It's Tanuki Time

[Brain Treez]

I spent some time this weekend cleaning all the fibrous roots off a failed yardadori boxwood I salvaged last year. Boxwood is super dense, and this particular trunk has a nice look to it. So it's Tanuki Time!

There are several compelling angles to this piece of deadwood. I still need to clean it up more, but what do you think of these possibilities? The first two are actually "upside down" with the more curvy boxwood roots as branches. It has a nice natural channel down one side of it, but using it wouldn't show the lifeline with what I think the best front is (the first picture).

I haven't done a full inventory of juniper whips I have going, but I could possibly use kishu, horizontalis, sabina, or a p. nana. I'm in no rush however, since this dead wood isn't going anywhere...

 

[Michael P]

Interesting topic! I would not be able to resist #2, that natural channel is such a rare feature.

 

[HENDO]

Interesting topic! I would not be able to resist #2, that natural channel is such a rare feature.

I agree! That channel is great.

One challenge I see with #2 would be ensuring that the "live vein" is emerging from the soil from the front. The other two angles do have some natural channels of sorts already started.

Or perhaps you could just jam it through the bottom of that hollow and have it emerge from the top.

Cool deadwood, I see a fun project in your future

 

[Brain Treez]

When you're bored at work and don't have your trees in front of you...





That hollow isn't all that big at the "bottom" as seen here and would take some carving to widen it. Would the live "vein" get choked out as it grew into it, or would it spill out the front and warp itself?