Some Japanese trees.....

[Jow]

As you all probably know from the nursery photos i have posted that i am currently in Japan.

I have been for the last few weeks working in a bonsai nursery. I have been doing a range of things but mostly styling and re-styling trees. This is my second time working at the nursery and this time around i am being let loose on a lot better material and have a lot more creative freedom. I basically work the tree and then my teacher critiques my work. Sometimes this means changing a few branches or cutting on or two off but most of the time he adjusts a pad or two and thats it.

I havent been taking that many photos of before and afters but i have a couple.... here are a few below....

Needle Juniper. This juniper had been up the back of the nursery for a few years and had become very overgrown. During that time someone had tried to graft shimpaku foliage onto the trunk and hence had let the needle juniper foliage grow rampant. The graft failed and here is what i was presented with after taking into the workshop.

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And then after a day of work.

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Needle junipers really live up to their name. I was covered in prick marks for a few days after...... Normally you wouldnt take off this much foliage but it is the growing season and this should stimulate backbudding.


Black Pine. This tree was bought from a customer who had had it at his house. He had not really done all the right things by the tree so it was quite weak and in need of a thinning out.

Before the work (bottom branches done...). Notice how close the foliage is? This means no light was able to reach inner branches and some had begun to die.

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And after. Notice that there is now a lot more light able to get in. Also needles were plucked to strengthen weak growth and hold back the strong. The tree really needs a wireing but as the candles are forming and are quite delicate that will be left until winter.

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The amount of foliage removed.

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I dont have a before shot for the next tree but it was a simple clean up and rewire. It didnt really undergo a dramatic change just became neater. I really like this tree.

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So that is a little taste of what i have been up to over here. Its a hard life working here with no days off and working 7-6 or much later, but working every day on such great material makes up for the long hours.... On monday we are going to Tokyo to buy a whole lot more trees that i will be working on. I will make sure i take more before photos and post them if i remember.

[Steven]

What an amazing experience Jow! Such awesome tree's to be working on.
How long are you spending there? Are you going to attempt to ship any back to Aus?
Thanks for sharing mate!
Regards,
Steven

[brenden]

Hi Jow,

Fantastic trees! Thank you for sharing. I love the Junipers (both of them!)

A shame there was not a before tree for the last time. Something I always kick myself for half way through trimming.

Does your nursery have a website? Love to see more.

Brenden

[Leigh Taafe]

Hey Jow,

Are you at Urushibata's place?

Cheers,
Leigh.

[Jow]

Yeah i am at Taisho-en which is run by Mr. Urushibata.

They have a website (Japanese only)

http://www.taishoen.org

There is a sale section where you could spend a lazy few grand on a nice shohin just click a bunch of links and you will eventually find it.

You can view a range of things there and there are more photos from my last trip on my blog.

[anttal63]

you are a cat!!! well done jow you've made us proud. this is what you call doin it not gun'n it.

[miyagiman]

Hi guys, I went into the link " http://www.taishoen.org " that JOW listed for the nursery where he is working. These trees are unbelievable, the prices are incredible too. Really good inspiration stuff though, I'll continue to refer to the pictures for some future styling ideas. Cheers from Dave.

[Jow]

Oh and to quickly convery yen to $Aud just take off two zeros from the yen price and add about a third........

[kcpoole]

Very nice they are too.

Love the minis

apprx conversion 10000Y = $130

[Nereus]

the transformation of the Needle Juniper is just awesome

[ketutg]

it must be amazing to work with such great material and teachers!

[Marc]

tough job, it must be horrible...


what a dream eh. well done.

[John Henry]

Hi Jow,
Thanks for all the great pics keep them coming,i hear you may be staying on a little longer will you be back in time for the bonsai sale day at the vic.
See you soon Regards John M

[Jow]

Unfortunately i think i will be missing the sale day... i was hoping that i could sell off a bit of stuff to try and cover the cost of all the pots ive bought

[Jow]

Today's work...

As i type am waiting to go to Tokyo to buy some more trees to work on, we leave at 11pm so it looks like a night in the hiace for me......

Today i worked on a big Hinoki. It was a variety i hadn't seen before and had a very fine foliage and a spiraling bark pattern on the trunk.
The tree it self had been shown in Kokufu a number of years ago but had been neglected in a customers backyard. Todays aim was to try and find the bonsai in the hedge. Basically we removed a rubbish bin full of foliage to start to define pads again and to reduce the outline of the overall bonsai. I requires further cutting back but we will have to wait until it backbuds as we pretty much already cut back to the last green growth.

The tree after i did the first branch ( and then remembered to take a before pic)

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mid way through

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Finished for now. A bonsai comes out of the topiary.

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The aim of today was to reduce foliage and induce backbudding. We, via pruning reshaped the pads structure and their silhouette. I have become a lot more proficient at pruning and understand it a lot more than i previously had. The importance of density and balancing this over the tree is something i had never really thought of before. It makes a lot of sense now i think back on it.

Wireing will be done at a later stage, perhaps after the back budding appears?

I feel pretty lucky working on an ex kokufu tree. Even though it was over grown and neglected it had at one time in its life been one of the top trees in Japan. I hope one day it will return to its previous glory.