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.

Elk - Parson’s Juniper; Informal Juniper #3

Informal Style Parson’s Juniper

Sometimes, the ‘bug’ to sculpt a tree can backfire; if you’re always looking for the ‘perfect’ tree while you’re hunting for material. A quick stroll through typical nurseries generally results in the ‘worst’ looking plants being the ‘best’ material for bonsai (nursery plants are usually clipped and grown in forms for landscaping – not developing miniature trees). Often the finds in the half-off areas, are the ‘bulky stumpy’ plants that generally aren’t great to start with for landscaping. For instance, this Parson’s Juniper! What the heck did I see in this pot when I decided to buy it? Well, I certainly didn’t see the ‘perfect’ tree – what I actually saw was more spirit and energy than a vision of what it might become. After 20 minutes and half an acre walked, I returned to pick up this $5.98 ‘landscape’ material from the ‘toss’ zone in the corner of the nursery.

I did see a tree in there; a different kind of tree for me – a chance to try a few new techniques. Here I’ve removed a great deal of foliage to expose the very strong trunk, which has very strong motion (I was torn between taking it towards a cascade in 2-3 years – or a unique form right away). I removed many weak branches and start to eye up how the tree will shape. I drilled slightly into the branch cuts forward facing in the picture to the right; as the wounds heal, this will give it a ‘circular’ heal that is slightly hollowed which will give the effect of an aged appearance to the trunk as it heals.

So, you can see the effects of wiring, and a great reduction in the existing growth; Where is the tree you’re thinking? As I said this was a unique work for me, I never thought I’d give a tree a name, but this one is going to be called ‘Elk’. Many strong branches that I redirected to spread out the future pad zones I saw in the image of this tree. There are not many branches that are not wired; I wanted to give ‘Elk’ the instant power and presence I felt as I worked on it. Very healthy tree, for such large branches they were easier to move than the Blauuw Juniper I last worked on.

Elk – Informal Style Parson’s Juniper (Juniperus Parsonii)

A little Jin and shari work in a few places - now you may see what I felt, when I decided to call it Elk. It looks horrible if judged against ‘classic’ styles. The raised branches near the shari, gives the impression of antlers sweeping back from the face (shari) of the Elk. Oh well, at least it sounds good on paper.. :) This tree may stay ‘ugly’ for a while until it fills out, but I believe it will have a powerful presence in a few years with a little thickening of some of it’s ‘antlers’.

Japanese Boxwood - better view

Japanese Boxwood #1

A few people were really interested to see a better picture of this tree (The photos I used last time I kept small so I could try to 'spice up' the blog post!). Here's a better picture - I really like the image this little tree is sending me!

Japanese Boxwood #1

Japanese Boxwood #1

Informal Style

Well... The bug bit me again today while out shopping today at a local hardware/gardening store for a few things for the house. This Japanese Boxwood nursery plant is going to become my next project today. For $5.99, the hours of work I put into it and enjoyment of the finished product are priceless, in my opinion. Oddly enough, many of the boxwoods of this size today looked like great 'potensai' - or, 'prebonsai' as it's termed by some. This little tree has a nice trunk already developed and looks nicely aged with rough bark deep into the top branches. Boxwood species are much like Holly; they can get 'sticky' after the branches mature past the fresh 'green' stage. They can be more difficult to Jin as the branches thicken. This tree has good motion hidden underneath these leaves!

A few hours of pruning, deleafing, bending and wiring (even got a guy wire in on this one) I can see the vision that the Boxwood was giving me the vibes of; The beginnings of a stately informal style tree. I'm no stickler for 'forms' or 'styles', but when one suits decidedly what I'm aiming for - I properly label it. An 'Informal' style tree means that for the most, the main trunk aims upward, but not 'straight' that it has some degree of bend or 'taper' in the main trunk(s).




Here is what will become the 'back' of the tree. Well honestly - I'm not sure yet which is front or back, there are strengths to both views (which means it'll look good from any angle, good radial of the branches as long as they all live through their Jinning!) Good exercise in wiring for me, I need to go back and re-wire and add wire to some existing trees to give them more direction - this tree certainly has shown me how much direction you can truly give with wire. The end goal in this Informal style, is for a very heavily rammified Crown to the tree. This will cause the leaves to grow smaller, and will also create thick, healthy growth that will thicken the crown of this Japanese Boxwood nicely.

Tree underneath the Nursery beginnings - Informal Juniper #2

Juniper 'Blaauw'

Original picture of the tree, straight from the Nursery, and taking some time to get healthy. This little tree caught my eye, I love the motion in the trunk.. I've been nursing it to good health for a few months now, it felt right to go ahead and begin it's styling, as I also have a nice home for it in the 'Log Pot' - at least a starting home as it's root reduction begins.

Informal Juniper Beginnings

I will be leaving it in the pot throughout winter I do believe, as it's too close to the end of the year for such a cutback and root pruning at the same time in my opinion with this species (This isn't Privet!). A few branches were left to work some Jin into - look forward to working on this one again next year. This tree will go into the new 'Log Pot' that was made with the last batch of Pots.