Wilson
Masterpiece
I believe you missed the sarcasm in his response.
Ancient Bonsai vs Todays Bonsai...
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Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
If I missed it others may have too, I apologize, but what people are doing with Junipers today has in my opinion ruined them.
Wilson
Masterpiece
@Vance Wood what is the flaw in design in the junipers you don't like? I have 4 rough stock that I am waiting for spring to style, and would love to hear your thoughts on juniper styling.
Indeed, I was being sarcastic. I thought the
would help convey that.What’s your point?
99% of the pine trees where I live grow straight up, drop all their lower limbs as they get shaded out, and make great telephone poles. As models of beauty? Not so much. Maybe 1% is growing on a rock or something happened to cause it bend and be contorted. Which strikes our fancy as being “beautiful”? The hundreds of “telephone poles”? Or the one or two mangled up trees?
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
The mangled trees.
thumblessprimate1
Masterpiece
"Broccoli"What? Another Green Helmet? Oh, no!
That's a nice, thick live vein!
Fall and winter are better times to style Juniper. The bark and cambium are more tightly bound to the core of the tree. If done when the tree is active, you’re more likely to break the bond, and break the sap line, thus killing the branch. The time to make Jin and Shari is when the tree is active, since the sapwood separates from the hardwood so easily then.
Wilson
Masterpiece
So you recommend setting my branches now, how about pruning foliage?
Yes, pruning, too.
A. Gorilla
Omono
Eh...try anyway.
No way!!!
It’s really too big for bonsai. Let it live there for another 1000 years!
Wilson
Masterpiece
Could not agree more
My point is that the so-called green helmet (which you brought up by the way) is the lazy man's way of copying nature. That most wild windswept junipers in the sierras do not have a neat green helmet. Certainly no wild shimpaku did either. That most juniper bonsai (most conifers in fact) are made with the green helmet because it's easy. That, as Vance mentioned, many beautifully wild yamadori junipers are ruined by being domesticated by topping them with a green helmet. So much so that all you can see is a trunk with some deadwood and a green helmet and that is pretty crappy done like that (IMO). That the models for this modern styling come from other bonsai and not real trees and because of that the original appreciation has been refined out of existence. Another example; The Japanese practice of polishing juniper trunks has put much pressure on every other juniper grower to do the same because it attracts attention but unfortunately detracts from the (once seen as) valuable wabi.
And yes before you say it, everyone can do and say what ever the hell they like....which is what I'm doing.
chicago1980
Omono
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I do love the Sierra Junipers!
chicago1980
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Found my answer.
chicago1980
Omono
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Which books? I am interested in seeing these examples of early bonsai. Thank you.
chicago1980
Omono
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Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
delete comment, unnecessary. Never post when your wiped out.My point is that the so-called green helmet (which you brought up by the way) is the lazy man's way of copying nature. That most wild windswept junipers in the sierras do not have a neat green helmet. Certainly no wild shimpaku did either. That most juniper bonsai (most conifers in fact) are made with the green helmet because it's easy. That, as Vance mentioned, many beautifully wild yamadori junipers are ruined by being domesticated by topping them with a green helmet. So much so that all you can see is a trunk with some deadwood and a green helmet and that is pretty crappy done like that (IMO). That the models for this modern styling come from other bonsai and not real trees and because of that the original appreciation has been refined out of existence. Another example; The Japanese practice of polishing juniper trunks has put much pressure on every other juniper grower to do the same because it attracts attention but unfortunately detracts from the (once seen as) valuable wabi.
And yes before you say it, everyone can do and say what ever the hell they like....which is what I'm doing.
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