Gallery of some really crappy trees

[Vance Wood]

Clearly you have little to no experience with the species.... Again... Short sighted.

I really appreciate your support. This guy has been after me from the start. When he can't get me to respond as he follows me around the site he has now returned here. Just so you know Miss Vic, this guy has no trees. His bonsai experience is totally in his mind. What he knows he has learned from books, and off the INTERNET. He thinks that's all it takes to be a master. Wait till he starts working on trees if he ever does, and I suspect he wont. There are some people who are flashes in the pan, bright light and then they are gone and there are others who are more like farts in an elevator. You choose your category for this one.

The particular tree he seems to think is such a disaster won best in show last summer. It has filled out quite a bit and the new shape is starting to reveal itself. Unfortunately I don't have a current picture of the tree to share. I have been trying to get those photos from the show but so far to no avail.

 

[Vance Wood]

Hi Vance, that first Mugo in your second post; it's pretty striking, could you share some of its story. Was it collected from the wild or nursery stock, how long did it take to develop etc. I skipped all the bull$hit between page 2 and 15 of this thread because I figured there wouldn't be much discussion about the trees themselves anyways

It is nursery stock, the first I obtained by digging around in the nursery container. I started working on this tree in 1971. From the beginning it was conflicted but I thought I could get around that issue being hesitant to remove half of the tree. From what I know now of how Mugos react to serious major branch pruning I'm glad I waited until I had to make the choice. The conflict between the two halves of the tree had become so obvious and outstanding that it made the tree second rate. Three years ago I removed the left side branch to establish the basic profile you see in the next two pictures. Hopefully I will have a current photo from this summer's show to post but that's incumbent on finding someone's email who took some pictures; I did not (still kicking myself).

As to design, I am pretty sure photo#3 is going to be my new front. The tree is about 26" tall, it is in a Sara Raynor pot, its trunk is biger around than a grown man's wrist.

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Vance... Those with an eye know what's going on. If he were teachable, there would be a point in explaining it to him... but he's not teachable, he's a digest of what he thinks is his mastery of theory, with none of the artistry. It's good of you not to cast pearls before swine. The tree is a vast improvement, and well worth the effort... but you knew that. He who hesitates when he knows what must be done will be stuck with middling to mediocre trees... but you knew that too.

We will always get a rash of users like this from time to time... he'll get bored when no one plays. For my part... he's just hit my ignore list, so I don't have to have my appreciation for the hard work of others interupted by nonsense.

Your friend,

Victrinia

 

[Vance Wood]

Vance... Those with an eye know what's going on. If he were teachable, there would be a point in explaining it to him... but he's not teachable, he's a digest of what he thinks is his mastery of theory, with none of the artistry. It's good of you not to cast pearls before swine. The tree is a vast improvement, and well worth the effort... but you knew that. He who hesitates when he knows what must be done will be stuck with middling to mediocre trees... but you knew that too.

We will always get a rash of users like this from time to time... he'll get bored when no one plays. For my part... he's just hit my ignore list, so I don't have to have my appreciation for the hard work of others interupted by nonsense.

Your friend,

Victrinia

You're right, that's what I've been doing but I do get a bit ruffled when he starts suggesting to beginners what they should do with their trees. However in the instance where that has come up he shows his utter ignorance and understanding of the subject at hand. Thanks for always being a friend.

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

I still remember being a bright-eyed beginner... it won't take them long to figure out they are at least doing what he is theorizing about.

Now back to your trees... you can come play with my pines anytime... and I wouldn't say that to just anyone. I have no doubt that you have a thing or ten to teach me.

Warmly,

V

 

[Bob O]

Thanks for the inspiration Vance! There are many out there that have little budget for expensive starter material let alone the experience to know what to do with it.
Those are some very nice bonsai.

Bob O

 

[BonsaiRic]

As to design, I am pretty sure photo#3 is going to be my new front. The tree is about 26" tall, it is in a Sara Raynor pot, its trunk is biger around than a grown man's wrist.

