Cascade Bonsai

[Andrew Legg]

Hi Everyone,

I have to prepare a talk on cascade and semi-cascade bonsai, and am looking for good quality reference material. I have Koreshoff's book which seems to be good, but am looking for additional material. Anyone have any ideas?

Let me ask another question. When you think of cascade and semi-cascades, what thoughts do they evoke in your minds?

Cheers,

Andrew

[Ash Barns]

A tree surviving atop a mountain or cliff which has been constantly weighed down by heavy snow drifts, hence the tumbling trunk effect. Natures way of shaping without the hand of man.

[Andrew Legg]

Thanks Ash - Anyone else?

[Roar_mikana_jay]

I always think of falling water, but I guess that's a duh moment.
I used to do a lot of bushwalking, and would often see trees which had fallen, and broken or snapped over a rock when young, or were hanging precariously from cliffs and edges.
Get to the Woy Woy area (Central Coast NSW), or the Blue Mountains. Lots of magnificent native trees to see.

[Andrew Legg]

OK - Come on y'all! I need some good info for my talk!!! Times getting short. I have the waterfall/dragon/snow/seeking light/avoiding wind bits, but I'm looking for something unique. Something new. Something Wow!

Topic: Cascade and semi-cascade. Anyone got some good practical tips/hints/techniques etc? What works, and what doesn't? Some nice photos of trees I can share with my club members?

Cheers,

Andrew

PS: I'll make the finished presentation available to anyone who wants it once done.

[kcpoole]

many of them appear to me to be a tree that has fallen over ( or been pushed by Snow / Water), and has barely managed to survive the ordeal. Once recovered from the initial affects they, continue to grow and thrive while reaching out for the elements.

Ken

[kcpoole]

one of the tips is to Stand the pot on the side so the tree grows naturally, and when you want to display it you then stand it upright.
This help to keep the foliage down and manageable without having to wire constantly
tho it does make watering a challenge
Ken

[Pup]

OK - Come on y'all! I need some good info for my talk!!! Times getting short. I have the waterfall/dragon/snow/seeking light/avoiding wind bits, but I'm looking for something unique. Something new. Something Wow!

Topic: Cascade and semi-cascade. Anyone got some good practical tips/hints/techniques etc? What works, and what doesn't? Some nice photos of trees I can share with my club members?

Cheers,

Andrew

PS: I'll make the finished presentation available to anyone who wants it once done.

I would suggest John.Y Nakas books he has many different explanations and differing styles of Kengai and Han-Kengai.

The fact that many are said to grow on the sides of mountains, is not all ways the case some do grow over watering holes ( billabongs in Australia ) As semi cascades.
The most important, aspect to remember is whether you wish to portray it as a Japanese or Chinese style.

The difference here is the viewing angle.
When you look at a Japanese Cascade or Semi cascade, you view it from the side across the corner of the pot, planted, slightly off centre.

When you view a Chinese Cascade or Semi Cascade, you view it from the front as the cascade come to you from the pot.
Just my Pup

[lennard]

Hi Everyone,

I have to prepare a talk on cascade and semi-cascade bonsai, and am looking for good quality reference material.

Andrew

Here is a nice worked out presentation on the subject:

http://bonsaimalta.org/resources/lectures.htm

Lennard

[Andrew Legg]

Thanks Lennard

[Mudeye]

For me they are natures stairways to the clouds.

[GavinG]

Sorry about the delay, here are some Chinese cascades to think about. Mostly Grow and Clip I think. Every angle.

The best Penjing, to me, will often go way beyond a "cute little scale model of a real tree" and become calligraphic lightning. "Rules" broken everywhere, but they are balanced, dynamic and very complex.

I can't attribute them properly because I can't read a damn word in the book. Sorry about the picture quality.

Gavin

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[Dumper]

cascade and semi cascade for me is like when life starts to take place again after a natural disaster

[Tony Bebb]

Hi Andrew

I believe cascade is one of the most expressive styles in Bonsai and is one of my favourites. It is a style that expresses the environment in which it grows, and should be evident in the imagination in the completed design, in that you should always be able to picture the 'cliff'.

I believe in the two views of cascade being either 'face view' or 'profile view'. Face view looking at the cliff and profile view looking along the cliff. If you think this way it is easy to think of the tree growing more towards you or to one side. The tree should not grow out the front of the pot but cross to the forward side as it creates more direction. Like the cascading waterfall, the trunk moves downward in steps. This represents growth periods of downward force, and growth periods of recovery where the tree will endeavor to grow back towards the sun but never gets the chance to grow upwards.

With 'face view' the tree will move more to the left and right, with most of the movement in the direction of the tree and the tip finishing in the same direction as it starts. The branches will grow to both sides, with the longest on the side of the direction, shorter branches on the opposite side and the shortest branches to the front. No branches to the back as that is where the cliff is. This is often regarded as the Chinese style where the branching is more open with the trunk more visible. Thinking of the classical Bonsai branch arrangement of 1 longest, 2 opposite side and shorter and 3 the back branch, this would be tipped over 180 degrees towards you.

'Profile view' the tree will move predominately in one direction with more subtle changes in direction so that it does not go completely in the opposite direction, and still finishing in the direction it starts. The branches will grow to one side, the side of the direction, with longest branch to the rear of the design, shorter branches to the front and the shortest in the middle. No branches should grow at the viewer, and no branches on the opposite side of the direction as this is where the cliff is. This is often regarded as the Japanese style and appears more bushy, and often with a thicker trunk. Thinking of the same classical Bonsai branch placement mentioned above, this would be tipped over 180 degrees towards you, and rotated 90 degrees to the left or right depending on the direction of the tree.

This what I believe and teach, and I hope is understandable in the written form. Normally I use drawings to help.



Best Regards

Tony