The Changing Face of a Hawthorn

[Watto]

I dug this Hawthorn about 10 years ago just because it had movement in the trunk. It has been through a few changes over the years but in 2015 I decided on its "look" for now (now in bonsai terms means about 5 to 10 years or so) and started working towards that goal. I only have another year or three to go and then I may exhibit this one.
Starting to look OK at all times of the year now.

[Rory]

Very nice, Watto.

Hawthorns....one of the nicest ‘not Australians’.

[Greg F]

Great transformation Watto. Looks great.

Greg

[Keels]

I do enjoy a good hawthorn bonsai. Has your tree flowered since you've had it?

[Watto]

This has flowered spasmodically each year for the last 5 or 6 years but that hasn't been the priority yet, just been concentrating on getting the structure right. Hopefully it will flower all over this spring though.

[Alex_B]

Thats a beautiful Bonsai Watto, really nice shape and density of the foliage.

[MJL]

Thanks Watto. Made my arvo - lovely style that. Before I got to the 2020 photo I was trying to figure out direction from the 2015 photo and I could not see the future ... and here the future is in 2020. Top drawer stuff.


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[Watto]

There were a few little changes that made a big difference in my opinion, but the biggest one was potting it into the current pot. The pot is shallower and the pot texture and colour complements the trunk bark.
Its an old Pat Kennedy pot (I'm not sure if that makes Pat old or the pot old??????) and if I could find one (or if Pat would make me one) very similar but just a tad smaller that would be fantastic.

[Shumway]

Hey Watto, overall good looking tree. I really like Hawthorns. But I kept seeing something that looked a bit off and initially couldn't quite put my finger on it. I think it's that a couple of branches curve quite differently to the rest of the flow of the tree. I've highlighted these in blue lines and shown the other branches in red to differentiate just how the curve. It may just be the photo doesn't show the depth or angles correctly, but I wonder if it would look better bringing the blue branch on the left up a bit (having less downward curve), or perhaps trying to bring the first brand on the right down a bit to match the downward curve of the blue branches. Does that make sense?

Also, can you given me an idea of the dimensions of the tree? It doesn't look too big, which gives me hope that I can replicate something like that with a couple of Hawthorns I currently have in the ground.

[John(JP)]

Good morning Watto,

Super tree - shows what patience(not something I have a lot of) can do

Who's pot - its a ripper

JohnJP
CBS

[GavinG]

For me, the tree has a lovely circular motion - up-ish on the right, down on the left. I'd maybe think of shortening the right a little, as the two sides are competingly even at the moment, but that's just me being picky. And of course, in the bark it may be different. A graceful tree, thanks for posting.

Gavin

[Watto]

The tree currently stands about 45 cm tall - chohin size.
The ling hanging branch on the left is the serendipity branch which I hope will be a little longer before I show this tree fair dinkum.
The left side should be a little longer and the right side a little shorter come exhibition time so thankyou for that suggestion Gavin.

[Watto]

This is sort of the yearly update.
I trimmed this reasonable hard in autumn and thus I was not expecting any flowers this year. In my opinion it needs a couple more years of refinement before it make its way to the exhibition table. There were no exhibition tables recently so I should not have worried!
Anyway it did surprise me by popping a couple of blooms (on the back of the tree) however it has not been trimmed this spring. The idea to let it gain some strength and then trim or move the foliage into the preferred shape.
Only small changes but it is improving with age in my opinion.

[Jan]

Very elegant. The flowing curves put me in mind of Art Deco bronze figurines.