There has been a lot of debate on here recently regarding the styling of bonsai, and particularly native trees, in a naturalistic way. I have thus far chosen not to add my opinion as I tend to prefer exotics, and I am a fan of the more stylised trees over the more natural look, however there are a few things I would like to present for peoples thoughts
In nature, trees are admired for many reasons, it can be the size of the particular tree, it's location, the drama of the setting, the surrounding area and the relationship that the tree has with it, the drama and signs of a hard life etc. While we tree to emulate this with bonsai in order to tell a story, it is important to note that I believe that while these all make an impressive, emotive picture, often the tree itself is not what we would call "well styled", that is to say that in a pot, it would look rubbish.
Once a tree becomes bonsai, we have little of the above to draw on, they aren't large, imposing trees towering over us, their setting must always be the container, other than in display they have relatively little relationship with their surrounds, and we must manufacture (in most cases) the signs of age and hardship. We also scrutinise bonsai much more heavily than we would a normal tree in terms of an aesthetic picture. Not only that but as bonsai lovers we will look closely to see how it is built, take in all the features, and also be very quick to determine and in most cases brutally point out flaws.
All of this in my opinion means that to say that it is better to style a tree in the "natural style" over something less naturally realistic is setting an unrealistic expectation of what we hope to achieve in the final design and picture. Yes there are examples of spectacular bonsai styled in a "natural style", but these trees are good bonsai for all the reasons that any tree, natural or otherwise, would be good bonsai. I for one have yet to see a pine tree on the side of any road around here (and there are many) that compares to the finest pine bonsai in the world, likewise with any juniper or maple. This for me also applies to the casurina in question that started the recent debate, this tree for me is far better than any casurina I have ever seen as bonsai. I also believe,
that it is better than any casurina I have ever seen, period. That is not meant to take away in any sense from casurina in the wild, or any other tree for that matter, design is of no concern to these trees, and I expect nothing more from them than to be just that, trees....... but I DO expect more from bonsai.
With all that said, here is my only native (except for figs)
I recently styled this tree after relegating it to the dead corner for lack of design inspiration
A lepto cardwell I think
Make of it what you will, but I like it, and as it is my tree, and my garden, really that is all that matters. The same can be said for the above opinions, they are neither right nor wrong, they are only mineKerrin
