The Japanese Garden Juniper (Juniperus procumbens) is a low-growing shrubby juniper native
to southern Japan. It is easily one of the most recognizable species for bonsai in the U.S., especially among beginners. Due to their low growing habit, they must be staked in order to develop a significant height, which is primarily why so many are styled in a cascading form.
This specimen was originally purchased by Frank Kroeker in 2006, then styled and potted by Marco Invernizzi in 2007. One could assume that the jin at the apex was the top branch of the stake. Here is a photo of the tree after Marco's work...
This specimen was originally purchased by Frank Kroeker in 2006, then styled and potted by Marco Invernizzi in 2007. One could assume that the jin at the apex was the top branch of the stake. Here is a photo of the tree after Marco's work...
The tree was left to grow freely at Frank's nursery following Marco's work. When I first spotted the tree and evaluated it in 2012, it was very healthy, but outgrown and most of the inner growth had become anemic. The deadwood features of the tree were very attractive - the shari covering the entire span of the front trunk and the jin at the apex, which had become covered in foliage. The bark was also peeling heavily and had never been removed. Here are some photos of the tree shortly before I purchased it in the winter of 2013...
The tree required a repot in the spring of 2013. The container was nice, but slightly large for the trunk size, so I made a switch to a smaller rectangle and adjusted the angle of the tree slightly.
After cleaning the deadwood and performing some minor trimming...
After further evaluation, I noticed that the tree in general seemed to be moving away from the direction of its primary branch. The first branch was also very heavy and low to the ground. In August of 2013, the tree was taken to the Midwest Bonsai Society's Fall Show in Chicago to be further evaluated by Bjorn Bhorholm. Bjorn agreed that the branch should be removed. I removed the branch, leaving a jin, and began to thin the tree further.
In the spring of 2014, yet another bonsai professional, Peter Tea, evaluated the tree. Peter suggested removing the inner foliage that did not show any signs of new growth, despite the fact that it was still green. This foliage was only zapping energy from the sections that were actively growing. I thinned the foliage once again and fully wired the tree one month later. Here are the results...
