Giant Spruce

This huge Spruce (Abies Picea) was collected in the Alps and is with me from 2010. The first initial styling and basic branch selection was done last year. At that point I only focused on the positioning of the primary branches and in addition only wired some of the secondary branches to get a basic silhouette and more light for the remaining branches. 

Spruce yamadori starting material in 2010

Now it was time to make the next step and define the crown a bit more in detail, define the empty spaces, select the branches and start to build a good basis for the branch structure. 

If you work on yamadoris you have a starting material with many good characteristics but in most cases with some bad as well. In this case, the original upper part of the trunk was dead with great natural deadwood. This dead trunk is a nice and interesting focal point of the the tree, but on the other hand its completely straight and boring. So based on this I decided to anyway highlight this dead wood as an point of interest, but design a dynamic crown with lots of rhythm.

Spruce (Abies Picea) after three years of training

The crown needs lot more detail and lots of time to develop, but for now I'm happy with the development and the current image of the tree.

The "Van Meer Technique"

I'm sure almost all of us had a situation where you shorten a trunk or cut of a branch and you face a huge wound. On conifers this is not such an issue but on deciduous trees scars are often an issue and dont compliment the overall design

Often we make compromise and don't heal the wound, some don't know how to heal them and there are even some who don't even try and leave them like they are. 

OfBonsai magazine published a great description of the "Van Meer Technique" which I think is a great way to heal wounds and huge scars on deciduous tree. The technique was developed by Hans Van Meer over the last 15 years. 

Definitely a must read article :)

Juniperus - Step by step

This Juniper is with me from 2009 when i collected it as an urban yamadori. 

Juniper - Urban Yamadori after collecting in 2009-09

In 2010 I started to work on the tree as a student of the Progetto Futuro Bonsai School. The main goal in many series of school sessions was to learn how a Juniper needs to be styled with the right step by step approach, how and which techniques to apply through the growing season and what and why to make with the tree in different development stages. 

After three years of learning and working on the tree the first signs of a decent design started to be visible.

Juniper in 2013-08

When I look back I remember that it was hard to be patient and work step by step. I wonted to have a nice "tree" as soon as possible, I was looking for short cats, wonted to improvise to have a faster result. 

Now I'm glad I didn't take short cats, or at least not many short cats:). I started to understand how important "step by step" approach is and that it is crucial to learn and understand what and why you have to make at each step to make the tree ready for the next one and get a good and satisfied result in the end.

Of course the tree is far from finished, the pot is not the right one, the deadwood needs to be improved, the foliage needs additional maturity,...lots of additional steps, but its more and more fun and I'm already looking forward for the next step.

Chamaecyparis Pisifera Bulevard

This tree is with me almost from the start of my bonsai trip, so around five years and actually the first post on my blog was written about this tree. All this time I constantly worked on the tree and step by step it is slowly improving. 

Chamaecyparis Pisifera Bulevard
- five years of progress

Last year the tree was exhibited the first time at the European Bonsai Exhibition EBA-2012 in Ljubljana. And while I'm looking at the photos now, I think it was not ready for showing it at an exhibition. Especially not ready for an Exhibition at a EBA level. But Ok, they didn't throw tomatoes at me and it was a positive experience.

Chamaecyparis Pisifera Bulevard - EBA 2012

This spring I repoted the tree in the same pot with a new position and left it to grow and gain energy. At the evening of Mick Jaggers 70th birthday, with a good and long Rolling Stones playlist, I started the next styling, changed the wire and in the next days worked on some details.

Chamaecyparis Pisifera Bulevard
- after the last styling

At the moment I'm happy with the result and maybe if the tree develops nice in the future and gains the right maturity, someday in a couple of years, it will be truly ready for an exhibition. Maybe even before Micks 80th birthday. 

Prunus Mahaleb progress

I collected this Prunus Mahaleb in spring of 2011 and in the first two years the tree made nice progress. I hope it will continue to develop with the same pace so it can be exhibition ready in the next 5 to 6 years.

Prunus Mahaleb after collection 2011-02

After a year of rest I started to style the tree in spring of 2012. Unfortunately I broke one of the main branches, but what is gone is gone and the good thing with Prunus Mahaleb is that new branches can be developed quite fast so in three to four years a new branch with a similar diameter will be developed form scratch. After the styling the tree was completely defoliated and re-wired in June 2012.

In spring of 2013 I transplanted the tree in a training pot, changed the angle and the old soil with a new substrat and made an additional styling focused on deadwood and branches structure. My goal was to develop a good basic branch structure with the right dynamic movement of each branch and especially  start the development of branches with natural proportions.

Prunus Mahaleb 2013-03

Despite that the tree was transplanted and styled in spring the growth was strong and vigorous so I decided to defoliate the tree completely in the June 2013 and make some new adjustments to the branch structure. 

Prunus Mahaleb 2013-06

Styled deadwood

Prunus Mahaleb 2013-07

The main structure of primary and secondary branches is done for the moment. The focus of the future development will be mostly on developing stronger branches and maintain the good structure, proportions and branch movement of each single branch.

I strongly believe that a quality deciduous tree needs to have, next to all other characteristics that make a good bonsai, a natural, mature and proportional branches structure compared to the trunk and of course with the same design principles of proportions for all additional branches (secondary vs. primary, tertiary vs. secondary and so on).

Progress from 2011 to 2013

Progetto Futuro

This weekend Vid Novak end I spent two great working days with Enrico Savini at his school Progetto Futuro near Bologna. It was a great positive experience with intense two days of work, new knowledge and lots of fun.

When we arrived we first gave a quick look at his garden. Its a stunning collection of trees with many great masterpieces and award wining trees. Its a special and truly stunning garden.

After the quick garden tour we immediately started to work. Vid was styling his great Pinus Mugo. Its a powerful old Mugo Pine with great potential. It was prepared in the past for this step and now it was time to proceed towards the final image.

Vid working on his powerful Mugo Pine

Enrico Savini

Great Pinus Mugo almost done for this step

On the second day additional students came to the studio and Tommaso Triossi joined the group to help us all out. 

Tommaso Triossi working with a PF student

Positive atmosphere in the studio

I was working on my Juniper and the goal of this step was to improve the branch structure, to refine the foliage and to restyle the first left branch. The problem with the first left branch was that it was to heavy and that from the side the branch didn't look good. 

Juniper before the stylng

Four bigger branches ware cut off to improve the structure

Juniper after the styling

The result of the work is promising and im looking forward for the next steps. In the next step I will work on additional foliage refinement and development of the foliage on the first left branch. In addition to that there will be some improvements and changes on the deadwood. After that it will be time to start to search for the right pot.

The whole experience was really great, positive, creative and educative. The right combination of enthusiastic hard work and fun.

The Bonsai Art of Japan - Episode 38

Great video form Bjorvala Bonsai Studio. In this episode Andrew Sellman styles a Juniper.