A "naturalistic" bonsai guide?
- Thread starter Bonsai Noodles
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LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Welcome to Crazy!
Sorce
Sorce
LemonBonsai
Shohin
I also love Nigel Saunder's Videos on youtube. Most of his trees are grown to look natural through clip and grow.
Kadebe
Chumono
Most of his trees are grown to look like his hair..... or his hair look like the trees.... confusing
LemonBonsai
Shohin
Yes its uncannyMost of his trees are grown to look like his hair..... or his hair look like the trees.... confusing
GGB
Masterpiece
There's an issue of bonsai today about Walter's "naturalistic" trees. Sorry I forget which number, but the cover has his beautiful scots pine on it. His advice is to observe trees in nature and incorporate how they grow. You mentioned an exact set of guidelines which I can't give, I read the article 7 months ago, but I do remember him saying his deciduous trees have branches that first grow upward(ish) off the trunk and then droop toward the ground at the end of the branch, Because that's what he sees in nature. Hope that makes sense, google images can help there, or following him on IG. Where as strict japanese bonsai will tend toward perfectly horizontal branches coming off the trunk around 90 degrees
Bonsai Noodles
Mame
I will definitely have to look for this article. Just this little post of yours has changed my plans on how to style my maples. If only we could get all of these little guides and compile them somewhere... I'd definitely buy this book at the first opportunity if @WaterPall decides to write it up.
DonovanC
Chumono
@Walter Pall has many progression threads on Bnut, not quite what you’re looking for I realize, but they’re very interesting and informative I think.
MrWunderful
Omono
Look up “hedge prune method”
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Do you subscribe to Mirai Live? Ryan teaches largely non traditional tree development or Natural styling
. And a huge library of Live Streams exists for subscribers.
. And a huge library of Live Streams exists for subscribers.
jimib
Shohin
Look for a book by Dan Robinson called "Gnarley Branches, Ancient Trees".
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
I'm unclear on the concept of this thread. "Naturalistic" means, "derived from real life or nature, or imitating it very closely." It is an appearance, and pretty subjective, too, so why or how can a manual exist? Every tree starts out differently, and you trim it twig-by-twig to suit yourself, so if something wouldn't look "natural" to you do it differently.
DonovanC
Chumono
I think this thread is referring to the “naturalistic” style popularized by Walter Paul. Presumably the hedge pruning method. I believe OP is looking for a “manual” detailing this specific method.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
resources can provide inspiration.
but you need to get out there and look at some wild trees, take photos. see how they grow, study the growth patterns. nature is the best teacher, strive to create trees that look like they grew that way naturally, without the hand of man.
but you need to get out there and look at some wild trees, take photos. see how they grow, study the growth patterns. nature is the best teacher, strive to create trees that look like they grew that way naturally, without the hand of man.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
but the hedge pruning method isnt the only way to create trees that look like they grew that way naturally.
are you familiar with the phrase, 'make your bonsai look like a tree not like a bonsai' he wasnt referring to hedge pruning.
if you want to read up on HP put it in the search bar and for the author name punch in Walter Pall. then book mark the content. the topic has been beaten to death and Walter has covered it over n over again.
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
I totally agree with Forsoothe and... BobbyLane.
This being said, the same species can have a very different "natural" look in different environments. For instance Larch in a forest have a very straight, upright shape, like "Xmas trees", but in less wooded areas, where the wind can damage or shape them more strongly, some can look totally different. It's the same with some deciduous, like oaks : in very wet climates, each wound is likely to lead to rot and dead wood in a very windy area (for instance in an island where the sea winds come into the land), whereas in drier climates, the wound will heal and the tree look healthier.
I already had this kind of discussion with Bobby, as I get older I hope I get a little wiser : both designs are "naturalistic".
And yes, "Hedge pruning" is a technique for bonsai in the making. Like what a lot of us do when letting a tree get some strength. It's just a variant of the "clip and grow" method for big trees.
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It's Kev
Omono
Maple guy
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
I recently heard something like "Seeing once is better than listening ten times"....
zanduh
Mame
As far as I've understood it from Walter Pall, the point is not that traditional Japanese style is man-made and naturalistic style is just letting the tree grow out in a small pot.
Both styles are entirely man-made but traditional Japanese style bonsai are founded on an idealic version of a tree while naturalistic takes inspiration from naturally forming trees. Said another way, naturalistic bonsai looks like you took a shrink ray to a normal tree. Both styles have rules and can use the same training techniques to get to their desired results.
Both styles are entirely man-made but traditional Japanese style bonsai are founded on an idealic version of a tree while naturalistic takes inspiration from naturally forming trees. Said another way, naturalistic bonsai looks like you took a shrink ray to a normal tree. Both styles have rules and can use the same training techniques to get to their desired results.
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