Little Junipers

[MJL]

Recently, I purchased these for $10 each - at a Bonsai show. I did not need them but I was taken by their shape. One lends itself to a twin trunk - the other to a semi-cascade. Of course, as is my way, I could group them attractively too.


They are already budding back. They are healthy. Any thoughts - also being cup day here - I have some time - I can repot now can’t I?

Apologies if this thread has spelling mistakes ... I am at gym on a bike with no reading glasses ... tricky to type but hey passing time getting fit.

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Bonsai teaches me patience.

[Raging Bull]

Great buy for only $10 each!! I would not combine them, the twin trunk has real potential.
Cheers, Frank.

[MJL]

Ok .... here’s the one that I thought I might cascade. And I did ...but plans changed as they do. After a little bit of wiring to allow me to play around - creative juices started to flow. Then I suddenly realised I had an interesting rock out the back. Given the pliability of the branches I sniffed an opportunity. More playing around - and I decided the rock was a winner.

Unfortunately, I was in the middle of the process and I was pot restricted - so ... this pot is not quite right. Lesson - plan more before you start!!

Anyway I am reasonably proud of this design - I was inspired by the work of people like AlpineArt but of course, Alpine works with proper trees - me wee little things like this. Regardless- this forum is partly the inspiration here.

Here’s a photo as I was starting to wire ...

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And now a few photos of the finished item; finished for today at least.

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Not a disaster... in fact - I quite like it!



Bonsai teaches me patience.

[MJL]

Couldn’t help myself ... a night shot after a beer and a bbq.

If this juniper settles in after all that bending and twisting, the next move will be to trim and then over the years push the growth back up the limbs; tightening the whole composition and hopefully the branches grow into the crevices of the rock over time too.

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Bonsai teaches me patience.

[MJL]

And worked on his mate today. The Twin Trunk. Again - perhaps I should plan more because I was going to do two upright trunks but as I worked the wee tree - a windswept-style took over my thinking and again, the pot is not ideal.

In the end, I am happy with both. My tag line says - ‘Bonsai teaches me patience’. Obviously I’m a slow learner - I can hear 3/4 of this forum saying .... ‘Aargh! MJL, what are you doing, let the little blighters grow and thicken up!’; ‘Mark, why all the curves and bends, just cut ‘em back and work them over time!’

Yes, I should but I’m truth part of my love of this hobby is about playing around and getting all ‘artsy’ .... perhaps I am no artist but it is enjoyable.

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Strange... from the other side, that branch on the rights is sweeping with the wind more... hmmmm

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And the with yesterday’s work.

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For the fun I have had - well worth the blue notes that I sacrificed to pick them up for sure!

[MJL]

Actually - I still like my rock Juni but this twin trunk is ugly...I stuffed it.

I’ve just seen Ryceman’s twin trunk Melaleuca - and that’s the ducks guts - or will be ...

My windswept juniper is a place without a postcard (to quite a great album title) ...

I’ll let the poor thing rest for a while and figure out how to fix the mess.

Sorry Frank - I’ve knackered the one you thought was potentially best. Lucky I’m only torching $10.

.... learning.


Bonsai teaches me patience.

[Ryceman3]

Actually - I still like my rock Juni but this twin trunk is ugly...I stuffed it.

The rock juni kinda reminds me of a phoenix graft (Alpine style) with a twist, that’s thinking outside the box and I wanna see where it goes from here... there’s something in that!
The twin trunk ... dude, your too hard on yourself! Relax a little cos they all won’t look like rarefied bonsai when you finish with ‘em for the day (particularly the young ones) but you’ve gotta start somewhere, that’s the journey. Stick to your guns and your vision cos trees will grow into what you see and then, in time, others will see it too... just make sure what you see is something worth seeing, it’ll get there one day!
The good news with young material is that it’s easier to adapt that as your ideas change with experience and knowledge, keep at it!