Penjing from the collection of Mr. Hong Lin

[Grant Bowie]

Hi all,

During my last trip to Melbourne to attend the AABC convention in May 2012 I purchased this Chinese elm Penjing grown by the late mr Hong Lin.

He emigrated to Australia in 1994 and started from scratch a number of Penjing in the clip and grow style. Most of his trees were Chinese elms and a large number look like they were grown from root cuttings. This is one of them.

I only met him once a few months before he died but he told me he tried to make all his Penjing look as good from one side as another.

A front.JPG

Another front.JPG

Side on.JPG

I really love this little tree and will do my best to keep it in the style and spirit it came to me in.

I will not repot it for many years but keep up a good regular feeding regime to keep it healthy but not too vigorous as it would lose some of the compact nature it has gained. This has worked well with the trees we have had on loan from his familly at the NBPCA for the last year.

Grant

[GavinG]

It fairly crackles with energy, doesn't it! I like the way each branch has its own grace. The "crossed legs" work better for me in the second "front", but I think I could look at it for years, changing my mind...

Thanks for posting.

Gavin

[Andrew Legg]

Lovely tree Grant - Now don't you let your missus get jealous you hear!

[Andrew F]

Beautiful tree, love the multiple front aspect.

[Grant Bowie]

An update on the little elm. in leaf and looking good.

It now reminds of the images in the old Man Lung book from hong kong in the 1970s

IMG_4019.JPG

IMG_4020.JPG

And a new one from the same source.

IMG_4021.JPG

IMG_4022.JPG

This one appeals in so many ways as well. I love the exposed roots that have become the trunk; grown from a root cutting and with a flatter top treatment.

Grant

[Andrew F]

Love it, fantastic. How many penjing pieces do you have in your collection?

[Grant Bowie]

Love it, fantastic. How many penjing pieces do you have in your collection?

Just 3 so far from the same source and a couple I am attempting on my own in the spirit of Mr Lin .

One of his students has been passing on some tid bits of information but it is not the same as learning from the source. It will be an interesting journey.

Anyhow "Seek what the master sought; not the road travelled to get there".

Grant

[bodhidharma]

Very nice Grant. It inspired me last time to begin a project on a LARGE Ulmus procera stump about 70 years old. Didnt know its direction until i spotted this. I thought you posted earlier though as i was sure we saw this tree earlier this year.

[Grant Bowie]

Very nice Grant. It inspired me last time to begin a project on a LARGE Ulmus procera stump about 70 years old. Didnt know its direction until i spotted this. I thought you posted earlier though as i was sure we saw this tree earlier this year.

Hi,

no i only just purchased this one about a month ago unless I have forgotten and posted on another thread.

Grant

[Grant Bowie]

Here is a link to a previous thread where some of Mr lins trees were posted but not the same as I have purchased.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9376&hilit=penjing

Grant

[boom64]

Hi Grant,
Beautiful trees,a real joy they convey so many moods......
On the subject of Penjing would you be able to recomend a good book ?
Cheers John.

[Barry1]

Thanks for showing these trees Grant , Mr Lin was a true master of Penjing which I like a lot ... unlike the Japanese the Chinese seem to not have as many stringent rules re the styling of a tree and concentrate more on the free form styling that brings out the natural attributes of the tree
Anyway I have enjoyed drooling over this tree , thanks again

Barry

[Mojo Moyogi]

Here is another one of Hong's Chinese Elms just after leaf fall in 2009, a little untidy at the time but the styling is unmistakable.


Hong used clip and grow exclusively on this tree and applied daily weak doses of foliar fertiliser as a mist during the growing season. The tree stands 17cm tall above the pot.

Cheers,
Mojo

[Graeme]

A wonderful little tree Grant, thank you for the pic, you are indeed a fortunate man.

I have often wondered about the constraint we place on our trees by having A back, A left side, A right side and A front. In fact more than once I have found my trees have no front or back. (I was even guilty of presenting one of my trees 'backwards' at a show once - and no one realised until I was picking the tree up to take home.)

Yes you are indeed fortunate.

[Steven]

G'day,

After consulting with Grant, we have decided to open this thread up to others who have acquired Penjing from the collection of the late Mr. Hong Lin.

As the techniques, processes and potting mixes will be different to our other bonsai, we can also discuss what needs to be done to maintain the tree in the Hong Lin spirit.

One of Mr. Lins trees found its way into my collection after the AABC convention in Melbourne. Following is how it looked not long after making its way up from Victoria to Sydney.

2012 May (a).jpg

2012 May (b).jpg

Within 2 weeks of relocating the tree from Victoria to temperate Sydney, it started pushing out new growth! New growth in wintery mid June .
I've trimmed it 3 times already this season and here are some pictures after the most recent hair cut...

2012 October (a).jpg

2012 October (b).jpg

This is my only Chinese elm and only penjing so it's a learning curve for me. Like Grant, I too want to maintain the character and spirit of the tree so any advice would be apreciated.

Anyone else who has trees from Mr. Lins collection, please add them to this thread.

Regards,
Steven