Kunzea Baxteri - Scarlet Kunzea #3

[Patmet]

I got this Kunzea Baxteri as tubestock in 2019. It had been kept in a small pot for quite a while so although very small it already had a bit of age to it.

I always intended it to be a cascade, but didn't do much with it apart from put in a bigger pot and grow it for a while to get more to work with.

September 2022 I took it up to Perth for a workshop and did the initial work to head in it's current direction. It's come a long way so far and now I'm wiring every branch while young as they get brittle super quickly once woody. I'll keep updating this as it progresses.

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April 2019

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August 2022

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October 2022 after initial styling at workshop

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January 2023 before work

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January 2023 after work

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January 2023 top view

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June 2023 before work

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June 2023 after work

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June 2023 top view

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June 2023 side view

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June 2023 side view

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June 2023 back view

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[Promethius]

Great progression - thanks for sharing.
The decision to make a semicascade / cascade was a good one, and I like the structure you’re building.
My vote is for the second side view (the one with the barcode visible)!

[fae]

Lovely, great progression and beaut ramification.
You have worked it hard and have been rewarded.
A real winner

[Patmet]

Great progression - thanks for sharing.
The decision to make a semicascade / cascade was a good one, and I like the structure you’re building.
My vote is for the second side view (the one with the barcode visible)!

Interesting.. Thanks for the feedback. I'm still very open to changing the front, as it's been something I keep looking at and finding it hard to choose which I like best. There's a few different views that have pros and cons. i'll keep mulling it over. It's always good to hear what other people see in the tree.

[Patmet]

So after daily viewing and consideration I made the decision last night to flip the tree around 180° to the initial front I was working from. It also had a repot about a month ago to sit up higher in the pot and get the angle I've been working with.

I think this other side shows more angular movement in the trunk, and although the base is quite unusual with the hole through it I don't mind it. I've tweaked all the branches to suit this side and removed a moderate amount which I think was beneficial. Looking back I think I left it a bit too full before which detracts from the interest of the trunk and rough bark. I'm still carefully considering moving and/or removing some other branches to highlight interesting parts of the trunk more, but I'll leave it for a while again and keeo observing.

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Before

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After

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[Kevin]

Hello Patmet,

I like your new thinned out angle much more. It looked good in the before shots, but IMO it now looks so much better. As they say "less is best"

Kevin

[Patmet]

Hello Patmet,

I like your new thinned out angle much more. It looked good in the before shots, but IMO it now looks so much better. As they say "less is best"

Kevin

Thanks Kevin, that's exactly what I am thinking. Also "less is more" comes to mind. I've found sometimes it's very easy to get caught up in styling a tree making the branches look nice and pretty that you lose sight of the fundamental design.

[Patmet]

Repot this Kunzea into it's first bonsai pot today. A Marg Fenn cascade pot I recently purchased. I think they pair well.

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[Mickeyjaytee]

Geez Pat, you really are on this next level of bonsai artistry. I love a kunzea baxteri (have a few growing) and this is just superb. Awesome stuff mate

[Jan]

Very nice, indeed.

Please, do post some images if you let it flower

Jan

[ACooke]

This is really cool; always love seeing our native trees used as material.
It's also very helpful seeing the top view.

[Patmet]

Before and after of the work I did this morning. Again with the advice of Tony Bebb. We actually removed quite a substantial primary branch from the center, which wasn't flowing in harmony with the rest. I was hesitant at first to remove it, but after cleaning out and having a better look I could see the improvement it would make. You wouldn't even know it was ever there now.

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Before

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After

[melbrackstone]

Have you changed the viewing angle too? I quite liked the original angle where the trunk didn't seem to be in such a flat plane. It's a lovely tree, thanks for sharing.

[Patmet]

Have you changed the viewing angle too? I quite liked the original angle where the trunk didn't seem to be in such a flat plane. It's a lovely tree, thanks for sharing.

Thanks Mel. If you mean since working on it this time, Tony advised me to rotate it slightly as you see in the photos above to make it go a little more sideways, and less forwards. This was beause when viewed from my angle without any separation between the trunk and pot it looks like the trunk could be leaning on the pot rim. I'll put a photo of my initial viewing angle below.

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[melbrackstone]

Ahh, yes I can see that might look like it's sitting on the rim, however I still like the slight coming forward of the trunk and branches. Different strokes. LOL. Thanks for the explanation, Pat.