UPDATE OF JUNIPER IN P.K.POT

[Dave54]

Hi guys,
As you know, when the boss speaks, we all react, so as Steven has requested a follow up photo of the "Juniper in a Pat K pot" (separate posting), who am I to say no.
Whilst in the process, I thought I may as well post some progressive photos.
I said in the previous post that the tree was 40cm tall, it is in fact 50cm tall
My wife purchased this tree as raw material for me ( I selected It) in 1998 from a good grower of Junipers and it was the first good material that I got to work on. I was a real novice at the time.
I recently wrote in another forum that I lost all but two of my Juniper collection in about 2002 when an undiagnosed disease wiped out most Junipers in the Hunter Valley. One of my trees survived unscathed ( also purchased by my wife) and this one lost its primary branches and required a total makeover after its slow recovery back to good health.
It may have just expedited the evolution of this tree anyway.
cheers
dave

[Pat K]

Hey Dave....I like this tree and I especially like the angle the photo was taken from....excellent

Cheers, Pat

[BonsaiBoy]

I really like the look of it now Dave. Would be sweet in 360 degrees!
BB

[Leigh Taafe]

Great tree Dave.

I saw it on the last post, and seeing it again has brought up the same distraction for me. Just my opinion though. I reckon it would go better without the jins near the base of the trunk.

I love the jin that comes from the upper branch and the lower one just seems to detract from it.

I know you didnt post the tree for a critique, so I hope you dont think I am rude in giving you my opinion (for what it is worth).

Cheers,
Leigh.

[Dave54]

Hi Guys,
Pat, I took the photo from a slightly higher angle, knowing that it would highlight your pot better. We all know the real art of bonsai, is to find a tree that compliments your pots
Leigh, I always appreciate constructive critique.
Even though the photos don't highlight the fact, the trunk is "sharied" from the base, right up the rear of the tree, so those jins are coming out of a substantial amount of dead trunk. I do however, take your comments on board.
cheers and thanks
Dave

[anttal63]

nice one dave!

[Leigh Taafe]

I love the tree Dave!

[Scott Roxburgh]

Excellent tree Dave!

[Dave54]

Hi guys,
i'm thinking of changing my forum name to the intimidator. I do hope that you all like the tree, however, I thought people may say things like, they thought the tree looked better in the dragon pot or that the pads look better either fuller or thinner, or that the dieing of the primary branches either helped or ruined the tree, or that I am brilliant in transforming a half dead tree into a half decent literati style bonsai , or that the end result indicates that I should have let the tree die a natural death!!!
Is there anybody OUUUUUUUUT THERE!!!!!!
cheers
Dave

[BonsaiBoy]

Well now you mention it. The pads do look a bit to flat and unnatural. The jin looks good but I think the lower 2 could be shorter or even get rid of one of them.
BB

[Scott Roxburgh]

Ok here goes...

The 'primary' branches made the tree look like 'mallsai' so it's good that they died. The Pat pot of course looks better than the dragon pot, and the more refined look of the last is nice but a lower planting would be good. I also agree that the jin referred to by leigh should be removed.

[Dave54]

Thanks guys,
for the sake of debate BB, any tree displaying deadwood, may indicate a rather harsh existance. As such, would thick, over-healthy and bulgeing branch foliage create a contradiction in style concept??????????
I think the earlier photos in the Dragon Pot did exactly that.
cheers
Dave

[Elias]

Hi Dave,

I know I'm only a begginer but I hope you don't mind me making a few observations (all for the process of learning)...
Firstly loving the pot, that's a no brainer... but the look and feel of the pot makes me think rough and rugged style tree, the jin to me looks to neat and clean, maybe adding a dark ink to sulphur to make look rougher and weathered...
I also think the tree should be planted a little lower if that is an option and the pads are a bit flat....
I do like he tree overall I believe it will be great as you do further development, and I think that it will be stunning in the years to come

Elias

PS: I like the jins at the bottom although I don't like the one about half way up the trunk again just my opinion.

[anttal63]

im just sitting here thinking, has the foliage got a little to dense. i like that sparser feel of 5jpg. this is something i do, tend to allow my junis to get to heavy for the smaller trunks we have here in australia. but i do believe its good for the tree to let it stretch its arms. in mind of the composition it will work well with elegance not ruggidness this one. only my thoughts for what they're worth.

[anttal63]

please dont kill me dave or pat.