In-depth and fascinating article on Forest Plantings

[Thymetraveller]

http://www.absbonsai.org/forest-plantings
I am planning a forest planting based on some Taiwanese Maples I have been accumulating over a couple of years. I love forests, and have done quite a bit of reseach on composition and techniques. I came across this article today and was very impressed withhow thorough it was, and with a lot of the authors ideas, so I thought I would share it with the forum.
It is by Ron Martin, and appeared in the Journal of the American Bonsai Society in summer and autumn 2005.
I'm sure many of us have our own take on planting groups, but I really got a lot out of reading this...I hope you all enjoy it!
Here are the maples I have so far. I think there'll be a few more in the final composition, but there's one really interesting trunk, and a crazy little clump to work with. I'm looking forward to putting it together!

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Cheers all,
TT

[Andreas]

Not a bad read, thanks for posting. If you come along a Juniper forest description please let us know.

[Akhi]

That was a good read. Thanks and good luck with your planting


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[treeman]

Hi TT, that article is a good start but there are more things to consider. It's always difficult to learn a technique by reading about it or even watching a demonstration. Obviously the best way is to practice. Unless you are a genius, the first attempt at a group or forest planting will leave you wanting. I know it did with me and it still does. You put the trees together, stand back and take a look. You might think to yourself that it looks good. It ''works'', and then as you begin to look more closely at the true masterpiece forests you realize just how far there is to go. The reason I mention this is that to achieve success, it's really important to cast a super critical eye over your work and compare it with the best. It's the only way. Before you do that, you need to learn how to recognize the ''best'' and that in itself takes practice. When you look at a forest planting, and after you have finished appreciating it's pleasing aspects, look closer and determine what it lacks or how it might be improved.
Example....The group of trees at the end of the article.
Nice enough but it has problems (in my opinion of course.....always just my opinion!)

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The three trees on the left are far too isolated. The planting would appear more united with these three trees brought in closer to the main tree.
In his book ''Forest, Rock and Ezo Spruce Bonsai'', Saburo Kato mentions the ''strength'' or ''power'' of the forest coming from the part with the highest density. Another good way to look at this would be the ''gravity'' emanating from the main tree just as a galaxy's gravity increases the closer you get to it and that's the area of the highest concentration of stars.
So, in that respect, the above panting falls short in both gravity and along with that in lacks any real depth.
Depth. This is obviously achieved by planting smaller trees in the back. What is often missed and never mentioned however, is planting in front. After you have studied some true masterpieces and noticed that the main tree is not now planted out in front on it's own, it will be the first thing you notice whenever you look at forest planting from then on. Without a smaller element placed in front (not directly) of the main tree, the composition always looks contrived to me now. The ''naturalness'' is diminished. This is an extremely important point in my view, and one that I have never seen written about. We where always told ''The main tree should be in front'' It will give you depth etc etc. But in fact, much more convincing depth is achieved by this front planting. That's not to say the former kind don't work at all.

Below I have posted a few forests for you to contemplate.

Group A

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Group B

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[treeman]

Here's my trident forest.

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Look how much better it would look by adding a tree in just the right place...
More gravity, more depth, more natural!

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[Charliegreen]

Not a great Article,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l9Cry-Tvpc&t=0s

[treeman]

Not a great Article,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l9Cry-Tvpc&t=0s

Takeyama is the forest master without doubt. Nice to have 10 to 40 year old material to use!

[GavinG]

Thanks for the thoughtful discussion.

Gavin

[robb63]

Great information and food for thought.
Thanks guys

[Thymetraveller]

Amazing stuff here!
This forum rocks!!!

[Boics]

Nice one Mike!

[Thymetraveller]

So, this morning I have had time and headspace to really study Treeman's post. Thank you so much for the time and effort you spent putting it together!

Contemplating the two groups of forest plantings, I can really appreciate how subtle the placement of the trees is, and I agree that the inclusion of smaller trees to the foreground of the group really draws the eye into the heart of the planting.

I had been looking at the pictures yesterday morning before heading out, and heavy traffic on my journey had me stopped on the corner of Mona Vale Road and Frenches Forest road on Sydneys Northern Beaches, staring straight into the forest. I felt like I was "seeing the wood for the trees" for the first time! Now I'm on the Best Balcony In The World looking out ino a stand of casuarinas and redgums very differently.

The video posted by Charliegreen was also amazing.

Weighing everything up, I have decided to hold off putting my forest together for a year or two, and focus on developing a much more powerful parent tree around which to base the group.

Patience is possibly the most important lesson Bonsai gives me.

Thanks again for your input, folks!
TT

[LLK]

In-depth and fascinating article on Forest Plantings

Postby Thymetraveller » 16 May 2017, 20:47
http://www.absbonsai.org/forest-plantings

I am planning a forest planting based on some Taiwanese Maples I have been accumulating over a couple of years. I love forests, and have done quite a bit of reseach on composition and techniques. I came across this article today and was very impressed withhow thorough it was, and with a lot of the authors ideas, so I thought I would share it with the forum.
It is by Ron Martin, and appeared in the Journal of the American Bonsai Society in summer and autumn 2005.
I'm sure many of us have our own take on planting groups, but I really got a lot out of reading this...I hope you all enjoy it!
Here are the maples I have so far. I think there'll be a few more in the final composition, but there's one really interesting trunk, and a crazy little clump to work with. I'm looking forward to putting it together!

Belated thanks from me, Thymetraveller. That article came in very handy. I had a number of Chinese elms, both large and small, planted as two separate groups. They looked dead boring. The photo of Colin Lewis' group gave me an idea, that is to combine large and small. Attached is my planting on the fibreglass + sand tray I made. I call it a grove, because I think the trees are too widely spaced for a conventional forest. As yet the trees are not looking their best, because their branching fitted in with a different group.
They should gradually adapt to the new grouping. Also they are losing their leaves at different rates. I am looking forward to Spring!
The 3 leftover trees, also of different sizes, are in a separate pot and that group looks better too.
I'd love to know what you people think.

Lisa

[Thymetraveller]

Hi Lisa
Love the tray!
Your grove has a very English landscape feel to it, which will only improve as the trees grow into each other and themselves...
Nice!

[LLK]

Thanks, Thymetraveller, that's encouraging. Just what I needed. I'll take a photo of the remaining trees tomorrow.

Lisa