AusBonsai

Hi All, This is my only large group forest i have old shimpaku
thanks john m

This is a great thread Jamie.

I'll try and find the picture, you have probs seen it in Google. It's a Saikei landscape, made up of three separate square slabs, butted up together, with only a small gap in between them. It depicts a scene in the left tray of mountains, the middle plains, the last right one marsh land / the sea. I would really like to see one of these done for the Australian landscape. The left tray being deserts, the middle being lush semi trop species figs etc, then the right hand tray being mels by the river. I think the setting could be done well, with the use of natural sand stone, orange sands, and other Aussie themed settings.

I think I will try and make something similar to this in the future.

Here's mine. Picked 'em up for a $1 each the other day. Pretty happy with it so far.

some lovely settings guys well done there is a lot of inspiration there. i am glad people have put them up i didnt think there was that many groups but it looks like there are more people out there that love them as much as i do

i will reply with more later.

jamie

Here are a couple more Jamie as promised the Saikei has 9 trees. Will name them in post not the amount of tree's coz I do not count them once planted and have been settled.

I was told once if they have to stop and count they cannot see the wood for the trees ] I hope you enjoy them and they give you some ideas, Cheers Pup

Pup they are "Absolutely Magic" , makes me want to get out there and create a few more . I don't know whether or not i need any more but then again there's still plenty of time to create .Hear for a good time not a long time .Cheers Alpineart

there great pup

i have noticed out of everyones settings and forests that there isnt any major feature trees or extremely refined treeseither, maybe my look at forests and settings is a little different then should be it gives the settings a more natural feel to me anyways.

luciano that is an amazing setting and the slab is brilliant, i love the way it has out croppings and the likes and the flat top trees work realy well!

i keep looking at that chamaecyparis setting pup and find it quite interesting, could you give us some sizes on these, i am interested in the smaller settings as you know i am a keen shohin fan

cheers guys keep it up these are great, and alpine i know what you mean about some of these trees giving inspiration to get out and do some, i havent got any yet but have a feeling i will soon, i will also be making a small slab using alan's cement fondue and chicken wire technique


jamie

These trees were field grown and the largest was about 3 mtr high when dug out. They were about 12 or 15 years old when dug in 1975 so that would date them from about 1960.
Happy 50th trees.

Grant

lovely setting grant that must be a pleasure to see and work on when needed, i look forward to the day that i have had some trees for 50 years, its a long way down the track but i still have a tree that was one when i first got and it is really happy 5 years down 45 to go i will get there, i hope in that time to have some wonderful trees to look at aswell.

it must of been interesting working woth master Naka aswell. his trees are very inspirational


jamie

Grant Bowie wrote:Happy 50th trees.

Happy 50th!!!

What a progression too! Thanks for sharing Grant.

Regards,
Steven

Jamie wrote:there great pup

i have noticed out of everyones settings and forests that there isnt any major feature trees or extremely refined treeseither, maybe my look at forests and settings is a little different then should be it gives the settings a more natural feel to me anyways.

jamie

I tend to look at it all in 1/3's. Each grouping desends by 1/3 as it drops to the background. Each tree in the group descends by 1/3 in height and width, starting at the main center focus tree.

gday mitchell, i think you have the basic idea i think if i was to create a setting like you have planned out i would be thinking about the horizontal plane and be raising and lowering depth of the planting, in which i mean by having on group higher on a hill, another group at pot level and the other at an in between point of the two. this i beleive will add a bit of interest to the setting, you would definately have to have smaller trees at the back to instill distance. i would consider streching out the groupings more having the rear group further to the back of the pot/slab the left middle group more central to the front/back of the pot/slab and the front group a little closer to the front, i realise that groupings arent as simple as single trees in planting position but i do beleive that the positions are one key element to how the setting comes out

jamie

Grant, I really like the black and white photo. How many trees are in the 2009 picture? Got a 2010 shot?

Funky collars too, they don't make'm like that any more

Hey
that is what I was saying that there is the dominent tree (not always though) and then it steps down from medium to large in a natural way. My explanation of what I am saying with the small trees taking over larger ones if there roots arnt contained wasn't explained very well. But with figs or any fast growing trees this has been a pointer that has been told to
me a few times. Check out this website
http://www.fukubonsai.com/5a3a.html
this progression of a ficus forest more clearly shows wat I was saying. in the last part of it's progression in the 2001 restoration process my point is explained in there.
I know this is in a tropicAl part of the world but this would still count for us in aus I reckon cuz our figs still seem to grow a heck of alot.
Anywayits a great forest in the end I reallyove it.
I can recomend a great book for doing landscape setting if that's wat your wanting to do, it is calledcreating bonsai landscapes By Su Chin Ee it's a really great book if you get your hands on it.
Your idea on the massive forest would be amazing I deffinetally want To try that myself some day in the future.

Hugh

well here's my little project.
I purchased this group about 2 and a half years ago. the highest tip was 1.8 meters high.
its consists of 9 trees.
the pot measures 1mtr by 600mm. great candidates for a layer and more trees to put in. 4 out of the five survived and will be added in the next repot. most recent foto.
all will be trimmed and wired soon to fit the final composition.
cheers
strawbs