Ed Laurers Ginkgo tree

[SouthernMaple]

Here is the tree I felt should have won best in show in Kannapolis this year. What faults can you tell about this display or better yet tree that doesn't warrant it to be a award worthy? Is it because it is a deciduous dominant display? Please share your thoughts.

 

[bwaynef]

Overhearing him speaking w/ Adair, he didn't expect the tree to win for a variety of reasons, though not because of any lack of affinity toward the tree. I kept coming back to that tree.

Maybe a lack of deciduous conifer category kept it out of the winner's category.

 

[Piedmont Bonsai]

I agree. I thought this was one of if not the best tree in the show.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Has a gingko ever won best in show in any competition?

 

[Eckhoffw]

I love that pot.
Obviously, great tree as well.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

The only thing I can think of, and this is coming from someone who never entered a show so take it with a grain of salt, is that the branches don't look as old as the trunk does.
Pollarded trees have a similar growth pattern and show a similar age difference between young and old branching, and basically everyone in the northern hemisphere has seen pollarded trees. So it might be our frame of reference getting in our way.
I wonder if scarring the branches would have made a difference.

The willows we have in this country can be considered ancient; some of them are 180+ years old. But their new growth is smooth as butter.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Some great answers! Agree, really nice tree.

It is my thought it comes down to the powerful affect a tree like a Gingko conveys to viewers.

Especially when comparing a ginko to delicately branched highly ramified trees in a limited choice scenario

Imho it takes a special person with an intimate knowledge of ginkgos and their styling to choose a ginko over the other trees available in a show.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[MHBonsai]

The tree's incredible - really an amazing specimine. Feels nit-picky to critique, but to me the pot and stand choice is a distraction. The similar colors and textures between the stand and pot, and also the tans of the young branching are too close for me.

I'd rather see it in a softer, colored glazed pot and a darker more traditional (and taller) stand to showcase it like the powerful tree that it is.

 

[vp999]

It's a definitely a tree on my wish list.

 

[NaoTK]

The stand and pot combo are troubling for me. They draw too much attention and are too matchy-matchy in terms of interesting arcs and legs and the stand is very heavy and Bonzai. If you want to use a more interesting pot it should be paired with a simpler stand. In this case a lower rectangular slab or table would have worked.

 

[GGB]

For a ginkgo, its completely flawless. Seems like it just about maxxed out what's possible

 

[KikurageOtomo]

I think MHB and Nao nailed it here, its a captivating ginkgo and the pot is complimentary. With that in mind the stand should've provided some contrast to break up the homogeneity of the display. While I don't disagree that ginkgo are often underappreciated as bonsai, in this situation I think the lack of recognition could solely be attributed to display faux pas.

 

[Mike Westervelt]

Just out of curiosity which tree did win BIS ?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Love the tree and pot. I love the stand shape, but the color is too similar to the pot and washes the composition out a bit. A darker stand in the same shape would make the pot and tree pop more.

 

[bwaynef]

Imho it takes a special person with an intimate knowledge of ginkgos and their styling to choose a ginko over the other trees available in a show.

I'm pretty sure Bill V chose the winners.

 

[SouthernMaple]

Just out of curiosity which tree did win BIS ?

This won best deciduous, i think the story was that the artist collected it on the side of the road, i think its a carolina hornbeam. I didn't even take a picture of the winner but i heard it was a scots pine

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

I'm pretty sure Bill V chose the winners.

Good to know. Can’t get into Bill’s brain to know his criteria. Still when faced with a limited choice it seems to me one might gravitate to the well manicured and pretty trees first. We work with a pro once a week, we’ll ask for his thoughts on this.

Are there photos of all the winners?

cheers
DSD sends

 

[SouthernMaple]

The tree's incredible - really an amazing specimine. Feels nit-picky to critique, but to me the pot and stand choice is a distraction. The similar colors and textures between the stand and pot, and also the tans of the young branching are too close for me.

I'd rather see it in a softer, colored glazed pot and a darker more traditional (and taller) stand to showcase it like the powerful tree that it is.

or this

 

[SouthernMaple]

Good to know. Can’t get into Bill’s brain to know his criteria. Still when faced with a limited choice it seems to me one might gravitate to the well manicured and pretty trees first. We work with a pro once a week, we’ll ask for his thoughts on this.

Are there photos of all the winners?

cheers
DSD sends

there are https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/w...harlotte-december-2-3-2023.61960/post-1087855

 

[johng]

Judging in this show is rarely about the best tree...unfortunately politics and relationships always play a significant role. I'm sure that is the case with most shows. There were multiple years at the Carolina Bonsai Expo when I was told both privately and publicly (announced to the audience at the awards presentation) that our display/trees should have been the winner but because of politics the awards would go else where. It is just the nature of beast when people are involved. Nothing in life that involves subjective opinions will ever be "fair" from everyone's perspective.