Elk'Adori Bunjin Design Help needed

ghues

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Hi Folks,
Here is a tree that I’d appreciate some design help with.
I’ve called it Elkadori Bunijn (Mountain Hemlock=Tsuga mertensiana), collected in 2012. It was located next to an Elk trial and from the damage to the trunk it appears that a bull Elk used it to rub its antlers on (territorial marking or to scrap off its felt?) or it could be damage by trampling by the Elk herds (hooves) as the trial is heavily used = migratory trail.
I do like the trunk damage (shari) as a focal point (side 3) but I’m not sure if I’ll keep the smaller two trees (branches from its base) but I can make that decision later.
Here are 4 shots (from each side of grow box and one of the shari.
Thanking you in advance for any assistance you can give me on a future design. It will be in this box for at least this year and maybe go into one of my Roger Snipes round literati pots.
Cheers
Graham
 

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Dav4

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This looks like fun material to work with. My 2 cents- 1) you could work with the front in pic 1 and make a clump style using all three trunks, or 2) Using the front from pic 3, consider removing the smallest trunk and styling as a mother-daughter twin trunk, which would be prefered approach. Good luck with it,

Dave
 

ghues

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Thanks Dave, I do appreciate your suggestions especially the second option, as the small doesn't have much to offer.
Cheers
Graham
 

Smoke

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yep...I would love to take a crack at that. Really nice material.
 

Si Nguyen

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Cool tree! That's a good find. Love the mosses.

You should just do some wild sketches on paper and see if any cool lines pop out.

I kinda like either #2 or #4 for the front , depending which way the top goes. I like a double tree- bunjin look for this. Both the #2 or #4 view would bring the two trunks closer together. Maybe cross the smaller trunk behind the big trunk and use it for depth.
Good luck!
 

ghues

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Thanks Al, Si, I'll keep looking at it.....sometimes I can envision a potential design but this one has me stumped at the moment. I'll keep looking, titling and playing with the gentle curves until something pops out ;) At the moment I'm leaning towards having the main branch and top mirroring/flowing together (in general design/shape that is).
I've learnt how to collect, keep them alive, re-pot and wire but designing is the weakest part of my game at the moment. :(
Jason/Ed, thanks for taking a look - I've attached another photo with a camera lens cover at the base which gives you some idea of the size, it stands approx 30-32" above the soil.
The moss (collected from around the garden) was recently added.
Thanks again,
Cheers
Graham
 

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Dav4

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attachment.php
Thanks Al, Si, I'll keep looking at it.....sometimes I can envision a potential design but this one has me stumped at the moment. I'll keep looking, titling and playing with the gentle curves until something pops out ;) At the moment I'm leaning towards having the main branch and top mirroring/flowing together (in general design/shape that is).
I've learnt how to collect, keep them alive, re-pot and wire but designing is the weakest part of my game at the moment. :(
Jason/Ed, thanks for taking a look - I've attached another photo with a camera lens cover at the base which gives you some idea of the size, it stands approx 30-32" above the soil.
The moss (collected from around the garden) was recently added.
Thanks again,
Cheers
Graham
Take this front, tip to the right maybe 5 degrees, then wire the two smaller trunks to emulate the movement of the larger trunk while moving to the right...this might actually work with all three trunks...very cool.
 
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dick benbow

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beautiful tree to work with, good eye for finding something of merit to work with....:)
 

JudyB

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) At the moment I'm leaning towards having the main branch and top mirroring/flowing together (in general design/shape that is).

I like this idea for starters. Then if you can get the secondary trunk to flow along with that as well, it would make a nice mother daughter. A style I'm starting to really enjoy when well done...
 

ghues

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Shadows of things to come

Update,

On Si's post he stated "do some wild sketches on paper and see if any cool lines pop out"....
Well I've tried but didn't like anything....(not too good at it either) so time went by and as "they" tell you... "live with the tree and something may come"....
This week while hand watering....I noticed the late evening shadows and they gave me an idea.....and showed me a potential design :).
Time will tell.....I've been known to change directions a few times :p.
Photos - before (only with some minor wiring from a few weeks ago....when I thought I had a vision lol).....and the new front "the after" tonight (for now).
Cheers
Graham
 

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Si Nguyen

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Definitely bunjin is the way for this tree, so you are going in the right direction. If you forced yourself to sketch out all possible designs, then you would see it, eventually. Keep the rough sketches and go back to them every once in a while until you see it.

I was playing around with some ideas today. Here's one option for you.
Good luck.
 

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ghues

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Thanks Si,
You imagination is astounding, for I would never of thought about a semi cascade Bunjin. It is an interesting concept seeing as though it came from an area (exposed mtn. top)....that had many trees creeping low over the moss covered granite ridges....:eek: the majority of which were well rooted and had thick bases......this guy just "grew up on the wrong side of the trail":( in a semi open area that was dominated by mountain heather, native blueberries and other sub-alpine flora.
However, last night I did poke around the root base and saw that the three are one....the forest floor,duff, humus had covered at least 3" of the lower trunk and the other two stems are really low branches.......
When I played with the angle of the pot....I leaned the trees forward and thought of a windswept bunjin.... struggling against the wind......so again many thanks, for now I have at least another serious option. One that is very stylistic with an almost Penjing based feel to it.
Cheers Graham
ps - if I do anything close to your design I'll be sure to give you all the credit for it.
 
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Potawatomi13

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Good that you saved this tree. That great drawing of the 3 interwoven trunks is a wonderful design! Go for it.
 

sorce

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3 trunks. Friggin awesome!

Sorce
 

ghues

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Early summer update.
The spring flush has hardened so I removed all the wire (starting to dig in) and trimmed off much of this years growth......the major shoots are trimmed back to the first (much smaller) branchlets (which are not hardened off and will continue to grow and fill out the pads). The downward branches were removed and so were a few upward branches. Tried a number of different fronts....the first shows the tree that leans towards the viewer but the main trunk lacks interest but the next potential front shows the elk antler rub scars which are healing over and starting to swallow the branch stubs.
Cheers Graham
 

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ghues

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Still considering the removal of the two smaller trunks, but just 4 fun I reduced them, added guy wires and removed some additional inner branches. The guys wires are too hold the basic design but I won't wire the main/secondary branches until late fall or early winter. Caught this view this am.
Cheers G.
image.jpeg
 

ghues

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Here is a better photo from a better front? Exploring the base I noticed some roots very close to the two much small "limbs" so I may be able to remove them with a set of there own roots?
 

Potawatomi13

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Early summer update.
The spring flush has hardened so I removed all the wire (starting to dig in) and trimmed off much of this years growth......the major shoots are trimmed back to the first (much smaller) branchlets (which are not hardened off and will continue to grow and fill out the pads). The downward branches were removed and so were a few upward branches. Tried a number of different fronts....the first shows the tree that leans towards the viewer but the main trunk lacks interest but the next potential front shows the elk antler rub scars which are healing over and starting to swallow the branch stubs.
Cheers Graham

First pic orientation(main branch to rt). Trunk has plenty of interest and if desired can add dead wood later on. Keep all 3 trunks but put smallest in back for depth perspective. Add movement to both small trunks and let #2 regain some height above #3. Main branch on main trunk let lower 1/4 or so sweep more out to side. Top main branch opposite 1st branch(or main main branch)keep/bring down more and consider removing trunk above it. Huge removal and would consider long before doing. Less is more in many or most literati and will grow more foliage before long;).
 
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