Elm’s Deep

Woocash

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speaking of hawthorn, in the UK Harry harrington is collecting right now

theyre also collecting carpinus orientalis in croatia at this time

80049007_3284572724948664_3837256750138916864_n.jpg
Sounds good - where did you find that out? I cant see anything on b4me.
 

Woocash

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Posted on his facebook page. He does have the polytunnel to control conditions for aftercare though
I thought as much. I don’t do facebook, you see. Is it a heated poly tunnel do you know?
 

Michael P

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Incredible find! You could divide it into two, three, or possibly more sections. Don't worry about the pot(s) now, just get it into some plastic tubs. Later on you can find unconventional containers if traditional bonsai pots are unsuitable. I can see this displayed as several separate rafts in matching containers, perhaps varying the size of the pots with the size of the raft planted in them.
 

BobbyLane

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Incredible find! You could divide it into two, three, or possibly more sections. Don't worry about the pot(s) now, just get it into some plastic tubs. Later on you can find unconventional containers if traditional bonsai pots are unsuitable. I can see this displayed as several separate rafts in matching containers, perhaps varying the size of the pots with the size of the raft planted in them.

personally i would leave this and keep searching. its too big and i dont think its worth the hassle.

this is a good thread to follow for ideas
 

Woocash

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Incredible find! You could divide it into two, three, or possibly more sections. Don't worry about the pot(s) now, just get it into some plastic tubs. Later on you can find unconventional containers if traditional bonsai pots are unsuitable. I can see this displayed as several separate rafts in matching containers, perhaps varying the size of the pots with the size of the raft planted in them.
Thanks. I was just spitballing about the future really. I do like the idea of displaying them together though. It’d make for a helluva show if done properly. Trouble is, I’m still seriously thinking about grabbing the whole thing at some point! But there is no rush to dig it up. I’m possibly thinking of trying to “prebonsai” it while still in the ground, because I go there a couple of mornings a week with the dogs anyway. At the very least I’ll chop a couple of the biggest trunks and see if I can encourage some more shoots from elsewhere.
 

Woocash

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personally i would leave this and keep searching. its too big and i dont think its worth the hassle.

this is a good thread to follow for ideas
Cheers, I’ve been keeping tabs on that one. It may have even been the first thread I viewed on here :)

You may well be right, but I can just see the bonsai there and in person it looks so cool. As above, I said I’m in no real rush, so at least I’ll probably practice with some other elms first and lay down the groundwork before I commit to such a beast!
 

Michael P

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Many years ago when I was a relative beginner, I went to a workshop with Ernie Kuo. He wanted me to do some drastic pruning on one of my trees. Like most beginners, I was reluctant and started whining about it. Ernie said:

"If you have no courage and I have no courage, then we have no bonsai."
 

GreatLakesBrad

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Many years ago when I was a relative beginner, I went to a workshop with Ernie Kuo. He wanted me to do some drastic pruning on one of my trees. Like most beginners, I was reluctant and started whining about it. Ernie said:

"If you have no courage and I have no courage, then we have no bonsai."
Love this quote. It’s scary to make the big decisions.
 

Woocash

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Many years ago when I was a relative beginner, I went to a workshop with Ernie Kuo. He wanted me to do some drastic pruning on one of my trees. Like most beginners, I was reluctant and started whining about it. Ernie said:

"If you have no courage and I have no courage, then we have no bonsai."
So, is that an official dare or what? :p

No, it’s a great point. That is not necessarily my problem though. I keep having to rein it in!
 

rockm

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personally i would leave this and keep searching. its too big and i dont think its worth the hassle.

this is a good thread to follow for ideas
I'd take it a step further because, well, I've been down this road.

This material is basically ugly, potentially a nightmare to turn into a decent bonsai, and just plain weird. Weird is often mistaken by beginners as "cool." Weird is not cool. Weird is an albatross that will hang around your neck and nag you for a few years until you realize what you've dug up mostly sucks and is unworkable, or, laughable. Having your spouse laugh at the "masterpiece" tree you think is spectacular--but in the cold light of reality is effin ugly and ridiculous-- is humbling.

I've been there, done that, wasted time. Learned nothing for such odd material--as weird material rarely has anything in common that you can really apply to better material. You're left jumping through hoops to arrive as some cohesive, unsilly looking design.

All this, of course, relies on you getting this ugly beast out of the ground. I'd bet the roots underneath it are as whimsical and spotty as the growth above. Also, they may be next to non-existent not present at all, or present all at one end...

In colleting you learn to pick your battles .This won ain't worth the fight. Acting on impulse is not courage. Have the courage to not dig up stuff that has no future.
 

Woocash

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I'd take it a step further because, well, I've been down this road.

