Current Stuff

I decided to come back again despite the M.F. post that drive me away. Why? My small collection is just looking too good not to post, even though I have only the worst of photography set-ups at this time (by my standards at any rate ). Good to see most of the threads and trees and old friends are still here. Does my heart well. Enjoy, if you can, and please forgive the really poor photography ..... both physical set up and photo processing software are far less than ideal ...
In order, these are spread over two posts 1. Mountain Hemlock , 2. Katsura, 3. Japanese Larch, 4. Cryptomeria, 5. Korean Hoirnbeam, 6. Vine Maple, 7. Alaska Yellow Cedar, 8. Penjing Chinese Elm scene I created for a colleague's office. , 9. Japanese Black Pine, 10. Alpine Fir, 11. Threadbranch False Cypress, 12.Siberian Elm Clump, 13. Cork Bark Chinese Elm.

i Really like that Cryptomeria

Nice collection after only a short time.

Remarkable collection. What's not to love. I am green with envy.

Nice trees. And for most of us amateur photo graphers, nice pictures. I suspect you and I have something in common, except I have them on ignore. I find that when I choose my associates wisely, I'm much happier...

Thanks all. Many here may not know that over half these trees are from my old collection before I retired overseas about two years ago. I left most of my trees with friends, and sold a few, but before those were let go I invited my good friend and bonsai master Dan Robinson to come by and he took about 30 of my best trees. When I came back and out of retirement about 8 months ago, Dan wanted to keep the ones he had worked on extensively, now thinking of them as "his" trees in their much improved configuration. Nine of the trees posted in these two posts were ones he gave back to me, so I've had them mostly for a long time altogether. One other tree here was also given back to me by another friend when I returned. The fairly new ones are the Cryptomeria, the Cork Bark Chinese Elm, the Siberian Elm Clump, the Penjing Chinese Elm, and the huge windswept Mountain Hemlock.

Thanks again, everyone, for your kind words.

Welcome back to crazy!

Forsoothe! said:

Nice trees. And for most of us amateur photo graphers, nice pictures. I suspect you and I have something in common, except I have them on ignore. I find that when I choose my associates wisely, I'm much happier...

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Thanks for your kind words. Trees I've had through the years, and the style of photography I prefer, can be found in the media and albums section of the site. I've also done a tutorial on bonsai photography that can be found there, as well a few other tutorials. Enjoy.

Beautiful! I'm envious of the hemlock, larch, and vine maple. Just can't grow them well in California heat.

Ohhh Alaskan cedar!!!

grouper52 said:

I decided to come back again despite the M.F. post that drive me away. Why? My small collection is just looking too good not to post, even though I have only the worst of photography set-ups at this time (by my standards at any rate ). Good to see most of the threads and trees and old friends are still here. Does my heart well. Enjoy, if you can, and please forgive the really poor photography ..... both physical set up and photo processing software are far less than ideal ...
In order, these are spread over two posts 1. Mountain Hemlock , 2. Katsura, 3. Japanese Larch, 4. Cryptomeria, 5. Korean Hoirnbeam, 6. Vine Maple, 7. Alaska Yellow Cedar, 8. Penjing Chinese Elm scene I created for a colleague's office. , 9. Japanese Black Pine, 10. Alpine Fir, 11. Threadbranch False Cypress, 12.Siberian Elm Clump, 13. Cork Bark Chinese Elm.


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Beautiful group, love the natural styling, thanks for posting. Good to have your participation, hope our paths cross some day! Particularily like the Larch, shows a lot of age and determination. They say age and character are valuable attributes in Bonsai. Perhaps also in Bonsai artists, at least i am hoping so!

River's Edge said:

Beautiful group, love the natural styling, thanks for posting. Good to have your participation, hope our paths cross some day! Particularily like the Larch, shows a lot of age and determination. They say age and character are valuable attributes in Bonsai. Perhaps also in Bonsai artists, at least i am hoping so!

