Baldy

irene_b

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Thought I would share a pic of my Baldy!
Collected 11 years ago and initally styled By Ron Westra.
It has had a lot of new growth that has had to be trimmed to keep this shape.
Irene
 

Graydon

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It's rare to find a smaller cypress with such an interesting base Irene. Cool.

And by the way I prefer to call it a receding hairline. At this point I can still institute operation comb over.
 

Martin Sweeney

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Irene,

Interesting style for a Bald Cypress. I do not recall seeing a cascade Bald Cypress before. Can you elaborate on how difficult it is to maintain as a cascade? I had assumed that a Bald Cypress's extreme apical dominance would have made a cascade styling very difficult to maintain. What has been your experience in maintaining this tree?

Thanks for posting it. Please consider that showing it to it's best advantage benefits the viewer and honors the tree. It's not putting on airs.


Regards,
Martin
 

AlainK

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Very nice tree Irene, the style is unusual for a bald cypress, but I love it. We see so many "thunder-stricken" taxodiums that this is really a change, even if some of the straight trunk cypresses with a jin are awesome.

I suppose the stone is only here to help it secure its roots more firmly into the soil?...

Thanks for posting, I have two year-old seedlings at home, I will begin forming one as a kengai : without you, I wouldn't have dared :eek:

I'll send you the first pics in approx. ten years, stay tuned ;)
 

irene_b

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Irene,

Interesting style for a Bald Cypress. I do not recall seeing a cascade Bald Cypress before. Can you elaborate on how difficult it is to maintain as a cascade? I had assumed that a Bald Cypress's extreme apical dominance would have made a cascade styling very difficult to maintain. What has been your experience in maintaining this tree?

Thanks for posting it. Please consider that showing it to it's best advantage benefits the viewer and honors the tree. It's not putting on airs.


Regards,
Martin



Most times it is on it's side.
BC's do have the tendency to want to grow up, so in order to not fight it's nature you lay it down with the branches facing up.

Martin it is in it's natural enviroment (near the pond) and I am not much into the smoke and mirrors.
Mom
 

irene_b

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Very nice tree Irene, the style is unusual for a bald cypress, but I love it. We see so many "thunder-stricken" taxodiums that this is really a change, even if some of the straight trunk cypresses with a jin are awesome.

I suppose the stone is only here to help it secure its roots more firmly into the soil?...

Thanks for posting, I have two year-old seedlings at home, I will begin forming one as a kengai : without you, I wouldn't have dared :eek:

I'll send you the first pics in approx. ten years, stay tuned ;)



Nah, the stone is just sitting there.
It in no way is holding the tree up.
Mom
 
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Barry it sits on that table, and I ain't in Bonsai for show.
Irene

Irene,
I love you and respect you. I would respectfully beg you to reconsider this stance. Preparing your trees with showing in mind will take your bonsai skills to a whole other level.


Boon: If people only want to do bonsai as a light hobby, the first thing is to admit it. Be willing to say, "I am not going to try to reach my maximum potential. I want to play. All I really want to do is to hang out with great people. Bonsai is secondary." If people are honest enough to say that to themselves, that is more than OK with me. Not every person needs to be on fire for bonsai. But the downside of this is that these people are often great bureaucrats and end up running clubs and becoming program chairs. In clubs like these, excellence in bonsai is not always the focus. Every bonsai organization should ask themselves, "Are our leaders dedicated to good bonsai work?" If not, the work in that club will reflect that. I believe that the top will pull up the bottom. If you want to teach and work with newcomers, you should be good at the basics. Be good at wiring and other fundamentals, for example: the inclination of the branches should be uniform.
 

irene_b

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It's rare to find a smaller cypress with such an interesting base Irene. Cool.

And by the way I prefer to call it a receding hairline. At this point I can still institute operation comb over.


Thank You Graydon.

When my son starting receding he went ahead and did the full shave and had more women after him when he did :D
Irene
 

bonsai barry

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Barry it sits on that table, and I ain't in Bonsai for show.
Irene

Interesting. Bonsai is a visual art. Art is about show. If you've posted your tree on this forum, then you have some interest in show. However, I apologize if you felt my comment insulting.
 

irene_b

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Interesting. Bonsai is a visual art. Art is about show. If you've posted your tree on this forum, then you have some interest in show. However, I apologize if you felt my comment insulting.


The tree is the Art, and I am not insulted nor did I find the comment insulting.
I show my trees to the many on this forum who may need to think outside the box in species and what can be done.
Mom
 

grouper52

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irene b,

My thoughts were the same as others here when I first saw your photo: a solid background would have helped to bring out the beauty of the tree, which is really hard to see as it is.

On another forum, I suppose I have become somewhat famous for the photography of my trees, which by themselves are nothing really very special - actually all I did was read Old Mister Crow's web site on bonsai photgraphy and buy a hunk of black velvet at a going-out-of-business sale at a local fabric store. I didn't realize how much people appreciated it until I posted some pre-bonsai projects one day without the background. People complained, and loudly! I was a bit pissed off at first, as you seem to be, since I don't get into the whole "showing" thing with my trees either. But I came to realize that people simply couldn't see the trees as well, and certainly couldn't do a nice virt if they wanted. So I went back and photographed some of the trees again with the solid background, and I even amazed myself how much popped out at me that I hadn't seen before.

I hope you change your mind on that one.

grouper52
 

irene_b

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irene b,

My thoughts were the same as others here when I first saw your photo: a solid background would have helped to bring out the beauty of the tree, which is really hard to see as it is.

On another forum, I suppose I have become somewhat famous for the photography of my trees, which by themselves are nothing really very special - actually all I did was read Old Mister Crow's web site on bonsai photgraphy and buy a hunk of black velvet at a going-out-of-business sale at a local fabric store. I didn't realize how much people appreciated it until I posted some pre-bonsai projects one day without the background. People complained, and loudly! I was a bit pissed off at first, as you seem to be, since I don't get into the whole "showing" thing with my trees either.



But I came to realize that people simply couldn't see the trees as well, and certainly couldn't do a nice virt if they wanted.







So I went back and photographed some of the trees again with the solid background, and I even amazed myself how much popped out at me that I hadn't seen before.

I hope you change your mind on that one.

grouper52











I am not insulted.
I had not considered this sentence. Thank You.
Mom
 

irene_b

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Irene,
I love you and respect you. I would respectfully beg you to reconsider this stance. Preparing your trees with showing in mind will take your bonsai skills to a whole other level.




Dang! I think I am getting the picture!
Mom
 

irene_b

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Done with a Better background.
Mom
 
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irene_b

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A MUCH better bacground - Gorgeous tree, nicely presented! Many thanks!

Any special care involved with that combo of style and species?



It is one that you have to stay on top of for the growth and the style.
Most times it is on it's side (laying down) to provide it with the growing upwards that is normal for this species.
Mom
 
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This one is truly amazing to me: a completely natural, yamadori cascade bald cypress!
 
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