Junipers for Inspiration

[Raging Bull]

Here are some pics of Junipers growing in the high Sierra in the U.S. I thought they might help inspire juni and pine enthusiasts to go all-out into creating twists and turns and jins. As you can see, it would be hard to out-do Mother Nature. Enjoy.

Juniper 36_o.jpg

Juniper52_o.jpg

Juniper 92_o.jpg

Juniper 76_o.jpg

Juniper 45_o.jpg

Juniper 44_o.jpg

Juniper 36_o.jpg

Juniper 12_o.jpg

[MJL]

Thanks Frank. Inspiration indeed. I have taken the first steps on a path to learn how to grow pine Bonsai. Along with my own tinkering, reading, studying local trees, etc... I am starting lessons in 2020 too. It’s going to be a tricky path to navigate. I want to understand technique and seasonal care and perhaps that means I create some green helmets along the way and that’s cool with me. My main aim though, is to learn to create truly rugged styles. Some of Treeman’s past musings are of reference here. So too Boom’s (John) work with natives is a stylistic reference. I am influenced by pictures like you post here, pictures from mountainous regions in China and of course, some of our local rugged settings. Perhaps this form of art is more Penjing than Bonsai but that’s another discussion. Point being, I’m looking forward to learning and balancing the tension between differing styles and forms. Hence, I need a few trees to grow from early years; to experiment with and that’s why I snaffled some more of R3’s Red Pine seedlings. Thanks Ryan, enjoyed the beer and chat yesterday.

If I learn well... perhaps by the time I leave this mortal coil called earth, I’ll have a few trees with a good enough foundation that a future curator can achieve a look that will take more time than I have.

Oh, and one edit to your post. Replace “hard to” with “impossible” to out do Mother Nature.

[Raging Bull]

Hi Mark,
As I'm not the youngest bonsai grower I would like to own some trees that at least begin to look like a more aged bonsai before I shuffle off this mortal coil. So to satisfy my desire for instant gratification I'm starting to put together some phoenix grafts in the hope they will look more natural in a few years as opposed to a few decades. Here is a pic of my latest attempt, put together in mid-September this year, It's a j. virginiana. I'm looking forward to removing the wire and putting it into a proper pot. After finding the above photos I believe mine will look reasonable in a couple of years.
Cheers, Frank.

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[MJL]

Hey Frank,
Good work, I like the idea of phoenix grafts. ... I reckon it was AlpineArt who first got me thinking about this form. When done well and given time, it is hard to identify that the old wood is not related to the new tree. As you say, over time the deception gets even better. This approach can also give a young tree some 'gravitas' or weight ... adding to the perception of age. I have an Olive phoenix that's going ok and here (below) is something a bit different - I took a young Juniper and wound it around a rock... it's now growing through various holes and crevices. I think it helps the form a perception of greater age than the tree actually is. It needs a trim but you'll get the idea.

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Not a phoenix graft but inspired by the idea.

[Jarad]

Hi Mark,
As I'm not the youngest bonsai grower I would like to own some trees that at least begin to look like a more aged bonsai before I shuffle off this mortal coil. So to satisfy my desire for instant gratification I'm starting to put together some phoenix grafts in the hope they will look more natural in a few years as opposed to a few decades. Here is a pic of my latest attempt, put together in mid-September this year, It's a j. virginiana. I'm looking forward to removing the wire and putting it into a proper pot. After finding the above photos I believe mine will look reasonable in a couple of years.
Cheers, Frank.

Hey Frank,

Are you only using wire to stick the juni to the dead wood? Some people use screws or nails to affix their trees a little more securely.

Just don't use copper nails

[Raging Bull]

Hi Mark, that's an interesting slant on the subject. I have seen some pictures of (I think vietnamese) penjing landscapes with a tree growing into and through rock. It can look very interesting and unusual. Hope yours matures into one of those. Here are some more pics to inspire.

Tree in rock 03.jpg

Tree in rock 02 .jpg

Tree in rock 01.jpg

Hi Jarad, Yes, I've also used a couple of screws to hold the trunk into the groove carved into the driftwood. The trunk is a bit thicker than thumb thickness, so it needed a fair bit of persuasion to stay put. Though mine don't even come close, this is the kind of effect I'm working toward.

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[MJL]

To give you a sense of how my mind works... I reckon that "tree in rock" - in the oval powder-blue pot is magnificent. I can imagine it's not for some but it is for me.

[Raging Bull]

You're just saying that 'cos it's got a little "dude" on a waterbuffalo under it.