The Best of 20 Years Trophy 2019

[Watto]

Here is a few more to ponder.

[LLK]

Don't know what other people think, but it seems to me that the quality of the bonsai Watto is kind enough to show us, is going upwards. David Benavente from Spain and Othmar Auer from the South Tirol (N. Italy) are both well-known artists and international demonstrators, Othmar especially. His Forsythia is absolutely lovely. Thanks, Watto.

Lisa

[MJL]

Geez I like that Scots Pine. So interesting - just keeps me coming back for a third and fourth look. Ruggedly, impressive.




Bonsai teaches me patience.
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[boom64]

Fantastic trunk on the Scots pine ,shame the apex is so manicured .John

[Watto]

The Monday specials. Check out the pot of the Larch.

[MJL]

I was chatting with Jeff Barry of Chojo yesterday and commenting how I can’t grow larch; every larch I touch turns to kindling.

(Note - along with the lovely trees at Chojo there is now a bakery/cafe next door - yum! Puts cream in top of any visit!)

Anyway - this larch just posted to this thread is so beautiful. And the choice of pot is likewise magnificent and the moss just tops it off - pardon the pun. To my eye you have one of the most striking and harmonious combos yet posted on this thread.

And then the maple. As staggeringly ramified as the tree is - I don’t warm to the balance of the trunk and the branching - particularly the main branch popping out the top of the trunk.... i can’t reconcile it - however, it must look amazing in leaf though.

My comment above is probably sacrilege and of course, I am a hypocrite - the maple is so far ahead of anything I will ever care for and of course I would love anything remotely close but as much as I love maples - of these two trees give me the larch by the length of the Flemington straight.



Bonsai teaches me patience.
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[Watto]

I should have taken a better photo of the pot, but it does have a skull on each corner of the pot, unfortunately it doesn't show up so well.

[melbrackstone]

Martin posted some close ups of the pot on fb. Thor loves his skulls.

thor1.jpg

thor.jpg

[terryb]

And then the maple. As staggeringly ramified as the tree is - I don’t warm to the balance of the trunk and the branching - particularly the main branch popping out the top of the trunk.... i can’t reconcile it - however, it must look amazing in leaf though.

My comment above is probably sacrilege and of course, I am a hypocrite - the maple is so far ahead of anything I will ever care for and of course I would love anything remotely close

I have to agree with you MJL, in leaf that main branch is going to be hidden and the trunk will be in much better proportion with the top Naked, doesn’t do it for me either. Hypocrite or not, if we all liked the same thing it would be pretty boring.

[Rory]

And then the maple. As staggeringly ramified as the tree is - I don’t warm to the balance of the trunk and the branching - particularly the main branch popping out the top of the trunk.... i can’t reconcile it - however, it must look amazing in leaf though.

My comment above is probably sacrilege and of course, I am a hypocrite - the maple is so far ahead of anything I will ever care for and of course I would love anything remotely close

I have to agree with you MJL, in leaf that main branch is going to be hidden and the trunk will be in much better proportion with the top Naked, doesn’t do it for me either. Hypocrite or not, if we all liked the same thing it would be pretty boring.

hahaha. Agreed MJL. That maple base would look contrived even on a fig. Trees with this melted nebari look are often admired for their aged look. Definitely each to their own.
There was a thread somewhere on here a few years back about the enormous nebari look for maples and whether its just too contrived.... some love them, others dislike them. I'm situated in the disliked camp, but I'm happy to eat my popcorn and enjoy the comments.

[GavinG]

See my comments on the "Fat trunk" thread, about proportion and scoring points for the "Fattest Trunk" "Most Ramified" "Smallest Leaves" and so on. And don't get me started about defoliating figs for display...

Gavin

[LLK]

Something has been bothering me from the start, but it is not until now that I suddenly realised that the name of this show is strange. What is meant by "The Best of 20 Years Trophy"? Which Trophy? The only one which is universally known is the famous "Noelanders Trophy", created by Marc Noelanders in 2000. If you are interested, see what led up tp it, and how it developed here: https://www.facebook.com/15104487206109 ... 482717728/ You don't need to have a Facebook account to access it.
Then see last year's Noelanders Trophy on YouTube, and you'll understand why I didn't think Marc would have accepted some of the trees shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5HBPCLFaHU A magnificent video, well worth watching.
After all that, can any of you explain why the exhibition this year is titled "The Best..." ? Have the best bonsai of past years come back to figure in this exhibition??

Marc Noelanders, you are sorely missed on the world scene.

Lisa

[Watto]

A little more discussion about bonsai, ahh, its great.

[Watto]

I love that Hawthorn.

[Ryceman3]

I love that Hawthorn.

Yep... that’s the tree of the show so far for me, hands down... beautiful movement in the trunk and I love the first branch. Might have to play with the apex a bit, but that is getting very picky. Fantastic stuff!