Evergreen Gardenworks Cedar Elm Progression

[butlern]

Sharing my cedar elm that I purchased from Evergreen Gardenworks in the late winter of 2017.

I generally save the picture from Brent's website (an "as advertised" picture), but failed to do so for this tree.

First picture is what I received from Brent, photographed in May 2017. The tree has significant flaws, yes, but I was drawn to it.



Just let it grow that year. Here again in July 2017:



And then another shot in August 2017:

 

[butlern]

My wife picked out a pot for the tree over the winter of 2017/2018, so I graciously accepted and potted it up in the spring.

Here it is in the rather outrageous pot in April 2018:

 

[butlern]

Basically let it grow all of 2018. Decided it need a new pot, and then put it into a production lotus in the spring of 2019. Another bad move, in retrospect.

Here it is in April 2019:



After considering the tree more and more, several decision were made about how to move forward with it. 1) tighten up the left side; 2) jin the heavy branch sticking straight out at viewer; and 3) keep canopy compacts and try to get it pulled down a bit.

This picture shows some of what I am talking about:

 

[butlern]

Finally got some feedback from a friend here in Iowa, Cat Nelson, and she suggested that a nanban might best suit the tree. I searched high and low for an appropriately sized (and priced) example, but never found anything. As luck would have it, another friend here in Eastern Iowa, Bruce Pendland, was making his own pots for fun, and he was gracious enough to attempt a nanban of his own design.

I think it's terrific.

Here is is after re-pot in March 2020, with some copper wire wrapped in paper towel applied to compact the left side, as planned the year before. These trees are really stiff and somewhat brittle, so aluminum was not able to held anything in place. Paper towel protects bark on deciduous when using copper. A trick I learned from Todd Schlafer.

Several straight as arrow branches here and there, especially the leader/section at upper two-thirds of tree, but I think it's got character. An unexpected mix of rugged bark on a relatively slender trunk with some pretty good movement.

 

[butlern]

Here we are at today, June 2020. This is the second flush. Would like to additionally strengthen the lower left branch, but I think it's looking pretty good.

 

[VAFisher]

Cool tree. I like it a lot.. If it was mine, I would want to get it into a much shallower and wider pot. Something with a depth of about the thickness of the trunk and about as wide as the canopy. That will probably require getting aggressive with the root ball to reduce the thickness and not have the tree mounded in the shallower pot.

 

[sorce]

That's not a bad idea.

Maybe get Bruce to make it in that color.

I love the way the colors play.

Sorce

 

[Cadillactaste]

You really did great with that tree. I too think a wider pot to fit the canopy spread would be a nice direction to look into. But...that tree is great!

 

[VAFisher]

I would also think seriously about removing all of the branches on the right that are growing from the inside of the curve and giving it a @Dav4 drop branch from up higher on the right side of the trunk. I think that would add a lot of interest. Of course it would make the tree look like crap for a while and might be a terrible idea, but thought I would throw it out there.

 

[Colorado]

I would also think seriously about removing all of the branches on the right that are growing from the inside of the curve and giving it a @Dav4 drop branch from up higher on the right side of the trunk. I think that would add a lot of interest. Of course it would make the tree look like crap for a while and might be a terrible idea, but thought I would throw it out there.

Or even just remove the inside “bar branch” to open that inside curve up.

Sweet tree! Great bark

 

[butlern]

I appreciate all the suggestions. Thanks, and keep them coming.

Pot? Yes, I think this is worth considering further.

Branches? I have, over the past few years, contemplated exactly those suggested branch changes. To this point, however, my perspective has been that while removing those branches inside the curve and bar branches might perhaps satisfies "rules" (of eliminating inside curve branches, etc.), such changes would substantially detract from the overall image.

But, that said, the whole purpose of these exercises in study are to consider new angles and perspectives.

Participation is much appreciated!

Noah

 

[JoeR]

Nice progression, made good progress already. I remember seeing that one for sale

Hard to say from the pictures, but if there are back branches, rotating the tree clockwise 15-30* and tilting it forward may improve the image and add some dynamic movement to the tree. Currently, the front's lack of branches makes it flat, in pictures anyway. If there are back branches you could also remove the bar branch and fill in, or consider grafting. You can also reduce the visual mass cutting at the line of the right bar branch and see if that helps. The apex has a straight section, and again if there are suitable replacement branches from a new front I would cut at yellow. This will temporarily ruin the trees image but in the long run maybe create a better tree. Is that a jin in the bottom right?

Second imagine drawn over existing branches baring the apex

With that said, this would be a more traditional or stylized direction whereas currently its a more natural look- both are nice, just different.

 

[butlern]

Joe, thanks for the images. There are a number of back branches, so your suggestions regarding rotation, tilt and new apex might work. I will have to get the tree back off the bench and study further to examine possibilities.

Once more, my singular purpose for posting these progressions is to solicit additional perspective. So thanks.

Noah

 

[butlern]

Managing spring growth now harder... at least until the house finch and her offspring depart. Odd place to build a nest, given the traffic (me watering regularly)

Should be another 6-7 days and the 4 hatchlings should start making a racket in the garden.

 

[Michigan Bonsai]

That’s pretty cool

 

[LanceMac10]

Managing spring growth now harder... at least until the house finch and her offspring depart. Odd place to build a nest, given the traffic (me watering regularly)

Should be another 6-7 days and the 4 hatchlings should start making a racket in the garden.

This is how birds live their "best life".....

Nice tree.

 

[butlern]

Ahhh… they grow up so fast. 168 hours ago they were still eggs. Looks like mom was 4/4 and all four eggs produced viable hatchlings (two are buried by their siblings, one of whom was giving me the stink eye)

 

[butlern]

Newly re-potted this spring (April 2022). Horst Heinzlreiter round, light greenish glazed naturalistic pot, which I think will look good in the fall with yellow foliage on display.

Reduced apex a bit to keep it in check and eliminated one heavy branch on left, as an attempt to distract from the viewer getting fixated on the bar branch.

Ultimately decided to not regrow the apex. The tree is about 40 years old, in training for about 5 years, and at this point it's time to both commit to and celebrate what nature has provided.

 

[butlern]

May update

 

[Kullas]

Its progressing right along .I like it.