My Trees and Stones

2009-07-27T16:12:00.002-04:00

Here is some rough video of a Kiyo Hime Japanese Maple that I lifted from my landscape this past Spring and placed into a bonsai container. This tree was a gift for my garden from my good friend Ken. He struck it from a cutting about 12 years ago. It have been in my possession for about 4 years now. It was developing so nicely in the ground that I asked Ken for permission to move into a container. I will post more pics soon.

Trident Maple Ground #1

2008-10-04T21:58:00.001-04:00

Once again this tree was struck as cutting by Ken Duncan. I received it from him about 4 years ago. It spent a couple years in a pot until I could create a good bed in the ground. Then I pretty much just let it grow for two years. This past spring I dug it, worked the roots and the branches and replanted it. This past season I have pruned it many times trying to begin the process of ramification. It has responded very well and I am excited about digging it again in the spring of 2009. I will decide then whether to go one more year in the ground or to get into a pot. I have purposely left this tree very tall. I could certainly chop it lower but I have a different image in mind for this tree. I will try to remember to add a couple inspiration pics to the cue.

Shohin Trident Maple

2008-10-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

Katsura Japanese Maple

2008-10-04T21:42:00.000-04:00

This tree is one of my oldest trees. I believe that it was purchased from Tom Dimig in !992 or 93. I understand that it was an import from Korea and that Bill V. was the importer. This tree has amazing color on the new spring foliage.

Trident Maple #1

2008-10-04T21:40:00.000-04:00

Ken Duncan gave me this tree around 1995. He had struck it as a cutting and then grown it in the ground over a tile.

Korean Hornbeam

2008-10-04T21:37:00.000-04:00

This tree was originally acquired from Roy Franklin in a trade...about 2000. The pot was a gift from my boss at work in 2006.

Robusta Group Rock Planting

2008-10-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

Kingsville and Azalea Rock Planting

2008-10-04T21:24:00.000-04:00

Affectionately known as Cindy's Tumble.

Robusta Juniper 3 Tree Landscape

2008-10-04T21:22:00.000-04:00

Viewing Stones

2008-10-04T20:48:00.001-04:00

Potential Viewing Stones

2008-10-04T20:37:00.000-04:00

Some of the stones that I have purchased and collected over the years.

Water Elm Forest

2008-10-04T19:50:00.001-04:00

Lebanon Cedar - First Styling

2008-10-04T19:27:00.000-04:00

I was very tempted to create a semi-cascade with this material, but in the end decided that the literati would be the better tree...still not so sure about that choice:)
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Azalea #1

2008-10-04T19:17:00.000-04:00

This tree was purchased in Japan during the fall of 2000. It was purchased from Hiro Yamaji's nursery. It was shipped along with several other purchased trees and arrived in my garden in the Spring of 2001. It was slow developing for the first couple of years but is much stonger now. My only plan with this tree is to develop long flat pads of foliage in the typical "shaped for the blooms" fashion. It is in a very nice round Sara Rayner pot that I purchased at the 2005 World Convention in DC.

Exposed Root Azalea

2008-10-04T19:06:00.003-04:00

I acquired this tree on my trip to Japan in 2000. This tree was purchased from a vendor in the sales area at the Taikan-Ten show in Kyoto. After a little bargaining I paid the equivalent of $80 plus shipping to get it home. All of the trees I bought in Japan were such bargains compared to what I would have had to pay in the US. Now that the import restrictions have changed I just wish I had bought a lot more:( This tree has been a project. The exposed roots are fused extremely well...in fact, almost too well and maybe the reason for the reduced price. It is currently in a pot that I received as a gift from John Quinn. Although I like this pot, I would eventually like to find a more suitable one for this tree.

Here is a video that demonstrates the repotting of this azalea.

Multi-Trunked Shimpaku Rock Planting

2008-10-04T18:52:00.000-04:00

This composition was created one cold January day in 2006, when I probably shouldn't have been working on it but it survived so all is good. Truth be known the plant fit so well into the stone very little was done to the roots. This Shimpaku was grown in the ground from a cutting originally struck by Ken Duncan. I suspect it was 6-8 years old when first styled. The stone is from David Wertz, who purchased it from Randy Price in Gilbert, Sc. I believe it is what is known as lace stone in the aquarium hobby. I really see this composition as one with several fronts. Now, in fall of 2008 this tree has recovered very well from its first styling and should be ready for its second sometime in 2009. I would like to think this is one of my most original works.

Shimpaku Rock Planting - Cliff

2008-10-04T18:43:00.000-04:00

I created this planting somewhere around 2002-3. It consists of two shimpaku junipers, grown from cuttings, and one piece of iron stone. Due to the undercut planting area this tree has been a real challenge to care for consistently. I think the foliage is just now beginning to fill in nicely.

Shohin Shimpaku Rock Planting

2008-10-04T12:47:00.000-04:00

This composition was created in 1996 and has remained on this stone since. I had the honor of displaying this tree at the Shohin Bonsai Symposium in Rochester, NY...Sept 2007. The tree is slowly breaking this stone a part. I expect in the next couple of years that it will need to be removed. This tree was also displayed at Asheville in the fall of 1997, 2003 and 2007.