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Thanks for you kind words. I like what you say about age and character in both bonsai and us artists.

Here, where I'm currently living, I have my bonsai on a veranda, on which I spend a great deal of time when the Puget Sound weather cooperates. I'm sitting here now in the evening twilight, a few early fireworks and reassuring large caliber rifle rounds going off this 4th of July, alternating between my computer, and inspiring book, some food and libations, and long stretches just looking at and sort of communing with my trees. It's an odd bond between me and my trees, and I think it may be that way for others.

They're not human .... they're not even animals like a dog or cat or horse one can bond with .... but there's a bond of some sort between us ... I have to learn their language so to speak, to know what they want and need from me. I care about their well-being immensely, and they may even care about me as the source of their well-being for all I know. I'm pretty certain they're not going to divorce me and sue for alimony, or run off with some other bonsai artist who's got stiffer wire, or sharper concave cutters, or a more tempting soil mix ... no. We appreciate each other's age and determination, "character" if you will.

I'm reminded, as often happens in recent years, of the final lines from Tennyson's Ulysses:

There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toiled, and wrought, and thought with me —
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads — you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honor and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Great character in these trees. Did I miss #11-13 somewhere? How do you approach your hollowing carving?

Arcto said:

Great character in these trees. Did I miss #11-13 somewhere? How do you approach your hollowing carving?

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Yeah, sorry, those are in the subsequent thread, "and a few more".

My few really hollowed out trees did it on their own.

The Alaska yellow cedar was found this way in the wild where I collected him on Vancouver Island. They are the wildest of wildly-configured trees, and a personal favorite of mine. Several of my photos of Dan Robinson's AYCs are featured among the many trees captured in my definitive book about him, "Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees" available on Amazon or directly through his Elandan Garden web site.

The Katsura is the only member of this species in captivity that I know of in all of Bonsai-dom, so I don't know if they rot out as easily as this one did, but it certainly did!

The Alpine fir was a bit of a different story. I bought this at a local nursery where they had it growing in the ground for years after its collecting in the cascades. It had an interesting configuration - like a crook - about 2.5 feet from the ground on a 4.5 foot tree. I thought it would provide a great air layer base, but the air layer failed, and as I went to throw the tree out I noticed carpenter ants and termites and such had hollowed it out spectacularly!!! After that, I've never done anything else at all to enhance its rugged beauty, except care for it and apply line sulfur every year!!!

Oooh the snakey vine maple is to die for!

I have a Katsura that I've just started training this year. It's interesting to see it hollows out - mine has a fairly substantial trunk with dead running down the center. I had carved a crude hollow on top with the hope it would someday travel down the entire trunk. If it turns out half as well as yours I'll be more than happy. I don't think I have photographed it recently though. Lovely trees BTW!

Paulpash said:

I have a Katsura that I've just started training this year. It's interesting to see it hollows out - mine has a fairly substantial trunk with dead running down the center. I had carved a crude hollow on top with the hope it would someday travel down the entire trunk. If it turns out half as well as yours I'll be more than happy. I don't think I have photographed it recently though. Lovely trees BTW!

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is yours an acer katsura? i dont think the one above is an acer, its a different type of katsura we don't have in UK i believe.

Breathtaking as always! Welcome back!

BobbyLane said:

is yours an acer katsura? i dont think the one above is an acer, its a different type of katsura we don't have in UK i believe.

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I have a Katsura maple too but from the heart shaped leaves and growth habit in pic #2 it looks a lot like 'Cercidiphyllum japonicum',
Katsura or the Candyfloss Tree. It has lovely purple leaves in Spring and a faint burnt caramel scent to the leaves in Autumn. Vigorous grower and trunks up fast.

I took a cutting from a neighbour's tree and planted it in my mother in laws garden to fatten up. Maybe @grouper52 can confirm this?

Nice to see some old friends in your collection, and nice to see you back here too old friend. So happy to see the larch is back where it belongs, with you. That vine maple sure is tasty.