MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Here is an itoigawa juniper that I acquired earlier this year from Don. I am not partial to shimpaku, but when Don sent me a pic of this one, I simply could not resist! The movement I thought was exceptional.
As the story goes, some years ago this juniper belonged to Harry Greer who had an excellent collection in Oklahoma. The tree was first imported from Japan by Marco Invernizzi. But after the tree had been apparently overworked, the dry heat of Oklahoma almost killed it. Subsequently, the juniper ended up in the hands of Don, who somehow brought it back from the dead! Under his expert care, the tree was set in the path to recovery.
When asked, Bjorn thought that this tree was either ground grown specifically for bonsai or perhaps even a low land yamadori.
Below is an older pic of when the tree was in Harry's collection right before it started to decline in health.
This is one pic Don sent me earlier this year. You can clearly see that it had seen better days with only one branch left alive. However, although the foliage was minimal, it was green and healthy thanks to the care Don gave it.
Below is a series of recent photographs showing the tree from different angles. In some, the tree looks a bit like a dragon in the wind hence its name. I am currently considering the first pic below as my front.
The twists and turns of the trunk remind me of Japanese brush calligraphy.
Under full sun, lots of water and fertilizer, the tree is regaining its vigor quickly. The foliage is filling in nicely but it will need a couple more years of uninhibited growth before it is ready for initial styling.
As the story goes, some years ago this juniper belonged to Harry Greer who had an excellent collection in Oklahoma. The tree was first imported from Japan by Marco Invernizzi. But after the tree had been apparently overworked, the dry heat of Oklahoma almost killed it. Subsequently, the juniper ended up in the hands of Don, who somehow brought it back from the dead! Under his expert care, the tree was set in the path to recovery.
When asked, Bjorn thought that this tree was either ground grown specifically for bonsai or perhaps even a low land yamadori.
Below is an older pic of when the tree was in Harry's collection right before it started to decline in health.
This is one pic Don sent me earlier this year. You can clearly see that it had seen better days with only one branch left alive. However, although the foliage was minimal, it was green and healthy thanks to the care Don gave it.
Below is a series of recent photographs showing the tree from different angles. In some, the tree looks a bit like a dragon in the wind hence its name. I am currently considering the first pic below as my front.
The twists and turns of the trunk remind me of Japanese brush calligraphy.
Under full sun, lots of water and fertilizer, the tree is regaining its vigor quickly. The foliage is filling in nicely but it will need a couple more years of uninhibited growth before it is ready for initial styling.
I don't think you can go wrong with it though.
