Bald Cypress - Help Me Find The Front

[Zach Smith]

I've been working on this tree for a few years now. I first potted it two years ago, and last year it had to go back in a grow tub due to a bout with chlorosis. It recovered, and this past weekend I defoliated it and put it back in its Chuck Iker home. A couple of days later a funny thing happened. I was walking past it on the next bench row and happened to look at the "back" of the tree, and it really struck me that I might have gotten the front wrong. I'm looking for some feedback on which is best. So here are the three views, starting with the original front.

Let me know what you think, and thanks in advance.

Zach

 

[Dav4]

I'm partial to the front shown in the second picture. Either way, keeping this one in a round pot would be the way to go since it does have multiple sides that show well.

 

[sorce]

I like the second too...

Most movement...

And that knobby thing is a good feature and not distracting as it is in the 3rd.

Directly above the soil looks better too.
I am not a big fan of the old front roots.
Looks like it wants to hump you!

Bitchin tree!

Sorce

 

[JoeR]

#2! Or even #1. The apex would need adjusted if you chose #2, as it is now it bothers me. But if you did fix it, I think #2 would be the best option.

 

[Vin]

Me too. The second image shows an older tree with good movement. However, the apex could use a little jaunt to the right.

 

[Zach Smith]

Thanks for the feedback! Shouldn't be too big a challenge to adjust the apex. It's BC, after all.

 

[johng]

Develop it to be beautiful from all sides! You've got a great start already!

 

[Zach Smith]

Develop it to be beautiful from all sides! You've got a great start already!

Thank you, John. It looks like #2 is winning the vote and will likely be the official front, but I like the idea of a 360 bonsai too. You don't see too many of them.

 

[Vin]

You killed it with the backdrop by the way! Very cool!

 

[ml_work]

I pick door 2#

 

[Eric Group]

You killed it with the backdrop by the way! Very cool!

LOL
I know it wasn't meant this way but it sounds like a veiled insult... Kind of like when someone posts a pic of a tree and people say stuff like "umm nice... Pot"?

I remeber when we were teenagers my brother bought the first car either of us owned- an old beat up Isuzu pick up! He brought it home and I got in it... Trying desperately to say something nice about the shitbox... I looked over and the steering wheel had a new wrap on it so I blurted out "nice steering wheel"! LOL. Yeahhh... Not quite the best compliment I could have paid him I am sure... So, your comment made me thing of that little story Vin... I know your intent was not to ignore the tree or belittle it, just thought it was funny the way it came out!

@zach smith- really cool BC man!
Got a few from the swamp a couple weeks ago. Just hoping they make it now...

 

[ColinFraser]

#2 definitely shows the best movement to my eye, but there's something I can't quite define about #3 that just feels good/right to me, even though the slight turn loses a bit of the curve and the base width from #2 . . . I wish I could see it in person!
It's a cool piece of material regardless; thanks for posting it.

 

[VAFisher]

Hi Zach. Another vote for #2 from me but it's a great tree with any of those fronts. Dan.

 

[sorce]

Dan

Dan?

I feel I never knew that!

Sorce

 

[Zach Smith]

You killed it with the backdrop by the way! Very cool!

Thank you. I've got to replace my backdrop, it's got a few miles on it now, but I think it shows off the trees very well.

 

[VAFisher]

Dan?

I feel I never knew that!

Sorce

That's how Zach knows me from email. Now you do too!

 

[rockm]

Great tree. As my BC has developed over the last decade or so, it's back also became its front. Apparently, that's not uncommon. I've heard Guy Guidry says the same thing about his trees

 

[Giga]

I like #2

 

[Zach Smith]

Great tree. As my BC has developed over the last decade or so, it's back also became its front. Apparently, that's not uncommon. I've heard Guy Guidry says the same thing about his trees

Thank you, Mark. It was kind of a weird experience when I first noticed it. I've been looking at and working on this tree for three years now, and never saw what I guess I wasn't really looking for. Makes me wonder about some of the others.

 

[rockm]

Zach, the exact same thing happened to me a couple of years ago with my big BC...Eureka! moment.