Ponderosa Pine Workshop

[cheap_walmart_art]

Just got back from a workshop with Andy from Golden Arrow Bonsai and thought Id share some pics and my experiences. First off, Andy seems like a great guy - really laid back but ready to help. He walked a good line between letting the participants decide the direction to take their trees and offering his advice and suggestions, a couple times jumping in and getting a particularly tricky cut or bend completed. He brought some great material and was very knowledgeable about his trees. Im very happy with the overall experience.

I was fortunate enough that our club leadership allowed us to pre purchase our material, so hopefully I wasn't too annoying getting Andy to send me pics of what he planned on bringing. I picked out a tree with movement i really liked.



This is from his website, but the tree was more or less unchanged on arrival. The before pic I took at the workshop has some faces in it so ill use this one for the sake of privacy.

After many cuts, bends, and jins, here is the final product home and cleaned up. I also got that nice little suiseki stone from him. You should check out his website if you havent already (www.goldenarrowbonsai.com)



Im happy with the results so far, and I think Ive set it up for a good look moving forward. Im going to let it rest this year and build up vigour again and next year will finish up those jins and probably bring down the apex a bit. I havent decided if i want to keep the bottom branch or remove it and crank in that second branch closer to the trunk I figure Ive got plenty of time to decide. Feedback is welcome!

 

[VAFisher]

My experience with Andy was the same. Great guy.

 

[LanceMac10]

Awesome results!!

In the future, if this was mine, I'd eliminate the bottom branch, reduce the one above it by half and the one above by a third....

Don't be afraid to @Dav4 drop-branch style.....

 

[sixemkay]

That’s a great juxtaposition you’ve created with the suiseki rock and the tree. It has a nice balanced and tranquil feeling.

Ponderosa pines were abundant where I went to summer camp as a child, I would love to smell one again! Do these still have that magnificent smell on their bark when we have just one in a pot at home? (That is seeming like a stupid question already.... but animals in captivity can be less “vibrant” than their wild counterparts, so...I dunno maybe trees too?)

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

That’s a great juxtaposition you’ve created with the suiseki rock and the tree. It has a nice balanced and tranquil feeling.

Ponderosa pines were abundant where I went to summer camp as a child, I would love to smell one again! Do these still have that magnificent smell on their bark when we have just one in a pot at home? (That is seeming like a stupid question already.... but animals in captivity can be less “vibrant” than their wild counterparts, so...I dunno maybe trees too?)

It definitely had a vibrant smell when I was wiring it, whole car smelled like it for the hour and a half drive home. I repurposed an old pole cemented into our backyard when we bought the house and its now a specimen piece in our garden.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Here we are today. This guy is really happy in my garden. I'm still of two minds about that lowest branch, but for now I kinda like it.

Any opinions on what you guys see in this tree are welcome!

 

[Potawatomi13]

I would keep. Long stretch of bare trunk without it. Not sure but might shorten branch above to last branch before tip.

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

Here we are today. This guy is really happy in my garden. I'm still of two minds about that lowest branch, but for now I kinda like it.

Any opinions on what you guys see in this tree are welcome!View attachment 389958

Cool tree!

I kind of wish there was more counter balance. More weight on the left side.

I wonder if that apex could be brought down and the primary branch brought closer. This would create more balance and a smaller overall design?

I’m just spit balling here…overall it’s a great tree and great start! (And my picture mark up skills suck, so I apologize in advance!)

 

[Shogun610]

I’d shorten that bottom branch if it were mine and bend the top branch to the left more. Other than that, I like the whispy style to it, it will fill up over time. I have a ponderosa from Andy purchased as a B&B option. He seems like a great dude from my interaction via email, will be there for next springs B&B material. Good looking Bonsai

 

[Colorado]

Here we are today. This guy is really happy in my garden. I'm still of two minds about that lowest branch, but for now I kinda like it.

Any opinions on what you guys see in this tree are welcome!View attachment 389958

This is a great ponderosa! Personally, I would definitely leave the bottom branch. Probably shorten at at some point.

The main thing I’d recommend is to compress the apex. You can make it look much more “full”with some 6 gauge copper and a guy wire, for sure.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Cool tree!

I kind of wish there was more counter balance. More weight on the left side.

I wonder if that apex could be brought down and the primary branch brought closer. This would create more balance and a smaller overall design?

I’m just spit balling here…overall it’s a great tree and great start! (And my picture mark up skills suck, so I apologize in advance!)
View attachment 390025View attachment 390026

Interesting. Let's descend on Music City Bonsai in a couple months with our ponderosas and discuss.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I like all of these ideas, especially regarding compacting the apex and shortening out the middle branch!

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

Interesting. Let's descend on Music City Bonsai in a couple months with our ponderosas and discuss.

Yes! Lets do it! Fall would be a great time for that. Would love to see this tree up close.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Update on this tree, here we are today. More compact but bushy as ever.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Been a couple years now. I actually only just today removed the wire Input on the tree in the last update. It’s grown fairly wild otherwise, and I haven’t done much to it. Gave it a little cleanup and wire removal today and will leave it unworked the rest of the year in hopes of keeping its vigor high for a repot next year.

 

[Potawatomi13]

An idea? The left branch move outward a bit and drop down to lower than opposing branch.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

An idea? The left branch move outward a bit and drop down to lower than opposing branch.

Yeah that needs to happen. If you look at previous pics that left branch used to be a lot shorter. I’ll probably wire it up again this fall and really make some decisions on branch and bud removal.