Easter Day Hinoki Cypress Forest

[Waldo Street Pottery]

This Easter I spent the day with my teacher, Rodney Clemons and his wife Charlie of Allgood Bonsai. We have been talking about putting these trees together for a couple of years, and the time had come. All told, we got 17 trees and one ghost in the 54.5 x 35 x 3.5" Chinese-made oval container. It was quite a feat and took all day, but in the end we were all happy with the results.

First, we set up the pot using a welded steel grid to have many tie downs.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Next, we put down steel strips to lock the grid down with.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Next, a layer of large particle pumice and charcoal were placed down as an air/drainage layer, followed by a thin layer of the bonsai soil mix.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Then, we began placing trees.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Tweaking the placements, getting settled and the final piece and profile.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Viola

 

[0soyoung]

BIIIIGGGG!

I didn't see any pix of it being moved!!!!

 

[defra]

Nice realy like the out come

 

[justBonsai]

The scale is definitely done right. Looks like a real forest.

 

[sorce]

Damn!

Sorce

 

[daudelus]

I love the end result... great documentation of your procedure. I definitely have pot envy!!!

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Thanks for your replies folks. Yeah, it's BIG. As you can see, we built it right on the bench where it will live. However, Rodney has many large specimen trees and some great methodology for moving them for the seasons. Hydraulic carts come in handy, as do large dowels for rolling pots from the bench to the cart come to mind. Elbow grease and horsepower for good measure

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I love the process pictures and the technique.

Personally, for me the scale is too big. If trees in a pot are so tall I need a ladder to trim them... they stop being bonsai for me

 

[barrosinc]

awesome!! what is the plan for it in the next years?

 

[Giga]

Thats pretty cool- and huge!

 

[petegreg]

Fantastic, the thread bookmarked in a Forest planting folder.

 

[Haoleboy]

Very nice! I've always loved a good forest planting. Please keep us updated over the years.

 

[LanceMac10]

Not a bad substitute for ham and candy!!! Love the scale, we're still young here on the ranch so we could still move it around for at least another decade.

Great documentation and the photo quality is clear as well. Plenty to absorb about certain methods. Mr. Clemons comes up to Bonsai West frequently and is a great "presenter".






Some day, there should be a @hometeamrocker pot under there with an Akins chop!!!

 

[silversara]

Beautiful set up, a lot of nice tree's coming together to form a great grouping.
I do agree with a few people above that it is quite big, but then again, I won't be be the one having to move it, so
I have no reason to complain.

 

[herzausstahl]

What kind of trees were used? Looks awesome