AusBonsai

I like it...I think that the nebari is in proportion to the canopy.

I also think that without the carpet moss, it would look much improved.

This tree is an amazing accomplishment, its just fantastic. Like Paul I would trade most of the trees in my collection for that one.
Craigw

not my cup of tea but a recip saw would help just cut out some big wedges hahaha

Scott Roxburgh wrote:I like it...I think that the nebari is in proportion to the canopy.

I also think that without the carpet moss, it would look much improved.

Proportion is great Scott. Doesnt have big foot syndrome like alot of maple and beech with fused nebari's. Just doesn't look real...

I've seen deciduous street trees in older cities with big slabs of wood at the base very similar to that from memory they were plane trees
Craigw

This kind of thing is an Is-ness, its what happens over time when growing trees in very shallow pots. I'm sure there is a physiological reason for it, I don't know it though. It is something that only occurs on old trees; and what a tree, each branch meticulously cultivated with perfect taper and not a single straight branch anywhere. Perhaps an appreciation of this nebari comes when you have had trees for a very long time, devoted to Japanese styling, and knowing how difficult it is to produce a tree like this. I understand what people are saying, that it doesn't look realistic, but you don't get the canopy and bark patina without that wide nebari, and that is, in my mind, why it is excellent. It is the age of it. I wish I could go twenty years into the future and see what your responses would be, with time and experience under your belts. Just my humble opinion, you can all go back to what ever it was you were doing. (Insert a silly smillie thing of choice here)

Paul

craigw60 wrote:I've seen deciduous street trees in older cities with big slabs of wood at the base very similar to that from memory they were plane trees
Craigw

Many in Canberra have Nebari's like this.

looks unnatural and ugly to me

I love it, and I am trying to copy a similar tree. Here's a few more to enjoy!

Nicely put up Jarrod as good examples of what could be.

Hey Jezz, pics 1,2&3 are good examples of a fused nebari. They all blend nicely to the trunk even though 1&2 are a little big foot for my liking. Pic 4 has that horizontal line across it where the nebari joins the trunk. Again a poor blending like the original pic posted by Banksia. The 5th pic shows a good blending of the nebari to trunk, too bad the grass is too long to see the rest...

Yeah I agree about the line around that tree, but it is still a stunning tree.

The others are just amazing! I'm planning another trip to japan prob 2010. Already counting the months!

Hey guys, this is not for me though I must say, I can see the workmanship that has gone into them. I think the second lot of pics have a more natural appearance. I can recall seeing an article in one of my early bonsai today, on how to do this. Plant shallow and keep grafting until your nebari, is bigger than your mates nebari- has to be a men thing surely.
Cheers Rod.....

One of the very early issues of bonsai today has an article on achieving nebari like this on palmatums, the underside of the trees are worked with a small plane at repotting time. I would say these trees are the pinnacle of palmatum bonsai.
Craigw

wow way overkill. looks like a concrete plate. got to appreciate it for what it is