wireme
Masterpiece
I’m taking five to think about it.
Stickroot pot or natural stone?
Stickroot pot or natural stone?
Slab or pot? Real-time now, think fast.
- Thread starter wireme
- Start date
wsteinhoff
Shohin
I think if it were mine I'd go with the stone.
wireme
Masterpiece
Thanks, I decided the same. A little more rootwork starting to be sure I can make it work, hopefully.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Slab all day.
Hyn Patty
Shohin
I vote for the stone! It looks much better to my eye.
BonsaiMatt
Shohin
Stone for sure.
pbrown00
Mame
I think the darker color of the pot compliments the tree better, but the shape of the stone works well with the whole tree, so I'd go with the stone.
wireme
Masterpiece
I think the slab is too heavy for the tree, and its light colour would dominate the composition. But you’ve probably done it by now and it’s looking good on the slab
Let’s see now that it’s done. You may well be right but I’ll point out that it’s dark and pouring rain and cell phone so, you know pics are only so good. The tree will have a bit more visual weight even a month from now when buds are extended. Anyway I’m glad I went with stone, good practice, all sorts of fun to put together, I’m kinda wet now..
I would have liked a hair forward lean, missed that. It’s the first pot from collection container so next time I could really reduce the rootball more, thinner, smaller. As is now roots are well covered, maybe as it settles in I’ll lower the surface a bit and try for some undulation and interest in that too perfect soil dome.
Anyway, enough excuses, thanks for the input and here it is for now.
wireme
Masterpiece
Thanks, I had to try another pic, it’s a little more true maybe, a piece of the stone fell off though! There’s a good bit of flare and movement at the base of the trunk that the camera doesn’t seem to pick up anymore but it’s there. The old story, lots better in real life I swear, ha. I guess maybe I should think about some kind of companion vegetation or something here. We see that a lot with slab plantings right?
tree4me
Shohin
Cool post...Stone!
Hyn Patty
Shohin
I like it and I like the piece you knocked off under the rock. Better. You can always add the small piece of stone or other stone pieces to the mossy mound to break up the shape and make it look more rugged, and to balance out the color of the stone better. You can also tint the rock a little darker color and in time algae and perhaps lichens will grow on it anyway. Me, I'd also tuck in some very tiny other kind of plants here or there so it's not just moss. I have a lot of cool lichens like this one around the new cabin in NC that I'll be collecting to add to some of my pots later like these red capped 'British Soldiers' (first photo) Maybe some very tiny creeping thyme (second photo), or some mico mini fern. Lots of mico mini plants (some of them flowering) that you can choose from.
wireme
Masterpiece
Lichen! Yes of course, I love lichen. I have some other nice tiny natives in mind now too. I tossed a couple tester lichens at it already, I think more landscaping adjustments and additions will just slowly happen time now.
I’ve got pics or the tree progression here, the day of collection (2014?). Last summer and now. The tree has so far been through two bouts of selective pruning and has had a few guy wires placed. Real wire next year or the following year. I may drop the apex down one notch still, under consideration. Low jinn will I think be reduced a bit more. I think in two more years it will look pretty good and then will just mature and improve from there.
Tinting the stone, a good interesting idea that I would not have thought of.. hmm
pbrown00
Mame
It looks great! I think the mossy-base easily makes up for the light color of the stone. It balances out nicely!
