the future.  The soil.  This mix is approx. 30% oil-dry (NAPA product, 100% fired earth), 20% coarse builder sand, 40% lava rock, and 10% organic sphagnum moss.  (Need a little organic for Georgia's hot summers..)

Happily potted up, some wire through the drain holes to hold it in place.  Time to take it inside and do a little more work. 

I think this is the front that I will use for now. 

Quite a trimming (generally safe for Privet, they grow like mad and I sealed all cuts well).   Poor man's measuring stick (the lighter).    

A pic from the rear, the nabari look decent from here as well.   Could go either way, will see which side strikes best for the lead to a final apex.

Close-up of the nabari from the rear. 

Close-up of the trunk/nabari from the current front. 

From the ground up, it's 12 inches, 6.5 inches to the main trunk 'chop'.  Approx 2.25 inches at base with 1.5 inches being main thickness of trunk to the 'chop' line.

Lots of fun with this project, I have many more privet to unearth in the near future.  Maybe 1-2 more before this spring gets in full gear, many more next spring for certain.

Privet Double-Trunk Bonsai gets a little work

Here is a Privet that I've been training into bonsai for about 2 years now since collection.  A Privet with 2 trunks.  I've hollowed out both trunks to give the impression of natural damage/age.  Now it's time for some branch moving and a little pinching before full spring/summer growth kicks in.

Before work begins.  Pot created by my best friend Aaron, the infamous 'brick' pot.

View of the larger trunk with some carving done.  Fire applied to give appearance of natural causes and to 'age' the open deadwood.  I use a paintbrush to blend in the ashes and brunt crust into the wood that I've then carved.  This view shows a few branches that I'm going to move today.

A view from the rear, or, another possible 'front' view?  Pinching done on most branches past 2 terminals.  A few were left to grow to help thicken a few precise branches.  Can see I've brought a few branches down on the left side now, and applied a little wire.

That's it for this go-around.   In May this tree will get a heavy defoliation to reduce leaf size and aid ramification of this tree.

A few shohin privet bonsai of mine

Just some things I'm toying with, that have helped me learn a few techniques.   Before and after shots.  

 Shohin Privet  - future bunjin shohin?  (Is there such a thing?  Does there 'have' to be for it 'to be'?)   

 Another angle, still not sure where 'front' is.   The pot was made by my best friend Aaron, and fired here at home.

Bonsai artist's cheap 'measuring tool' after defoliating and some wiring.

Nothing special, except for this one branch on the side..   :) 

Flipped the 'front' around, just going to see what I can do with it from here.  Pot is one of the first I fired for bonsai in late 2008 I believe.  A bit deep, decent for training shohin though.

Again nothing but a training 'tree' for me, simple pot I made a few years ago.  A bit deep, decent for training shohin.

This one I'm curious about, can't really see here but it's roots, or nabari - are really decent.  (Really loose soil allowing for a great deal of radial root growth).

This was the fun tree.  At it's base, it appears as if the tree began to fall from some past event in it's life but only went so far - and then lived from there on.  It's up to me to figure out what else to do as it's not that great further up.

 Close-up of the trunk.   Need a bit better lighting to really see, it's really interesting as it leads into some deadwood in the crease.

First use of raffia - ran a wire down the back for a 'spine' then wrapped with raffia that I soaked for 30 minutes prior.  Slapped on 2 more wires, gave it a few good bends.   Will see where it leads and wire further after I'm assured it's going to survive the beating I gave it.

All of these will go into more shallow/smaller pots this year as the work into ramification rather than accelerated growth begins.

Spring is really here now, lows in the 40's and high's in the low 70's.  At least for now things are really starting to wake up.   Alot of work ahead of me this weekend as it's time to 'turn the crops'! 

Privet Bonsai gets a haircut

This year I will be paying closer attention to this tree, giving it 1-2 defoliations and much pinching of new growth; This is a double trunk privet; Privet grows like mad and now it's time to get into the delicate work of it before it gets out of hand as spring approaches.  Both trunks will eventually be hollowed somewhat to allot for water runoff and to give the tree some extra character.  working out where to place all the branches - and have given it the beginning of it's apex.

Not much wiring, albeit a few branches were redirected down that I'm deciding to keep and build upon.

 Before work - made it through the winter well.

 Defoliated, left just a few tiny leaves here and there.

Brought a few branches down, cut back the 'too many apexes' syndrome it was looking to have.  Will leave it as is for now, next defoliation (in May likely) will result in a few more branches removed, and placement of remaining, in preparation of summer growth.

Who knows, it may go from 2 trunks to 1 eventually, the 2nd has no motion in the trunk, but this could change with some carving and hollowing as I"m planning to try out on this tree.

Privet is a hardy plant, great for beginners like me to tool with and get my techniques down pat on!

The drive didn't die

My bonsai drive didn't die, but a good number of my starter 'sticks' did!  We had a rough winter, with numerous snowfall events where we had snow on the ground for many days (freezing, remelting, freezing - terrible for any potted plant, even worse for bonsai with shallow pots and root systems, that are also above ground.)  Most of my 'stick' bonsai in pots, died because they were so young their foilage did not protect their 'earth' properly so snow fell directly on to the soil and root systems - melting and refreezing a few times.  Also I did not winterize them fully as I'd planned.  (Lessons learned - the hard way..)   But..  there's alot to share as I've not been idle, and there are alot of things to show off!   Wintering lessons learned, this year will be different indeed.