Shimpaku (Two Fronts)

2008-10-04T12:38:00.000-04:00

This is this tree for which I was fortunate to win one of the categories in the KOB 2007 Progressive Styling Contest (my entry). This Shimpaku was started as a cutting by Ken Duncan. After it was several years old and had been in the ground for a couple of those I was able to acquire it...2002 maybe??? I planted it back in the ground and continued to let it grow. It was the benefactor of a leaking koi pond for a year or two causing it to grow dramatically. The work done to this tree thus far occurred during the spring and summer of 2007...during the contest. It is current in a Chinese pot. Since then I have been letting it rest. I hope to wire it again in 2009.

Japanese Weeping Red Pine

2008-10-04T12:22:00.000-04:00

This is another tree that I have had for a number of years. I think I acquired it as nursery stock in 98 or 99. It had been grown at a nursery in Virginia. It was terribly pot bound when I received the material. I have been extremely patient with this tree. Its now 10 years later and it is really going first decent pot... A round, rough pot by Dale Cochoy.

Literati Shimpaku Rock Planting

2008-10-04T12:15:00.000-04:00

This tree has been with me since the early 90s. It came from an old nursery in Little Mountain, Sc. Jean Jennings is the daughter of man who started this nursery. He specialized in dwarf and unusual conifers. This is one of the only "non-bonsai" nurseries I have ever seen Shimpaku. When I got it Mrs. Jennings thought it was about 30 years old...it was planted in an old metal can. It has gone through many transformations through the years. At one point (maybe mid 90s), Tom Dimig styled this tree for a BCSC meeting. It was displayed at the Carolina Bonsai Expo the year Dan Robinson was the guest artist. I plan to display it again this year at the Expo.

Shimpaku and Azalea Rock Planting

2008-10-04T12:09:00.000-04:00

This composition was created late in the summer of 2008. It was inspired by a visit to Rodney and Charlie's garden. Here is a link to a post about its creation - Inspired Rock Planting

From Inspired Rock Planting

Scott's Pine

2008-10-04T11:43:00.000-04:00

I received this tree as a gift from Roy Franklin in Sept of 2007. Nearly right away I felt moved to work on this tree. I began with wiring. I then decided to risk repotting the tree...for now I just used a mica drum pot. I am making this post a year later and the tree is doing well.

360 degree video...actual video

360 degree video...created from 60 still images

Japanese White Pine

2008-10-04T07:29:00.000-04:00

I purchased this tree in Japan in Nov. 2000. The tree was grown by and purchased from Hiro Yamaji. It was then prepared and shipped to the US with many other trees that were purchased during the trip. These photographs are from the Fall of 2007.

Yatsubusa Elm Forest

2008-10-04T07:15:00.000-04:00

I purchased this composition at the auction during the 2007 Shohin Symposium in Rochester, NY. Bill V. told me that it had been created in one of his workshops by one of his students. He said that it had been together for about 20 years. I purchased this forest because I thought it had some of the great character that can only be developed by time in a pot. I also thought that I could create a forest with a very different feeling by only making a few minor changes. I will post more about this forest in the near future.

Updated Oct 2008: the pics after the silhouette pic are after repotting...changing the front...and adding a new pot.

Pond Cypress

2008-10-04T07:07:00.000-04:00

Here are a few shots of my pond cypress before and after defoliating. This process occurred in early July.

Flat-top Bald Cypress Project #1

2008-10-04T06:31:00.000-04:00

I collected this tree in the May 2008. There is 12" of rootbase exposed at the soil line and the trunk extended 46" above when it was first planted. The rootbase is actually much wider but for now has several extra inches of soil. My plan for this tree is create a Flat-top by developing several tapering and ramifying branches from the top of the trunk. I am hoping that this method will address two areas. First, I am hoping to create a very natural looking flat-top. I have been collecting photos of the natural examples of this style for several years now and I am developing a general notion as to how to grow and develop the branch structure. The second area this method will hopefully help correct is the huge diagonal scar that so many folks use when developing BC bonsai. With this method I hope to only have scarring at the very apex of the trunk and with come careful carving I believe this can be treated in a manner that will lead to a natural transition. I suspect it will take at least 5 years of intensive training for this method to achieve a "show"able state. I have also begun applying this method to several other BC of various sizes. I will be posting pictures of all of them eventually. These pictures are not great but show the very first pruning of this tree.

Cedrus Libani or Lebanon Cedar

2008-10-04T06:24:00.000-04:00

I purchased this tree from Randy Clark in the summer of 2007. At the time it had only recently been moved from a nursery can into a bulb pan. My preference was for a round pot but when I realized the one I had in mind was going to be too small I opted for a little different presentation. I am not sure it came out as well as I hoped but it will do until the next repot.

My Trees

2008-07-25T12:50:00.000-04:00

I plan to use this blog to chronicle the development and history of my bonsai trees. Each tree will be assigned a unique tag. These tags will be listed on the edge of the page. Each time I make post about a tree I will assign the appropriate tag to that post. I may also choose to use styles, species, and perhaps date to allow additional choices for sorting and viewing the posts. This project will certainly take a lot of time not only to get established but also to maintain. However, I think the rewards in terms of a digital history of my trees will make it worth while.
J