Ficus 'Methuselah'

[Ash]

Ficus Methuselah.jpg

This is a tree to which I have great sentimental attachment and will be well known to many bonsai growers in north Queensland. It was one of the first bonsai I saw when I went to meet my bonsai teacher when I was a kid and it had a great impression of age on me then. It is one of the first trees she grew and is now a very old tree, knobbly, gnarly and warty and with four species of lichen on the trunk. My wife and I call it ‘Methuselah’. It is approximately 50 cm tall and it has now been in this same Japanese pot since it was last restyled thirty years ago. My teacher is 82 and one of my best friends and we regularly have a bonsai-trimming day together. Yesterday this tree became an heirloom when she gave it to me for Christmas. I could not have been more moved about receiving a tree. I began to gently wire some of the branches last night and to trim to encourage ramification. It is a large-leafed tropical fig from north-western Queensland.

Merry Christmas
Ash

[Ron]

What a wonderful story and picture, Ash. Thanks for sharing.

The tree's name is perfect!

[Steven]

What a great Christmas present Ash
When you say it has been in the same pot for 30 years - is that with or without repotting?

Regards,
Steven

[Glenda]

I think we all wish we had a friend who would give us gifts like that. How could you ever match it with a return gift? A rather humbling thought

Glenda

[Pup]

A very merry Christmas there Ash.
I have been lucky in that respect, also in recieving nice gifts in the past. It does kind of leave you speechless for a while.
I know she will not regret it, as you will keep it as well as she did.

Cheers Pup

[nealweb]

Awesome! A gift to be treasured. I love the lichen.

[Steven]

Just a thought Ash, did your teacher give you any guidance on how she would like you to maintain the appearance of Methuselah? Would she like you to continue with her original vision or has she stated that she is happy for you to restyle the tree or was nothing said at all? In the same situation I think I would prefer to have some clear guidance from the original custodian.

It probably leads on to a pretty good discussion... Should a tree be preserved in the original vision of the creator or is it okay to restyle?

Food for thought

Regards,
Steven

[bodhidharma]

Lovely tree, lovely sentiment On Stevens thought i cannot see any reason to change this tree, apart from rearranging a few secondarys and tretiary's. But if you are given an old tree and it is unsightly then it is your duty to make it better

[Ash]

Yes it is very much a treasured gift and yes Pup I was rather speechless and thought she was joking. I got up several times through the night to go and have a look at it siting on a dai in the best we can do for a 'tokonoma' of our lounge room.

To answer some of the questions: Methuselah first wen't into this pot in 1979 but has been repotted every three or four years since then and we last repotted it in April this year (2010). I will probably repot it again in 2011. I have not been given any specific guidance as to how to approach styling Methuselah into the future and therefore the decision to pursue its appearance as it was when I first saw it in 1994 is a personal one and not necessarily one I would apply to all trees. My memory of course has been averaged out over sixteen years of familiarity with this tree and my approach is tempered by changes that have occurred in that time such as branch losses and the thickening of old aerial roots. I will be rearranging the secondary and tertiary branches and trying to grow more leaves.

Should a tree be preserved in the original vision of the creator or is it okay to restyle?

There are only two people who can make that decision, and if the tree is yours one of them is you!

regards
Ash

[Gerard]

The answer is obvious,
The tree was gifted to Ash because he is trusted to make the correct decisions, there will be times when decisions need to be made about the future design, potting and maintenance. It is OK to make changes to improve the tree, Ash has obviously loved it for years and will with appropriate respect make it even better.
How long is it until Ash turns 82? Does he need friends?

[Jerry Meislik]

Ash,
Wonderful and meaningful gift. I know you will put your imprint on it.
Jerry

[nealweb]

Nothing stays the same forever, change (hopefully for the better) is the only thing guaranteed in this world. I don't know figs at all but if you want to grow more leaves would a specially choosen, quality new pot with a little more room for the roots to grow help achieve this? It would look good in a great pot and honour the gift too. Just a thought

[Pup]

The question posed by Steven is a very valid one. As those of us that have been given trees by friends and even purchased trees from others.

We need look no further than Ash's answer as to what his thoughts for this tree are.
However if we go to the bigger picture, there are many tree's that have been changed by the Sensei Kimura and others. Some in my opinion for the better, few not so.

I have myself altered trees that were given to me, the former owner has remarked I did not see that in the tree,I want it back .
Trees that I have bought because I have seen something in them,I have changed.
To what I consider an improvement. I must admit that when I do that, I really look hard so the long term future of the tree is going to improve the overall of the tree.

Cheers Pup

[craigw60]

Hi Ash, thats a great gift and you must be very humbled to be on the receiving end of it, I would say your mentor put a lot of thought into it before passing the tree on to you.
I have over the years been the recipient of similar gifts. My attitude has always been that bonsai are not and never should be static. It is our responsibility to work on and improve these legacies. While working on these trees I often smile to myself and imagine how pleased the former owners would be to see their trees being worked on and loved.
Craigw

[Tony Bebb]

Hey Ash

No greater honour than to receive something that is treasured by someone and passed to you in honour of their respect for you. To receive such a tree from someone so dear is a moving and treasured experience. I have a couple of trees from such an experience, and they are very special to me. It is my duty to make these the best Bonsai they can be, but does not mean I will change them, but I will always strive to improve them.

A Bonsai with a personal story is wonderful thing that evokes thoughts and emotions every time we look at it. Enjoy your gift. You know what to do with it.

Best Regards

Tony