A tall banksia

[lakepipes]

get it in a bigger pot and feed it and it will do wonders, also use a good free draining diatomite mix this will help and the banksia will love it.

[squizzy]

Thanks lake pipes.

It has only recently been potted up into a diatomite based mix into the biggest squat pot I could get a hold of. It gets a good fert on a fairly regular basis. I would love to get some squat pots at 400mm but I have trouble. I think the 300mm is suffice for now.

Squizz

[Bretts]

Need a pic from a lower angle I reckon!

[squizzy]

fair call Bretts,

bit of lazy photography really. Will try and get soemthing up in the next day or so.

Cheers

Squizz

[squizzy]

Ok heres a lower pic,

part of me says I should scrap it all together then every so often I notice the banksi on the left hand side of our banner and part of me says stick with it

P1240016.jpg

Squizz

[Boics]

Mate,

If you don't like it well I'll be happy to have a play around with it....
I've done another virt for you..

I really like the tree and think it has some good potential.
Just needs to put on some weight and foliage.

[GavinG]

Squizzy, I don't get what the problem is. You have a tall, slender, graceful Banksia with well-placed branches. Here's a photo I took in Royal National Park, just south of Sydney - I think your tree is actually very close to trees in the wild, and a good example of a natural Banksia bonsai. Not everything has to be thick and short. Enjoy. I like it.

Gavin

P1070983.jpg

[Bretts]

I agree with Gavin I think it is great, just more wire and more refinement. Fully wire the tree and pull those top twigs down as the wind has blown them around and much the same with the rest. Literati is not easy and it will take some skill to get it just right.
I could suggest reducing the thickness of the upright branch. This could be done with branch or knob cutters or a little dremmal carver. The deadwood could create a little more carachter or it could heal over either way all good

P1240016.jpg

Edit: that right branch near the top could easily be curved around and to the front. This will dome out/balance the top and being a light literati type tree and near the top crossing in front of the trunk should be more of a feature than a fault but I am not good enough to style the tree by long distance any more than that

[jezz_39]

I agree with Gavin, this is a very natural style for Banksia's.
I also see merit in Boics virt. If you went that direction I would cut off the second left branch as its too thick for the placement. Then bring the top left/back branch back up and towards the viewer, with a bit of a lean to the right, so it flows with the right branch which will cascade down the trunk a little further.

I've gotta go down and grab some photos of Banksia's in my area, very literati-esque and i'm sure you could draw inspiration from them. Will try tomorrow, if the rain eases up a bit.

Jeremy.

[squizzy]

Thanks for the replies.

Great points and a bit to think about ( or maybe wire)

Will post an update if I get anywhere. I was thinking that 50% of the height being trunk was an issue and the straighter trunk sections at the top of the tree didnt work but maybe I can disguise rather than cut. I know if I go the cut option first and I dont like it it is harder to reconsider option 2

Squizz

[kcpoole]

Lovely tree Squiz
I like them tall and Skinny and reckon this is great

Ken

[Nathan]

Hi Squizzy,

I like the look of the tree currently, I think a banksia can be suited to something a little taller, once the branching fills out a bit it will change the character of the tree, maybe you could try to accentuate the movement in the trunk slightly. as there are no low branches it maybe best to leave it longer

Cheers

[squizzy]

Thanks for the encouragment.

I have fiddled with the higher branches a bit with your advice bretts and I think it somewhat managed to disguise the straighter section of trunkline.

P1250001.jpg

lets see how it looks when it shoots. Any thoughts are still more than welcome.

Squizz

[Bretts]

I like that Squizzy, couple more tweeks I was thinking. I would trim back the stump as indicated in red and previous virt. I would also remove the heaviest part of the branch up top as indicated in red also.
I would like to see the top two twigs (indicated with blue) wired and brought down in a slight swooping motion. To give the feeling that the wind has pushed them down but they also are fighting back and growing up still. I think this will look very banksia like and also dome and balance out the top to make the tree easy to look at.
Maybe the end of the main right branch could come down a little but you could much around with that endlessly with literati

Great job Squizzy Literati is one of the hardest styles to accomplish and you are very close to a VERY nice native one

virt.jpg

Edit oops wrong pic now it is right I hope

[squizzy]

Cheers brett,

I have brought those 2 high branches down. The thicker one at the top left has just been adjusted forward instead of cut. The stump is slightly less bulky. See attached photo.

P1310003.jpg

Squizz