Son of Godzilla

[Adair M]

No, not Mike Frary! Lol!!

No, Godzilla is a JBP, imported years ago by Boon, and worked on by many of his students over the years. It’s now owned by John Kirby, and he showed it at the National Exhibition in 2018.

I had the privilege of working on Godzilla in 2012. I removed wire, pulled needles, and thinned shoots.

It was the most magnificent JBP I had ever seen, and that experience will live with me forever. Here’s a picture of me with Godzilla:



Godzilla is an unusual JBP in that it has a huge Uro with a hollow trunk. It’s a powerful tree.

Well, a couple years ago, I acquired a JBP, that I thought would make a great sumo pine. Bought it from pictures off eBay. Turns out that one side was really ugly, with a huge pigeon breast. So, I planned on putting that in the back. Still, it didn’t “feel right”...

Then, I realized I had an opportunity! By carving out that pigeon breast, I could create a smaller version of Godzilla... maybe.

I gave it a shot. I realized this isn’t my forte! So, I commissioned Danny Coffey, who has a talent for this kind of thing, to do the carving. And I worked with him to restyle the tree.

So, here’s the result:



Give the wood some time to weather, and I think it will look pretty good.

I have to repot it in it’s new orientation.

 

[Pitoon]

Very nice. How about calling that one Godzilla Jr?

 

[Tieball]

Ginormous! Fabulous work.

 

[jonathanvperth]

Really great post It’s fun to be inspired by a tree you really admire. My favourite tree I own is inspired by a special tree I admire

 

[vp999]

Beautiful tree ..again, lets call it Bonzilla.

 

[MrWunderful]

Adzilla!

 

[JudyB]

G2! How big is it, scale is hard to see.

 

[cmeg1]

Cool dude!

 

[Adair M]

G2! How big is it, scale is hard to see.

It’s small. 12 to 14 inches, I’d guess.

 

[JudyB]

That is a lot of detail for a smallish tree, great character that carving will add. That's sort of my favorite size for a tree.

 

[Atom#28]

Awesome tree! Can't wait to see how the carving "settles in".

A little off-topic, but do you know anything about that other pine (ponderosa, maybe?) behind you in the first pic?

 

[Adair M]

Awesome tree! Can't wait to see how the carving "settles in".

A little off-topic, but do you know anything about that other pine (ponderosa, maybe?) behind you in the first pic?

That was over 8 years ago! But, that is a JBP. I don’t remember any Pondy’s being in the workshop during that Intensive.

In that Intensive, there was Sam Adina, Gino Vo, Tim from Houston (sorry, his last name is eluding next), and Frank (river’sedge). Frank worked on Hinoki, the rest of us worked on JBP.

 

[Adair M]

That is a lot of detail for a smallish tree, great character that carving will add. That's sort of my favorite size for a tree.

I don’t have many “large” trees. If I have trouble picking it up and carrying it around, I don’t enjoy working on it.

I do have one or two really large trees, but most of mine are under two feet.

I know, it limits me... but, I do what I enjoy. And that’s why I pretty much have avoided Ponderosa Pine. In my climate, it’s really difficult to get the needles short, so, to have them in scale, larger trees are the way to go. Which is not my thing. Selah.

 

[M. Frary]

Great tree Adair.
Son of Godzilla is an appropriate name for it.
Just one thing though.
Is he growing in Godzilla mix?

 

[Adair M]

Great tree Adair.
Son of Godzilla is an appropriate name for it.
Just one thing though.
Is he growing in Godzilla mix?

It’s in my regular pine mix, equal parts pumice, lava, akadama.

I bought this tree 6 years ago. When it arrived, the pot was broken. The timing of the whole thing was rather bad: I had just had surgery to have my kidney removed. (It was one EXPENSIVE bonsai, LOL!!!). And I wasn’t supposed to pick up anything more than 5 lbs. I had it shipped to Plant City, so they could keep it for me since I was incapacitated. This was in September, 6 years ago.

Anyway, since the pot was broken, it needed a new one. So I went over there, to “supervise” a Plant City employee repotting my tree.

Well, the soil was crap, and the thing needed a pretty drastic HBR, which I did. There was lots and lots of root rot which I had to cut out. It almost got a full bare root repot!

Anyway, it’s been fine ever since then. This next potting will be the first since then.

 

[Ruben Bouwmeester]

Lovely tree, I really like it. Interesting deadwood and nice movement.

 

[Adair M]

Lovely tree, I really like it. Interesting deadwood and nice movement.

It doesn’t have much movement, pretty much a volcano sumo. But, by carving out the Uro, it created a lot of visual interest, which I suppose creates a “movement” of sorts.

I’ve also turned the trunk to reduce the visual effect of the two lowest branches, which are bar branches. They’ve been pulled down using guy wires to disguise the “bar branch” look, and one has been moved to the back.

This tree is a true “rule breaker”!

 

[Ruben Bouwmeester]

It doesn’t have much movement, pretty much a volcano sumo. But, by carving out the Uro, it created a lot of visual interest, which I suppose creates a “movement” of sorts.

I’ve also turned the trunk to reduce the visual effect of the two lowest branches, which are bar branches. They’ve been pulled down using guy wires to disguise the “bar branch” look, and one has been moved to the back.

This tree is a true “rule breaker”!

Yeah, with the work on the deadwood it really makes an interesting movement. Ok, rule breaker or not this one really rules. Like this Godzilla too. I think there is also a rule broken.

Excelent job jou did.

 

[JRDillWFM]

Beautiful tree! I really enjoy the movement in the hollowed out trunk.

 

[Wilson]

Another great tree Adair! But I read online that JBP aren't good trees, you need a paper route or something to buy "real" trees.