Vance, I really like your choice for the new front!! Great work and development. Like you, I've enjoyed using nursery stock for bonsai material (The Thread on "Progression of Juniperus c. Wintergreen" is one such tree)

 

[Zaelthus]

It is nursery stock, the first I obtained by digging around in the nursery container. I started working on this tree in 1971. From the beginning it was conflicted but I thought I could get around that issue being hesitant to remove half of the tree. From what I know now of how Mugos react to serious major branch pruning I'm glad I waited until I had to make the choice. The conflict between the two halves of the tree had become so obvious and outstanding that it made the tree second rate. Three years ago I removed the left side branch to establish the basic profile you see in the next two pictures. Hopefully I will have a current photo from this summer's show to post but that's incumbent on finding someone's email who took some pictures; I did not (still kicking myself).

As to design, I am pretty sure photo#3 is going to be my new front. The tree is about 26" tall, it is in a Sara Raynor pot, its trunk is biger around than a grown man's wrist.

Cool I didn't realize they were the same tree!! I find the ramification in the first one to be appealing but the trunk is definitely more visible (in a good way) after your changes. The colour of the needles looks different too but that must just be the photo.

In your opinion how "should" the ramification on a mature Mugo look?

 

[Vance Wood]

Cool I didn't realize they were the same tree!! I find the ramification in the first one to be appealing but the trunk is definitely more visible (in a good way) after your changes. The colour of the needles looks different too but that must just be the photo.

In your opinion how "should" the ramification on a mature Mugo look?

One of the things that attracted me to Mugos was just how evenly short you could get the needles to go. I't kind of a long story how this happened but the short of it was I developed my pinching technique while searching for Japanese White Pine. Over this time I found that the needles became short, an inch or less gracefully turned up with downward growing needles removed from all but the very tip. This tree typically shows what I look for with a Mugo Pine growth development. This doesn't happen by itself, it's all in the way its pinched, but that's not difficult to do you just have to find the time to do it. It takes a while.

 

[rock]

purty, uh huh...!

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Oh boy, this is the trolliest thread I've come across in quite some time. You'd think Will Heath was back on the forums. lol

 

[october]

Hi Vance,
I also like pic 3 for the new front. This is an exceptional mugo pine. It reminds me of a couple of white pines from Japan. Not the, for lack of a better term "cookie cutter" or formatted trees. The beautiful old ones you see that possess that yamadori quality and essence.

Rob

 

[Vance Wood]

Hi Vance,
I also like pic 3 for the new front. This is an exceptional mugo pine. It reminds me of a couple of white pines from Japan. Not the, for lack of a better term "cookie cutter" or formatted trees. The beautiful old ones you see that possess that yamadori quality and essence.

Rob

That's what attracted me to Mugos in the end, was the tendency to look like JWP when properly pinched.

 

[Mystogan]

waaaahhh ive just been equaled to a pot stealing, cradle snatching, poo eating master idiot!! :cry:


you cant physically show string theory. does that make the physicist that contrived such theory less of a genious?

Oh boy, this is the trolliest thread I've come across in quite some time. You'd think Will Heath was back on the forums. lol

 

[Vance Wood]

waaaahhh ive just been equaled to a pot stealing, cradle snatching, poo eating master idiot!! :cry: View attachment 20335


you cant physically show string theory. does that make the physicist that contrived such theory less of a genious?

No but that doesn't make him right either.

 

[donamitu]

you cant physically show string theory. does that make the physicist that contrived such theory less of a genious?


Not to offend anybody, but perhaps those physicists had "branes" (and perhaps they could spell, genius)

 

[Mystogan]

they usually are

No but that doesn't make him right either.

 

[Ang3lfir3]

you cant physically show string theory. does that make the physicist that contrived such theory less of a genious?


Not to offend anybody, but perhaps those physicists had "branes" (and perhaps they could spell, genius)

I am guessing they would probably also have a better grasp on the proper use of the word "contrived" as physics is the study of nature and how the universe works ...

 

[Mystogan]

fanny you say that becos suky speling and bad grammer is often seeing in gifteed pepol.

you cant physically show string theory. does that make the physicist that contrived such theory less of a genious?


Not to offend anybody, but perhaps those physicists had "branes" (and perhaps they could spell, genius)

 

[Mystogan]

look above post

I am guessing they would probably also have a better grasp on the proper use of the word "contrived" as physics is the study of nature and how the universe works ...