AusBonsai

I recently mananged to pick up a whole bunch of rootbound tubestock from a local nursery pretty cheap.
I decided I would try my hand at a group planting on a peice of granite I got from a scrap yard for $5
Most of the plants have decent movement and tapering down low the thickest trunk is around 20mm across.
This is far from a finished product.
I'm aiming for a look resembling the edge of a windswept forest thinning out and becoming more wind affected the closer to outside it gets.
I plan on doing nothing for at least six months to let the roots gain some strength.
Then I will start to build some structure into the branches.
The slab measures 1050mmx500mm at its widest point.
Not the best pics i'll try and get some better pics soon.
Comments and advice welcome.
Cheers Daniel.

Hi Daniel

Good start and a great score on the granite for $5

I think a little too spread out. A bit tighter with more space on the left would give better direction, but that would have to wait till next season now. Let the main trees in the centre grow freely for a while to improve trunk thickness and strength to the arrangement, and they will shoot back fine when you cut them back.

Good call to let them grow and revover first before starting the styling to branching. I like your plans.

Best Regards

Tony

Hi Daniel yeah a really good score with the granite - was it a benchtop ? I would like to see the tress in the middle a bit straighter with the trees on the outer edge leaning out trying to get space to grow. It is hard to try and make groups look "random" but I think a lesson from penjing goes along the line of "trees so close a needle cannot pass between them and others that a horse can pass through" Now that is not accurate but gives you the idea. I do think 3 groups within a group works better than 2 - one dominant group and 2 smaller groups all odd numbered of course. I love your choice of tree - really falling in love with mels.


Tony

Thanks guys.
@Tony.
I agree that its too spread out, luckily i still have a few seedlings left which i intend to use to fill in some gaps after the group has established.

@Bougy.
Not sure what the slab was before, I think probably paving or cladding, it was too thick for a benchtop though.
Some of the trunks need a bit more direction which I intend to rectify once the roots are going strong.

Daniel

Hey Daniel,

I like your thinking with this group, once you add the extra ones into the arrangement and they grow into a cohesive whole it will look great. Really good score on the granite slab & I particularly like the way you have used some chunks of it within the planting aswell, really makes it look like a forest up on a stoney plateau.


Look forward to seeing it as it progresses.

Matt

Hi Tin monkey,

here is a Melaleuca group that is not very old and was grown using nursery stock. You can see it at the collection Grant Bowie

Any updated pics on the forest please?

NBPCA wrote:Hi Tin monkey,

here is a Melaleuca group that is not very old and was grown using nursery stock. You can see it at the collection

June 2009 021.jpg

Grant Bowie

Grant, is this forest planting still around? I've spent hours looking at it and would love some more (recent) photos. I have been thinking about planting one of my own with this as inspiration.

I would love to see some updated photos from Tinmonkey too.

lackhand wrote: Grant, is this forest planting still around? I've spent hours looking at it and would love some more (recent) photos. I have been thinking about planting one of my own with this as inspiration.

I would love to see some updated photos from Tinmonkey too.

Very pretty isn't it. You can get visually lost in that beautiful display.