"Dragon Looking Back' - Juniper procumbuns

[MelaQuin]

A bonsai mate gave me this bonsai after he had had it for a year. When it was given to him it was very sick, very yellow with stressed, tight dwarfed foliage and we doubted we could pull it through. New coarse, open soil and TLC and it gradually greened up. When I got it the roots were very loose in the pot and the tree was again in strife with colour fading and foliage still tight. The lower branch, always on the edge, had worsened in condition.

Dragon Looking Back 2009-07 1.jpg

I repotted into a smaller pot, again with a coarse, open soil mix and I sprinkled a layer of crushed egg shell over a thin layer of soil before I planted the tree. Then with two snips I stunned the giver by removing the lower branch and the back branch. Since then it has positively thrived and within a month was stable in the pot. I think I am being too kind to it as it needs frequent pruning with lush green fat shoots.

Dragon Looking Back 2009-07 2.jpg

Now it is a case of shaping the foliage pad, refining the carving and possibly cleaning the pot. I do like the pot with it.

[stymie]

An aptly named tree which gives the impression of looking over its shoulder.

[MelaQuin]

Dragon Looking Back is 23 cm high and 36 cm from nebari to elbow. 4 sides of it are as follows...

Dragon looking back 2009-11.jpg

Dragon looking back 2009-11 (1).jpg

Dragon looking back 2009-11 (2).jpg

Dragon looking back 2009-11 (3).jpg

The pot sits comfortably in my hand from finger tip to thumb joint. Nice to have a lightweight for a change.

[Pup]

I also like this tree it has emotion as well as tranquility.

Cheers Pup

[MelaQuin]

I've just wired and thinned the 'curled tongue' and it looks far more elegant and definitely an improvement with the curl stretched out and looking part of the foliage pad instead of looking like an adverse opinion.