Left garden box - future bonsai privet, sweetgum maple, red maple, boxwoods

With the help of my best friend Aaron, who's joined me on this bonsai and pottery adventure (more to share on that later), we built 2 garden boxes, this is one (will save pictures of the other for later in the season, you'll see why then!)   In this box, are many large girth trees and bush/tree species that I've collected from my back woods last year, and were placed into the ground and allowed to grow 'wild'.  These are some big babies, that are all thriving as spring as arrived.  We built and moved these trees from one side of my garden to the other, which allowed the reduction and 'shallowing' of their root systems - priming for the future!  It's hard to capture this, but it's exciting to see the future branches thickening before my eyes (the real secret to good bonsai - is allowing for proper growth and thickness of branches in the early stages!  A lesson I've been shown and now produced on my own with terrific results.

Nice form from a Privet Bonsai

Just a quick picture of one of the survivors from winter - it was not exposed to snow (much) but was also in a deep training pot, which kept it alive.   I love it's movement, this one will be a project next spring, letting it stregthen and grow out it's future main branches.  This will remain a shohin bonsai, with it's great trunk movement.  I'm excited about it, as privet are generally a straight 'upward' growth plant, only snaking when forced by other growth to fight for sunlight.   This one was found literally partly crushed by a downed tree, and forced into extreme cicrumstances to get sunlight.  Privet, are extremely hardy..  When winterized properly.. *sigh*

Large Azalea begins bonsai life

This used to be an azalea bush that was nearly as tall as me (over 6 foot) that was in front of my house.  My wife and I are in the middle of a transformation of our front yard and landscape, so a few old azaleas became my 'babies' for some truly inspiring, large flowering azalea bonsai.   This is a beast!  It is approx 12" girth, and is sitting in a large garden container, after much reduction already of it's roots.  You can see it's size slightly in comparison to my children's swing set that it currently sits next to.   Azealas can produce new growth even on extremely old wood, and as I've already found in many places, it is already beginning to send new shoots out in all different directions for future branch selections..  This will be alot of work, and much for me to learn in the process.  Species?  I'll work on this, but it puts out beautiful large, white flowers.

Large Azalea #2

Here is another, and posibly more attractive flowing trunk on this azalea and nearly as large girth-wise as 'The Beast'.  I was able to reduce this one's root system a little closer, and as the other - both are healthy, thriving, and showing new groth already on very old wood (Both date from the building of the home originally in 1991, and I"m sure even at that time, they were a few years old.  That puts both I'd estimate at around 22-26 years old, in my opinion.  (They are really big!!)  This one is approx 11" girth around.   I'm seeing a great tree in the future!  I don't recall if this one was one of the white flower, or pink flower azaleas from the front - not sure I will see with this season, as the flowering time is already upon us, and I reduced these really right as they were beginning to send out buds.   Time and patience..  :)

SO much more to tell, but this is a blog - not a novel..  The drive didn't die, if anything it's increased.  I've learned so much through trial and error - and experience now.   I'm not pleased that my little trees died, I had alot of hope for producing 'trees' years from now that I could say were my 'originals', but..  Lessons learned.   My azaleas and garden trees have bright futures ahead of them.  :)

Shohin Privet #1 - Patience is a Virtue?

Virtues of Patience - and Styling

Before Wiring

We will see if loss of patience wins out over early styling - or if it even matters towards the final stages of this trees creation. I had such a great vision for this tree that I went ahead and put some wiring on it - .5 and 1.5mm's were used.

Early Wiring Complete

This wiring will not stay on more than a few months; likely around late October as things cool here I will remove the wire. Privet thickens quickly; wire left on a tree too long will leave scars that may take years to heal properly.. There are still many things left for this tree to get it in shape to be Bonsai; a better revealing Nebari, future work on the deadwood at the base of the trunk. continual thickening of the main branches, shortened internode length in future growth - and time and patience. Less or more of which? :)

Shohin Privet #1

Shohin Privet Bonsai #1

The Dig

So, I got an itch this AM while my 2 girls were spending time at their cousin's, to go yamadori collecting (that is, to collect a tree or plant from nature). Not as difficult for me as for some, and I'm not 'too' hard to please at the moment - the free time being the decision maker! So - I took a wander down my backyard hillside into the wilderness. Lots of 'edge' plant material, and one that is hardy that I'm having fun working on that I have alot of - Privet! Here I find a specimen I'd already chopped earlier in the year as part of my 'clear the lot' project at the bottom of the hill. Time to collect my prepped Yamadori!

Yamadori Found!

Here you can see the previous 'low' cut I made earlier in the year, and also that I have completely cleared the root ball of soil. Privet are extremely hardy, not many species would I treat in such a manner, but that is the nature of Privet. Notice the thick growth this plant exhibits after being chopped, due to growing in the ground vs chopping and moving directly to a pot.

Reduction

Much reduction of the root system and deciding how to layout it's future Nebari development at this point. Also reduction in foilage, to cause the re-growth to focus in places of Taper development. All 'downward' roots have been cut, thick roots reduced. The lead branches are not cut yet - I want them to thicken a bit more close to the trunk before I begin creation of it's crown.

Front View

The last pot I have from The Monk Monestary in Conyers, GA. from a run there months ago. Perfect fit for this future Shohin Bonsai. Shohin or 'Mame' Bonsai are the ultimate miniature powerhouses - ultimately they are the best examples of bonsai size reduction in all species in the Bonsai art. I am using a 70/30 Inorganic/organic mix of Sphagnum Moss, Turface, and Lava Rock.

Rear View

The cuts have been covered in cut sealant, the tree watered, it's held in with wire through the base to allow stability as I wire it's branches in a few weeks. Again, I take my time; I allow the plant to re-establish, allow new branches to develop, see which ones die from the root reduction and cut-back; then I begin light branch shaping. (Mainly with cuts to form taper)