Yamadori Korean Hornbeam I - Part III

Just finished working on this over the weekend.  The apex branch spent all of last year wrapped in rafia and large wire.  I managed to get some considerable movement from this and the two small branches in that region are keepers.

Karin

This is my first and only Chinese Quince I’ve ever grown. This tree was originally trained using the clip and grow method from a cutting by Luigi Trapani. I believe the cutting was taken from Bill Pfeiffer’s parent tree, growing in his landscape. It has a very small leaf, making it ideal for bonsai. No large trunk on this slant, but nice subtle movement in the trunkline. This was the tree’s first growing season in the Midwest and it grew like a weed. I was trimming constantly just to keep the branch diameter in scale. When the weather cooled in early fall, there was another flush of growth, some of which is yet to die off even after freezing temperatures. The bark also peeled exorbitantly this summer shedding its skin from the root base all the way up to the apex. I believe some of this can be attributed to transplanting in spring and a consistent dose of fertilizer during the growing season. Wiring this tree was a cinch since the branches are extremely flexible. I decided to incorporate some jin-I thought the deadwood provided a nice variation in color, especially when paired with the bark. It will be a fun one to pick a container for eventually, but the branches held by the guy wire will need to sit for at least one growing season.

Before and after photos…

My bonsai assistant, Cali

Arakawa

This Rough Bark Japanese maple is easy on the eyes and is a fine example of a twin trunk. I can’t take credit for the design - I’ve only refined it the last three years. It was one of Suthin Sukosolvisit’s creations. I particularly enjoy this tree during dormancy, when its truly exposed for what it is. Since the Arakawa has a regular-sized Acer palmatum leaf, it’s not easily reduced and Japanese maple have not typically responded well to defoliation for me, regardless of the environmental conditions. So, I won’t be ready to display this tree during the growing season until I’m able to moderate the leaf size.

Do the Turn and Drop

The best time of the year has arrived – Leaf Drop. Time to settle down and get styling my deciduous bonsai. I picked up this fine material for around $50 at the St. Louis Shohin Convention this past spring from David Kreutz, an Azalea specialist who operates the Satsuki Bonsai-en nursery. It was unusual to see such dramatic taper and shari in a Japanese Hornbeam. The leaf size may be a concern down the road, as I thought it likely would have reduced some already since it’s rather root bound, but I have no idea what kind of sun exposure it had when it came out of dormancy this past spring. I couldn’t resist making a mini out of this one, however, so we’ll if nature counteracts my need for scale. One of the best characteristics of this Carpinus is the seed pods it produces, but I doubt I’ll ever see them on this tuffy since it has been reduced so much. I’m sticking with the dead wood theme as I’ve attempted to carve out any cuts I make. I'll work on the large top portion at another time, as I'm using it for a wire anchor. Outside of maybe the delicate Japanese maple and a few other species, I’m becoming a firm believer in creating jin and shari on deciduous whenever it’s artistically appropriate.

Before and after...

October Snow

Woke up this morning to a few inches of snow! Pictured here is a Korean Hornbeam and Shimpaku Juniper.  This was one of the earliest snowfalls on record for the city of Lincoln.

Japanese Ambience

The intertwining of nature, art and Japanese culture was showcased at Lauritzen Gardens this weekend in Omaha. Their Autumn/Japanese Ambience Festival was a joy to be a part of. The Omaha Botanical Gardens are currently trying to raise enough funds for the second phase of their Japanese Garden. At the site of the Japanese garden, there was taiko drumming, sake tasting, calligraphy and origami. I was a partaker in the sake tasting and was pleasantly surprised by the expertise of the pourer. The bees were swarming us trying to get a taste of the sweet rice wine as we discussed the different subtleties of the sake. The surroundings this weekend were inspirational.

The gardens were kind enough to let myself and Kim Williams display our trees. I brought a Koto Hime Japanese maple, Shimpaku juniper and a Japanese Flowering Apricot. Kim brought a nice Ginkgo and a blue-needled Chamaecyparis. I believe our display generated some interest and I plan to contact all of those who left their information with me in hopes of meeting.

The Unstrung Harp

In the most recent issue of Bonsai Today (or whatever it's called these days), I came across a quote that struck me.

"To bring out the best in a tree often requires strength and resolution on the part of the artist."

Such as my dismantling of this Koto Hime Japanese Maple.

