Pine Update

Here is a pine that I have been working on for 3 years now. It has come a very long way in a short period of time. Many of the "Big Names" in bonsai that have seen this in person have all really loved this tree, a few even bowed, lol!!

Here it is in the middle of August 2009. I needle pruned the bottom 1/2 of the tree at the end of that day.
Front before any work

Right Side before any work

After needle prunning and no wire. This is the beg. of Sept now. It sat on the bench for a few weeks before I got back to it.

Partially wired and I changed the front by a few degrees.

Partially wired, back

Partially wired left

Back finished!

Front finished with the sun shining

Front finished

From the patio. I will move this to a taller pole in the garden soon.

Trunk detail

New Koi

Check out some new fishies on my sub blog...
Link to the right.

July Updates

Well it has been a while since I have updated the blog. So here are some random shots from some trees that are in development and all at various stages. The pictures were all taken over the past few months.


Here is a big field grown crab apple with a lower hollow trunk. Has potential to be a great tree and has come a long ways in a short period of time.


Linden coming along well.

Fat little field grown trident in the making.

Shohin Japanese Maple. This was dug out of a drainage ditch by a friend and given to me about 7 years ago. It has been forgoten about for a long time.... has some potential. It has sentimental value to me. This is the first season I have given it any attention.

Below is a monster collected Hawthorn out of Idaho where they grow wild. When I got this tree it was a big tree, very tall, multiple trunk lines, and in very heavy native black soil. Last year I made some large cuts and started to put together a plan. Now the plan is coming around and about 2 months ago I wired, thinned and gave it a very rough styling. Next year this tree will change quite a bit again. Right now it looks funny.

Some Photos from this morning

In between rain storms I took a couple pics...

Ponderosa Pine

Monster Ponderosa in raw form. This will be a stunning tree soon.

European Hornbeam looking good.

Little Lead Linden just leafing out.

Monster RMJ waking up from winter. Root work soon on this one.

Vine Maple waking up from winter....these maples have wonder flowers....

Koi

Check out our koi in my sub blog, Jasons cool stuff

http://jasonsbonsai-coolstuff.blogspot.com/

Spring photos and yard photos will be added soon.

Updates

Super fat Japanese Maple, seen in last years post on the blog. I have cut it back very hard to induce more back budding as I rebuild the tree.

Crab is flowered out! Smells very nice! What a show.

Linden is coming along nicely. A few more years will give us some good ramification.. I am happy with this tree.

Back view

New Graphics

Recently I had a friend of mine, Jason Treadway make me a nice banner for the blog and also an Avatar for the bonsai forums that I tend to visit. I had an idea of what I wanted then found it was already done by someone else so I kinda let the project idle a bit. Then I get an email from Jason with these graphics done. He did it all on his own and after a very minor tweak this is what we have. Pretty creative, Mt Hood, my big juniper and mug shot! Nice work Jason!

Here is the good part......he will do this for anyone else too and he wants to trade for trees!! It is a win/win! So, contact Jason Treadway via email at: jtreadway[AT]sentinelusa.com for more details.

Banner at the top of the page and new avatar below.

Collected Vine Maple

I collected this tree a few years ago in the Cascades right before winter. It has since responded well. Many looked right past this ancient tree as it sat on my benches. I guess the trunk was to straight and all the branches were growing straight up or perhaps they didn't see what I was hoping to achieve.

In the wild this tree was growing a very steep hillside and was actually a full cascade. I had to plant it upright to save space and to make sure I had the roots buried in soil. Plus I always saw this tree in it..... even as we dug it off the side of the mt.

This tree has some very cool features to make it a good bonsai. The trunk is very rugged and has many "muscles" throughout, the leaves in fall turn into fire and puts on a wonderful display, the base is huge! Most is buriedi n this grow pot, but the base is a monster, about the diameter of a basketball and very barked up for a maple. I recently read on a forum that native maples can't make good bonsai, leaves are to large and they aren't any good......Wow, glad I am not that lame!
Before any work.....
Front- This is a big tree......

Back

I had an image in my head as to what I wanted to do and what I saw in this tree. It was very fun to work on this tree.

Some progress photos along my journey.

Look at how old this little shoot is....Those are less than 2 inches and have 10+ rings per shoot. Every branch is that way, the longer ones have 40+ rings in 6 inches! This is a gnarly old maple.

Gotta bend this big thick branch...

All business~ Got my Hackin' at the Hilton Bonsai apron, iPod and cold ice-t..... :)

Adding wire while staning on a ladder!

Getting closer..

Apex detail

Fall Color

Finished back

Finished Front

Please view video for 3D images. If for some reason the blooger player doesn't work for you it can also be found on youtube... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5fTbsDVYxE&feature=channel_page

For some reason the video is a bit elongated and kinda adds a little distortion to the tree.

This was by far the funnest time I had working on a tree. I think it was because there was such a transformation. I wired every single little shoot, branch and twig, wow that was a ton of wire! More wire then I have used on any tree before, even my big RMJ. Please keep in mind this is the 1st styling, it can only get better from here~ a nice pot, ramafication...the sky is the limit for this very old, rugged and natural looking vine maple. Thanks for looking.

Jennifer's Group Planting.

This is a group planting that Jenn saw at the BSOP Christmas party auction table a few years back. It was looking pretty ok that night, trimmed up, the pot was oiled and overall is was a nice little tree. But I knew what would happen....it would end up in my care, loll!!!! The bad part it that it sat on the bench last year whithout getting rotated the on the back side there was little growth due to bieng shaded out.

I don't think it liked the ice storms and cold temps we had.... but the cambium is still nice and green and I think it will respond well. I am 75% sure this a variety of honeysuckle....the previous owner kept good notes that are in my desk somewhere.

Before, a big overgorwn ugly "chia pet"~!!! haha

After~ Back

After~ Front. Basic trimming, some branch selection and also moving some trunks and branches. While not a super great group, it is very cool and in person looks much nicer and I think it is on its way to becoming a nice elegant group. Nice tree Jenn! :)

Chuhin Apple Update.

Here is the apple that I posted a few months back. It has been in a friends greenhouse and is looking very good right now. The pictures are a few days old and I am sure many flowers are open by now. This is a killer tree and super cool to look at right now, the colors are very nice.

Top

Side

Foliage

I like it.