Arborvitae Literati

[october]

Hello Mac..None of this was meant to be said in a disrespectful manner. I will always consider myself a student of bonsai I never disrespect any one's opinion under any circumstances....If the term absolute was too strong, I hope that I clarified it in the last post. Which was not meant in a harsh way, like the internet can sometimes mislead....It is true that there are no absolutes in bonsai, well, there are some if trees are going into exhibitons in master's class competions..lol...

Anyway, I think this thread somehow took a turn for the worst, unfortunately, it seems to happen often on sites...How about this.. Literati is best suited to a small round, shallow pots due to the soft/feminine trunks. However, similar pots, such as hand made, uneven, hexagonal or crescent pots can be used with certain trees for aesthtics and if certain root space issues arise. Ya, this might be a better explanation than absolute..

Rob

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

Rob, By chance do you have a book or access to a book called, "Bonsai Master Class" by Craig Coussins? It would be inviolation of copywrite laws for me to reproduce pictures from it.

Regards,
Mac

 

[rockm]

"Like I said to rockm..you can do what you like or what you think is best. My use of the word "absolute" in a prior reply was in reference to what I have seen in my 10 years of bonsai, my experience from visiting bonsai nurseries over the past 10 years, studying at them and recently doing some work for them..."

My response was not meant to be offensive. Sorry it was taken that way. The idea that literati is only potted in round containers is, however, simply not true. Round pots are PREVALENT for SOME kinds of literati because they are the obvious choice for the simple sinuous lines of those literati trees.

Literati style covers a lot of ground. It is not only the light squiggly trunked style that immediately springs to mind. Sometimes literati don't have flowing lines. Some are heavy trunked stark, broken, rugged trees. Trees like old apricots, needle junipers and the like often are shown in square containers. Some conifers toe the line between formal upright and literati.Others are simply quirky and work in formal squares.See the driftwood Cali juniper on this page:
http://www.bonsaihunk.us/pic/nat/nat17.html
Square pots often offer interesting sober contrasts to the complex trunk literati often have.

Or the flowering apricot here:
http://www.bonsaipots.net/index.php?page=takagi-2

Not the best example, but one that was handy. Most people would call this one a semicascade, but it's more than that to me anyway...Apricots tend to be a very stark rugged tree and lend themselves to bullky literati.

Literati style defies absolutes. It is a very changeable and subjective style--which is why it is one of the hardest to pull off convincingly.

Back to the tree at hand though. A round pot does suit this tree, but a shallow unglazed hexagonal, or even a shallow square would also work...
http://www.tokoname.or.jp/bonsai/gallery/24f11.htm

A shape like this might work too if the number of top branches were thinned a bit:
http://www.tokoname.or.jp/bonsai/gallery/24f18.htm

 

[october]

Hello Mac In Oak Ridge.....I do not have that one..but I do have Craig Coussins "bonsai school". A very interesting book... A slightly different take on bonsai.. I also enjoyed the first part of the book which was dedicated to penjing... Is there something you wanted me to see in the other book?.. They have a virtual library of books at the nursery, so I could look for a particular pic if you tell me what it is.

Also, is it a copy right violation if you take a picture of it with a video camera and designate who's tree it is. Sometimes, if I want someone to see something, I will just snap a pic of the page and download it..and, as always, designate the artist.

Hello rockm...very interesting and informative...Also, the california juniper is incredible.....and ironically enough.. I was thinking about how some of the things in the John Naka books are so amazing in concept, but some are almost never seen. Such as a cascading literati.. and lo and behold,,, There it is ..a cascading cali kind of literati.. A variation, but similar to the one in the John Naka's book....

Also, I did not mean to sound as abrasive as my post may of came off. I realize that there are different perspectives in everyone's bonsai experience.. Thank you very much for posting these pics...They were quite amazing..

Rob

 

[rockm]

Save the pic of that particular juniper. Sadly, it may become an "ex-bonsai." The tree (called the "OhMyGod tree" because that's usually what first time, non-bonsai folks say when they see it) is no longer on exhibit and is in the arb's hospital area. The past winter apparently took a toll on a number of trees at the Arb, although this one has been limping along for a decade or so. Guy Guidry's big BC also had some trouble this spring.

 

[bonsaiTOM]

October, I really enjoyed your early posts on this arborvitae as I have a similar tree, which I am told, was first obtained from a self-rooted branch of a much larger tree. Sorry, I have no pictures, but the trunk line is more of a lazy S-curve. Am considering a literati style, or possibly ROR, as the exposed roots seem to be calling for that. BUT the ROR treatment may remove any hope of it also being a literati because of the small shallow pot required.

Question is - have you ever seen a good literati which was also ROR? Have you seen any arborvitae (or Eastern white cedar) grown as ROR whether literati or not? I was thinking of starting a new thread with this question - but will start here first.

Appreciate responses from anyone, and thank you all.

Tom

 

[october]

Hello Tom,
I personally have never seen a ror literati. However, it does not mean it cannot be done or pulled off beautifully. In fact, if you think about it in nature terms. It would be easy to believe that a tree could be growing on a rock for a very long time and be exposed to very harsh weather which in turn, would make it look like a literati.

Also, I cannot really remember seeing any arbo's as literati or root on rock. I have seen some in other styles that make stunning bonsai though. In my experience, the foliage seems a bit tough to manage. Which might be why when you do see a nice one, they are still a bit shaggy looking.

Rob

 

[bonsaiTOM]

Rob, All of what you say make good sense, and I appreciate your quick response. Will be giving the idea much thought over the winter months. I need to learn a good deal more about my little tree.
Thanks,
Tom