Penjing Forum

AZbonsai

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Can individual plants be considered penjing? Maybe my definition is not correct...is penjing associated with "clip and grow"?
 

Anthony

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Az,

you are looking for Tree Penjing -

see here Vimeo video - http://www.cherylpetty.com/bonsai-and-penjing/shanghai-botanical-garden/

Not the best photography, and I would suggest you stay with the sifted soil mixes around your area.

For the inspiration behind Tree Penjing -


And Chinese classical Ink painting - for example -

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/75/d4/79/75d4799064b22646e4d94341842f9bbd.jpg

and from the library - The Mustard Seed Garden manual of painting - an example

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4p3xNqRea...d+Garden+manual+of+Chinese+brush+painting.jpg

Good Luck
Good Day
Anthony
 

Anthony

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Clip and Grow is from the Guangdong province - Guangzhou [ Canton ]

Lingnan - grow and clip is for faster growing trees and the angular branching becomes normal
with age as the tree grows. It is supposed to give more natural tree effects.
Also know as Directional Pruning.

Good Day
Anthony
 

BunjaeKorea

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I think you just started a penjing thread..........
Korean bonsai are a bit inbetween or the bridge point between Chinese and Japanese styles.....I think Korean trees look more natural though there has been a recent trend toward Japanese styles
 

Bolero

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Bonsai FAll 2016 011.JPG Garage Bonsai 005.JPG



Penjing, Saikei, Tray Landscapes, Landscape Gardening....all basically the same, only when you add little people or animal figures they become Penjing... Semantics Eh...

I do all and mostly use Shimpaku or Precumbens and Japanese Maples for my Tray Landscapes,
my largest is a Maples Grove in a 22"W pot, most are in 18"W pots, all shallow like 2"H...
I consider all my Landscapes as Works in Progress...and Landscape experiments...
All involve Pruning, Wiring, Shaping..
They all provide me with Instant and Ongoing Gratification...
A special Thread/Forum would suit me just fine...
 
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AlainK

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Penjing, Saikei, Tray Landscapes, Landscape Gardening....all basically the same, only when you add little people or animal figures they become Penjing... Semantics Eh...

Not really...

Penjing is by definition "Chinese bonsai". Whether it's a "one-tree penjing" or a "landscape", the style(s) are quite different from Japanese bonsai.

If you want to learn more about penjing, have a look at this page:

http://www.bonsaiinformation.com/Penjing.htm

In one of the schools, Yangzhou, the most appreciated style is trees with very flat leaf pads. Such trees would probably not pass the selection in a western, or Japanese exhibit, yet:

"The masterpiece is a relic of Yangzhou style Penjing made in Qing Dynasty and it won the Golden Medal Prize at the Second National Penjing Exhibition(1989), the Golden Medal Prize at the Osaka International Garden and Flower Exposition in (1990)."

pj001-1.jpg


Original location of the photo:

http://www.shouxihu.com/sxhen/zxxs/view.php?id=773
 

BunjaeKorea

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Think about things geographically. China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan the major "dwarf tree" growing countries have considerably huge differences in both climate and species available...traditionally anyway. Yet, the same species may also behave very differently depending on the climate.
There is an undeniable biological basis for this. Hence... the conception of what a tree looks likes and what form is considered beautiful will be impacted by what native artist see in nature.
Many (not all but many ) Japanese masters would never touch a tree as "messy" as penjing. Many Chinese would feel uncomfortable with a highly stylised Japanese tree....
This is a differnce in culture and interpretation... in my opinion both styles are beautiful in their own right.
My favourite school of Penjing is the Ling'an school of Guangdong
 

Bolero

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AlainK, I appreciate your additional info, very interesting...

The World of Bonsai is so very interesting and Historical...

I don't mean to Generalize Penjing, I suspect my Post was poorly worded...

Here is a Wikipedia definition...

Penjing (Chinese: 盆景; pinyin: pénjǐng; literally: "tray scenery"), also known as penzai (Chinese: 盆栽; pinyin: pénzāi; literally: "tray plant"), tray landscape, potted scenery, potted landscape, or miniature trees and rockery, is the ancient Chinese art of depicting artistically formed trees, other plants, and landscapes in miniature.

Penjing generally fall into one of three categories:[1]

  • Shùmù pénjǐng (樹木盆景): Tree penjing that focuses on the depiction of one or more trees and optionally other plants in a container, with the composition's dominant elements shaped by the creator through trimming, pruning, and wiring.
  • Shānshuǐ pénjǐng (山水盆景): Landscape penjing that depicts a miniature landscape by carefully selecting and shaping rocks, which are usually placed in a container in contact with water. Small live plants are placed within the composition to complete the depiction.
  • Shuǐhàn pénjǐng (水旱盆景): A water and land penjing style that effectively combines the first two, including miniature trees and optionally miniature figures and structures to portray a landscape in detail.
 
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BunjaeKorea

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AlainK, I appreciate your additional info, very interesting...

The World of Bonsai is so very interesting and Historical...

I don't mean to Generalize Penjing, I suspect my Post was poorly worded...
Its all good man...dont worry about it....theyre all potted trees
 

BunjaeKorea

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May I point out that 盆栽 is pronounced penzai in Mandarin..bunjae in Korea and of course bonsai in Japan.....just the interpretation is different. ...technically the art originates in China...anyway variety is the spice of life
Ps..I like your profile pic Bolero
 

Bolero

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May I point out that 盆栽 is pronounced penzai in Mandarin..bunjae in Korea and of course bonsai in Japan.....just the interpretation is different. ...technically the art originates in China...anyway variety is the spice of life
Ps..I like your profile pic Bolero


Thank you... It's my Mr Miyagi picture, I also use it on my Business Cards...I am fine tuning a Juniper Procumbens...

Before and After pictures, this Juniper had no left side branching so I brought/Wired the Long sided Left into the trunk to simulate branching...it's somewhat unusual for a Procumbens Bonsai...

Bonsai 6-16 006.JPG Bonsai Penjing 8-16 Patio 019.JPG
 

BunjaeKorea

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Thank you... It's my Mr Miyagi picture, I also use it on my Business Cards...I am fine tuning a Juniper Procumbens...

Before and After pictures, this Juniper had no left side branching so I brought/Wired the Long sided Left into the trunk to simulate branching...it's somewhat unusual for a Procumbens Bonsai...

View attachment 130588 View attachment 130589
Yes... definitely more a penjing style....or Korean bonsai.
I like the dense foliage pads....how often do you pinch it back? Many of my junipers are native needle junipers.....
 

Bolero

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I don't use the pinch method, I clip & grow, sizzors or side cutters for 95% of my pruning on both Junipers and Japanese Maples, I haven't done any Japanese Pines yet but would consider Pinching on them...
 

BunjaeKorea

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I don't use the pinch method, I clip & grow, sizzors or side cutters for 95% of my pruning on both Junipers and Japanese Maples, I haven't done any Japanese Pines yet but would consider Pinching on them...
Pinching on pines seems to prevent damage when reducing candles...I grow and clip junipers too...
 
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