This tree has been with me for a number of years. At first glance, it's somewhat pleasing aesthetically, but over time it just no longer held my eye. The second branch was growing backward and too large at this point in the tree's life to reposition, even with a bender or covered in raffia. Much too brittle.

I feel that it must eventually be shortened and styled as a formal upright to have a future artistically. I hate to apply a label to any style, but this trunk is as straight as they come. The apex always appeared as a separate tree to me, so be it.

I used the pot method for this layer, which I try to incorporate whenever possible. It's more reliable and allows for pot-simulated root growth. I used a basic double-screened mix, along with some sphagnum moss at the base of the pot and around the future base, and a sprinkling of the white stuff.

This shorty has some serious wiggle. I'm considering either creating a two-tree from it or just eventually carving out the childish portion. My plan is to also layer the other two branches and completely start from scratch, or just use this as a mother tree for ongoing propagation.

I was searching for creativity in a world I deemed dull and laid it on the line, for what it's worth. It's just a tree, after all.

Coastal Georgia Bonsai Club - May Meeting

The Club held its May meeting under the big Oak at the Pfeiffer’s today. The day got off to a start with some needle plucking, as Luigi ambitiously worked on a tall, slender Japanese Black Pine. This tree was a good 5’ tall and was grown from seed to originally be part of a JBP tree line. He decided to transplant it into an unusual container—not Mica or ceramic, but more like a plastic. Bill located his chisel and drilled some drainage holes. After repotting the tree, Luigi wired the first two lower branches, but then left it at that. This tree could make an interesting Literati in time, if you like em’ big.

On the other end of the size spectrum, Bill and I separated a successful air layer of Koto Hime Japanese maple. The mother tree is said to come from Bill Valvanis’ original parent plant, which has produced over 10,000 cuttings. Most Koto Hime bonsai in the United States came from Valvanis’ mother plant. If you haven’t worked with Koto Hime, I’d recommend picking one up. I’ve had two in my collection for several years and they’re a delight to work with. My older tree produced a large amount of micro flowers this spring. The foliage is always in scale and the autumn colors are brilliant.

The layered section was a lower branch that would not be suitable for the final design of the tree. We started the layer about 2 months ago and it had already established a good number of roots. Nothing fancy went into the prep work. I believe we used one side of a shear to shed the bark down to the cambium, then spread rooting hormone over the section and covered it in moist sphagnum moss and a section of a plastic. We then placed wire around the bag to tighten the seal and conserve the moisture.

Bill prefers to plant a newly severed layer such as this in a container that will support the first branches. The lower branches were tied to wire coming from the base of the pot, an interesting technique. This adds much needed stability in order for the new roots to become established in the pot. This little one should make a great mini. We’re planning on doing some more layering off this tree and Bill has recently done a tray of cuttings with Rusty’s assistance. I believe he’s already produced three other mature trees from the mother plant.

Check out some photos of the process...

I got my first taste of a southern delicacy today—boiled peanuts. Why in the world you’d want to soften up a peanut is beyond me, but everyone else seemed to enjoy them. I stuck to the rice cracker/wasabi pea mix, a good choice for the Yankee among the group.

Thanks to Bill and Charlotte for hosting the event today. They really have a great selection of pre-bonsai, bonsai, pots, etc. at Bonsai Beginnings. I’ve never seen such a fine selection of Juniper procumbens. Be sure to make it out for a visit if you’re in the Savannah area.

Photos of the day...

The Lenz Factor

I’ve been doing some research on Nick Lenz and stumbled upon this flickr gallery of his work. Most of it is in the development stages, but his root-over-rock alternative compositions have really gotten extreme. In traditional Japanese bonsai, it’s considered a faulty design choice to incorporate anything that would detract the viewer from seeing only the tree—the perfect replica. In Lenz’s work, he makes a mockery of this ideology.



In his Larix laricina with tank piece (above), for instance, Lenz fuses a perfectly brilliant and serene forest composition with that of a World War II tank model. One of the trees is made to look knocked down from the path the tank is taking through the forest. Could there be anything more realistic?

The influence of postmodern society is felt with Lenz’s more content driven work, as seen on the flikr gallery. At times, it seems he's using representational items, such as a cross (Piss Christ anyone?) or gun, as a way to voice his opinion, or frustration perhaps. When President Bush was elected for a second term, Lenz completely removed his Web site in protest. He has reached the point that he is using his influence as a bonsai aficionado to promote awareness, both societal and bonsai related.

If only he was actively doing workshops (and I actually had the time to attend one). It would be an enlightening experience to spend an afternoon with him.