This material is basically ugly, potentially a nightmare to turn into a decent bonsai, and just plain weird. Weird is often mistaken by beginners as "cool." Weird is not cool. Weird is an albatross that will hang around your neck and nag you for a few years until you realize what you've dug up mostly sucks and is unworkable, or, laughable. Having your spouse laugh at the "masterpiece" tree you think is spectacular--but in the cold light of reality is effin ugly and ridiculous-- is humbling.

I've been there, done that, wasted time. Learned nothing for such odd material--as weird material rarely has anything in common that you can really apply to better material. You're left jumping through hoops to arrive as some cohesive, unsilly looking design.

All this, of course, relies on you getting this ugly beast out of the ground. I'd bet the roots underneath it are as whimsical and spotty as the growth above. Also, they may be next to non-existent not present at all, or present all at one end...

In colleting you learn to pick your battles .This won ain't worth the fight. Acting on impulse is not courage. Have the courage to not dig up stuff that has no future.
I’ve been trying to work out how to reply to this without sounding like a snot nosed know it all or an ungrateful so and so because I can’t argue with any of the very sage advice here - other than the ugliness part possibly. One man’s swamp is another’s garden of Eden, so to speak.

However, weighing up the pros and cons, there are definitely more cons currently. It measures 90x140cm with a hypotenuse of 150cm. It’s huge. Also it does have a proper right angle which is a bit cumbersome. Again, it probably would be a nightmare to dig and there’s no guarantee what’s under there. Not to mention that I am a beginner with more enthusiasm than insight.

On the other side, as beginners we have to make our own mistakes in order to learn from them and I can still see the potential in it. Besides, I like weird! My main thought is to collect this piece of it and see what I can make from it. I love the sculptural feel of it, kind of reminds me of a guitar. I know it’s would not be for everybody, but I’m not entering the hobby for anyone but me and I want to try to push myself and see what’s possible.
BCF24A0D-2A7D-45BE-A457-F4E80D88D946.jpeg

I still may not do anything about it but we’ll see. Thanks for the advice though. It’s nice to get some grounding, because you have made me think twice about novelty value. :)
 

rockm

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I’ve been trying to work out how to reply to this without sounding like a snot nosed know it all or an ungrateful so and so because I can’t argue with any of the very sage advice here - other than the ugliness part possibly. One man’s swamp is another’s garden of Eden, so to speak.

However, weighing up the pros and cons, there are definitely more cons currently. It measures 90x140cm with a hypotenuse of 150cm. It’s huge. Also it does have a proper right angle which is a bit cumbersome. Again, it probably would be a nightmare to dig and there’s no guarantee what’s under there. Not to mention that I am a beginner with more enthusiasm than insight.

On the other side, as beginners we have to make our own mistakes in order to learn from them and I can still see the potential in it. Besides, I like weird! My main thought is to collect this piece of it and see what I can make from it. I love the sculptural feel of it, kind of reminds me of a guitar. I know it’s would not be for everybody, but I’m not entering the hobby for anyone but me and I want to try to push myself and see what’s possible.
View attachment 274615

I still may not do anything about it but we’ll see. Thanks for the advice though. It’s nice to get some grounding, because you have made me think twice about novelty value. :)
novelty value runs pretty thin five years into a deadend project...that comes at the expense of time and effort and learning on better stock...
 

Michael P

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One of the prizes on my bench is a collected rusty blackhaw, Viburnum rufidulum. I got it at a club auction because the guy who collected it felt "novelty value runs pretty thin five years into a deadend project ". The nebari was/is a tangled mess, there is a awkard sharp reverse curve in the trunk, and a large area of deadwood--classic no-no on deciduous material. I took it to a work shop with Nick Lenz. He showed me how to embrace all its flaws. Whether it pleases anyone else or not, I smile every time I look at it.IMG_7066.jpg
 
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Woocash

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Man alive. As with all art subjects, theres no accounting for taste. I’m not saying I want to have “different“ trees to simply be different, but for example, in the UK most houses are built out of bricks and mortar. They are clumped together on housing estates, all looking the same and not allowing for variation. Everybody drives the same car, watches the same TV shows, living the same lives and generally just being boring. Replicating variations on a theme until they die.

The thing with art is that you get to experiment. You get to break the mould and do what you want to do, not what is expected. If the goal is to create miniature versions of mature giants then fine, but sometimes it’s good to push the boundaries. I will no doubt end up with more standard bonsai trees than weirdos but I still want a few that are outside the forest.

@Michael P I have been looking at Nick Lenz trees actually. I even collected a Muntjac skull before I saw the banner on the homepage of BNut with the intention of doing something bonsai related. He’s bridged the divide between bonsai and mainstream art more than anybody else I’ve seen. And thanks for the Robert Steven pointer as well. Probably heretical, but I’d not even heard of him ’til then. Do you have any pics of yours?
 

Woocash

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You're welcome, but I can take credit for the "Robert Steven pointer". I may start a thread on the disgusting dead end tree above.
Please do. I would love to see it in leaf as well. Its beautiful, thank you.
 
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