Another Mirai Tree Sale in a few days

[JeffS73]

If you

What is this ‘helmet scots’ and what is a scot pine bonsai that is typical of the species?

If you Google it, it comes up, It's a technical masterpiece. My criticism is, Scots Pine in nature, in parks or a harsh mountainside invariably grow in interesting, attractive and inspiring ways. So why would one take an interesting species and make it conform to a bland stereotype of another species?
Larch on the other hand, usually grow in one regular way, and that of course is great to mimic, but I can also see why that material would be more manipulated.
Just an opinion.

 

[BobbyLane]

See for me, the Scots pine is still pretty raw and can still be moulded any how you want it really. the base, the trunk, the bark, the movement, the changes of direction and taper make this a desirable piece of material.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Guy I worked with passed away two weeks into retirement. Massive heart attack. He obsessed over his 401k. Never got to enjoy all that money he fussed over his entire working life.

Also VERY necessary to WORK on maintaining good health plus low stress. Too many die early in retirement because this had no priority.

 

[Paradox]

Also VERY necessary to WORK on maintaining good health plus low stress. Too many die early in retirement because this had no priority.

Spot on.
Too many start thinking about this too late if at all.

And you're right. It is WORK.

 

[Srt8madness]

Now we're venturing in my territory, I'm about to start passing out virtual business cards

Side note, why is that pine planted 45degrees off?

 

[Piedmont Bonsai]

If you

If you Google it, it comes up, It's a technical masterpiece. My criticism is, Scots Pine in nature, in parks or a harsh mountainside invariably grow in interesting, attractive and inspiring ways. So why would one take an interesting species and make it conform to a bland stereotype of another species?
Larch on the other hand, usually grow in one regular way, and that of course is great to mimic, but I can also see why that material would be more manipulated.
Just an opinion.

If you google ‘Bjorn helmet scots pine’ it brings up a picture of a famous shinpaku juniper from his teachers nursery, not a scots pine. Perhaps you can share?

I do know there are two incredible scots pine bonsai that he has designed since he started his nursery in Nashville.

 

[Maiden69]

Thats a big word there. while its understandable that so many are in 'awe' of this great work, more should be trying to emulate and not feeling like this pinnacle of bonsai is out of reach unless you have the money to buy one he's worked on. its a general feeling im getting around here.

Meh, not even a Sunday word for me... English is my second language, and most people like me end up getting years of English grammar as mandatory classes, which at times tend to expand our vocabulary. Sometimes they come out and make no sense at all.

And yes, people should be emulating his work instead of asking incessantly for advice, then, blindly following it without second guessing why.

If we were talking about classic cars instead of bonsai trees, would you still have the same opinion? Would you rather get a rusted shell out of a barn and spend three or four years and thousands of hours (and dollars) restoring it yourself, or would you instead prefer to go to a classic car dealership/auction and just buy one that someone else restored?

That's an interesting analogy, and one I can relate to, and probably the reason I will never have enough money to buy a Mirai tree. I used to help restore cars, and I tinker with my cars, I can not have a stock car to save my life, wheels, suspension, engine, exhaust, almost everything gets modified to my liking, and most of the time I do all the work myself including the fabrication. The same thing with guitars, another hobby... luthier, making electric guitars from raw timber is fascinating.

 

[BillsBayou]

I have a question for all you who would prefer to have a tree of your own reach "Mirai quality" due to your own time and effort as opposed to spending a large chunk of money and buying one during Ryan's sales.

If we were talking about classic cars instead of bonsai trees, would you still have the same opinion? Would you rather get a rusted shell out of a barn and spend three or four years and thousands of hours (and dollars) restoring it yourself, or would you instead prefer to go to a classic car dealership/auction and just buy one that someone else restored?

I'm not being snarky here either. I would genuinely like to know if the subject was different, if the opinions would be the same. It's the whole "built vs. bought" argument, so to speak.

If I was to cars what I am to bonsai, I'd be buying rusty cars. I'd own an old warehouse where I keep twenty projects going. I'd have have a mountain of tires because when you need tires, you never seem to have the right ones; same for headlights, motors, transmissions... I'd be looking down my nose at those buy fully restored cars even though I never seem to complete a project myself.

 

[BobbyLane]

Guy I worked with passed away two weeks into retirement. Massive heart attack. He obsessed over his 401k. Never got to enjoy all that money he fussed over his entire working life.

Maybe someone else is enjoying it for him, maybe his kids or family one would hope.

 

[Srt8madness]

Maybe someone else is enjoying it for him, maybe his kids or family one would hope.

Exactly. Though 401ks/iras are great for accumulation, they suck for wealth transfer. Hopefully he had an insurance policy instead of only relying on a group policy that dropped upon retirement A lot of people accumulate to build family wealth.

 

[Wilson]

You'll see the few I purchased.

Which trees did you buy?

 

[Potawatomi13]

more should be trying to emulate and not feeling like this pinnacle of bonsai is out of reach

Bravo! Nail on the head!

 

[IzzyG]

Which trees did you buy?

A Doug Fir and a couple of RMJs.

 

[BobbyLane]

Mirai have been collecting some pretty epic material out in the Colorado Rockies.
Awesome inspirational pics

 

[Hartinez]

Mirai have been collecting some pretty epic material out in the Colorado Rockies.
Awesome inspirational pics

Actually. Almost certain Ryan and the Mirai crew do no collect. I think what your seeing is a series Ryan is Calling Mirai in the wild. Where he carries wild trees in the natural environments the species lives and styles them, using the surrounding landscape as inspiration. I’m willing to bet the trees are collected from Randy Knight.

 

[Maiden69]

Mirai have been collecting some pretty epic material out in the Colorado Rockies.
Awesome inspirational pics

You should see the Ancient Limber Pine Creation stream they posted last week... I think it was from the same place those were collected.

@Hartinez I think he went out with the Backcountry Boys on the stream I mention above. He has done some collection, but not lately.

 

[BobbyLane]

Actually. Almost certain Ryan and the Mirai crew do no collect. I think what your seeing is a series Ryan is Calling Mirai in the wild. Where he carries wild trees in the natural environments the species lives and styles them, using the surrounding landscape as inspiration. I’m willing to bet the trees are collected from Randy Knight.

Thats cool. the tree in box on left looks like it was literally plucked from this landscape. i mean, photoshop the box out and who would know different

 

[BobbyLane]

You should see the Ancient Limber Pine Creation stream they posted last week... I think it was from the same place those were collected.

@Hartinez I think he went out with the Backcountry Boys on the stream I mention above. He has done some collection, but not lately.

I saw the ad, but not subscribed anymore, bet it was cool though.

 

[BobbyLane]

Here you go, big trees that could be bonsai

 

[rockm]

I believe that Backcountry Bonsai is supplying a lot of material to Mirai, as well as Bjorn in Tennessee

Backcountry Bonsai

www.backcountrybonsai.com

Might also be Todd Schlafer's work...