Pick the front of this western juniper!

markyscott · Aug 19, 2013

Here is a western juniper yamadori of mine. It was collected about 4 years ago and showed very strong growth this spring. I started work on the tree early this summer by removing the old bark and deadwood cleanup. I think enough of the old bark has been removed so that the location of the live veins are apparent. I'll repot, removing more of the field soil in January. My teacher and I took these pictures during the work while we were deciding on the front. There were a number of possibilities that we discussed and we took pictures from some of the angles that we liked the best - the options are written on the box. I ask you - which front do you like and why?

Scott

Poink88 · Aug 19, 2013

That is an awesome tree!

It really depends on your design but I personally choose the first pic (or maybe even between 1st and 2nd). It has a good mix of live vein and deadwood. It also have lots to play with design wise.

Good luck!

Dav4 · Aug 19, 2013

Awesome stock! If this were mine, based on the pics, I'd go with b...2 visible live veins- one with movement. The lower trunk has some movement as well, and there seems to be a bit more taper from that front. Wish it were mine

.

bougie nights · Aug 19, 2013

Pic #3 really jumped out at me. I like it because of the bold presence it presents, much like an ancient juniper.

Poink88 · Aug 19, 2013

Scott,

Can you post a pic taken between 1st and 2nd pic?

markyscott · Aug 19, 2013

Poink88 said:
Scott,

Can you post a pic taken between 1st and 2nd pic?

Sorry. This tree lives in California. I'm timid with western junis here in zone 9+. We'll have to make our choices from the options I took photos of during my last visit.

Thanks
Scott

jk_lewis · Aug 19, 2013

I also would go with three, with maybe a quarter-turn in either direction.

And WHAT is a "western juniper."

Nybonsai12 · Aug 19, 2013

pic 1 or 2.

markyscott · Aug 19, 2013

jkl said:
I also would go with three, with maybe a quarter-turn in either direction.

And WHAT is a "western juniper."

Thanks.

"Western juniper" is a common name for one of the two varieties of Juniperus occidentalis. Var. occidentallis (western juniper) grows in Oregon, southern Washington, NE California, and SW Idaho. Var. australis (sierra juniper) grows in the Sierra Nevada and San Bernadino mtns in California and westernmost Nevada. It's a scale juniper like a shimpaku, but with coarser foliage more like a California juniper.

They are both excellent domestic varieties for bonsai. I prefer them over the Rocky Mountian juniper as they don't suffer from the leggy growth of that species.

Scott

markyscott · Aug 19, 2013

As an aside, of the 4 native varieties I mentioned previously (California juniper, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Sierra Juniper, and Western Juniper), the only species I've tried in Houston is the California juniper as its native range extends to southern Baja California at low elevations (well into zone 10). The specimen I have was collected in the Mojave and has now spent two summers in Houston. About 6" of growth this summer and no dieback yet, but we'll see - we're about a bajillion percent higher humidity than Baja, so the the jury is still out. I know one other person who is attempting a RMJ, a species that I know grows well in bonsai culture as far south as Dallas. I know of no one who has attempted a Western or Sierra, but their native climate is quite different than Houston, so I'm not inclined to try. One has to pick ones battles.

Scott

Owen Reich · Aug 19, 2013

Image "C" looks good. Lots of presence.

Brian Van Fleet · Aug 19, 2013

Owen Reich said:
Image "C" looks good. Lots of presence.

Was thinking the same thing...
Nice juni!

amcoffeegirl · Aug 19, 2013

I read in a bonsai book recently that if you are having trouble choosing the front to at least try and choose the back. Hope that makes it easier.

PaulH · Aug 19, 2013

I think you could make a good argument for both A and C.

markyscott · Aug 19, 2013

amcoffeegirl said:
I read in a bonsai book recently that if you are having trouble choosing the front to at least try and choose the back. Hope that makes it easier.

After much debate during the cleanup and involving the other students in the class, we did select a front.

I won't say which one yet as it would ruin all the fun, but I'll share that we ruled out "D" fairly early on as it did not display the dead wood or the nebari to its best advantage and there was little movement in the live vein.

Which front do you like and why?

Scott

wireme · Aug 19, 2013

I like option A, the tree looks both more powerful and dynamic to me than the other options. Sweet tree, are you doing some work on it too or just talking about fronts?

markyscott · Aug 19, 2013

wireme said:
I like option A, the tree looks both more powerful and dynamic to me than the other options. Sweet tree, are you doing some work on it too or just talking about fronts?

In February I'll repot, removing 1/3 - 1/2 of the field soil. Depending on the health of the tree, we may bend one or two of the major branches. No work until then.

Scott

jkd2572 · Aug 19, 2013

Since it lives far away are you having someone else do the work? I only ask, because I wonder what their thoughts are.

markyscott · Aug 19, 2013

jkd2572 said:
Since it lives far away are you having someone else do the work? I only ask, because I wonder what their thoughts are.

That wouldn't be very fun. No, it is at Boon's under his care. I work on it under his instruction when I travel there for his intensive.

Scott

tmmason10 · Aug 19, 2013

What an awesome piece of material! The third pic jumps out at me, looks ancient.

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