Just curious...when did you outgrow your love of ugly tangled roots

[Cadillactaste]

Edit: Sorry my title is confusing. When did you outgrow your love of ugly twisted roots.

I must admit...I am intrigued by a mess of tangled roots. From my one arriving soon...to other roots that intrigue me. Though in all honesty...even before bonsai, root mounds and twisted roots have always fascinated me. So...curious when I will outgrow them...or if my love for them prior to bonsai...will keep me in love with their tangled mess.

Anyone who's beeinn doing many years of bonsai and still loved tangled mess of roots...or did you out grow that stage?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Maybe 2 years in? I've been doing bonsai for 20 years now, but do remember the early days, where unusual = cool. The longer I studied good bonsai, the more I shed my affinity for unusual. Unusual features usually present styling problems.

Study some deliberate Neagari Bonsai styles...there is a difference between them and ugly tangled roots, and maybe you'll find what you're looking for in them.

 

[Smoke]

Somehow the almost religeous need of some on the importance of nebari in bonsai has translated that exposed gnarly roots are someohow attractive. This is seen more often in people new to bonsai and have not yet seen really attractive and artfully done nebari.

Then there is the melting cheese nebari that some love and some hate.

Whatever it is that floats your boat and keeps you interested in growing and trimming small trees is OK with me. You have made it clear that exhibiting your tree in public is not something you will probably experience so if those exposed twisty roots make you happy...do it.

I bring up public exhibit because it is here that one finds all the differences of opinion on what is tastefull and what is tasteless.

 

[qwade]

I probably liked a little more order to the chaos as I aged.

Pinus Parviflora Nebari

 

[Cadillactaste]

Maybe 2 years in? I've been doing bonsai for 20 years now, but do remember the early days, where unusual = cool. The longer I studied good bonsai, the more I shed my affinity for unusual. Unusual features usually present styling problems.

Study some deliberate Neagari Bonsai styles...there is a difference between them and ugly tangled roots, and maybe you'll find what you're looking for in them.

That might be wise...I just worry a bit about having trees I later hate. They intrigue me...but maybe that be what I need to do. Look into Neagari. I really want a small mame or shohin.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Somehow the almost religeous need of some on the importance of nebari in bonsai has translated that exposed gnarly roots are someohow attractive. This is seen more often in people new to bonsai and have not yet seen really attractive and artfully done nebari.

Then there is the melting cheese nebari that some love and some hate.

Whatever it is that floats your boat and keeps you interested in growing and trimming small trees is OK with me. You have made it clear that exhibiting your tree in public is not something you will probably experience so if those exposed twisty roots make you happy...do it.

I bring up public exhibit because it is here that one finds all the differences of opinion on what is tastefull and what is tasteless.

Thanks...your correct I don't plan on showing. Just a hobby thing.

 

[Eric Group]

I feel that the best nebari is somewhat irregular in the way only nature can really create. A perfect radial root spread where all roots are the exact same size and arrow straight looks to me like the spokes of a wagon wheel and is not natural or appealing at all... On the contrary a tangled nasty mess of roots with one or two huge thick ones and a bunch of knotted up smaller roots below doesn't look to be in scale or supportive of the artistic image... There is a happy medium somewhere...

That melted cheese footage Al mentioned is not my favorite. A moderate/ smaller tree with a flat pancake at it's base that is ten times as wide as the trunk just looks funny. Some fusing of surface roots on a large ancient tree is normal and natural and can look good... But the extremes in any direction do not look good.

 

[Bunjeh]

RE:

I was once informed that Bonsai was merely an appreciation for the tortured and unappreciated.

 

[Eric Group]

I was once informed that Bonsai was merely an appreciation for the tortured and unappreciated.

My parents called it tree torture for years... And in light of the results I was producing at the time they weren't too far off I guess.

 

[edprocoat]

I have always loved exposed roots known as the Neagari style. There are tons online but this is a link that shows a really well done one in about the third picture on the page http://www.bonsaiempire.com/gallery/2013

There are those that have been developed for 50+ years so I assume some people , no matter how enlightened or learned they have become in the art of Bonsai, still create this valid Bonsai style.

ed

 

[Great Falcon]

Very Nice

Edit: Sorry my title is confusing. When did you outgrow your love of ugly twisted roots.

I must admit...I am intrigued by a mess of tangled roots. From my one arriving soon...to other roots that intrigue me. Though in all honesty...even before bonsai, root mounds and twisted roots have always fascinated me. So...curious when I will outgrow them...or if my love for them prior to bonsai...will keep me in love with their tangled mess.

Anyone who's beeinn doing many years of bonsai and still loved tangled mess of roots...or did you out grow that stage?

I'm working on a lantana over rock you can't see much of the roots now but in spring I'll start exposing it.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I'm working on a lantana over rock you can't see much of the roots now but in spring I'll start exposing it.

I would love to see the unveiling of that lantana! Please make sure to share it with us.

 

[qwade]

When your old and bald you may prefer something smoother.

My Taxodium distichum knee

 

[Cadillactaste]

When your old and bald you may prefer something smoother.

My Taxodium distichum knee

Bawahahahahahaha well...since I am a female...I hope to never become bald. But, as our pastor says...God gives some select few great heads...others he covers with hair.

 

[Bunjeh]

Ugly and Twisted

I am fortunate in that I live in the Pacific NW and am surrounded by giant trees that have poetically replied to the wind, rain and sun to produce some remarkable specimens. In particular I am fascinated by the strength of the exposed root structure that anchors these titans. When you see exposed roots it grounds you. Makes you realize the importance of a solid foundation. It inspires me to reproduce the same elements on my scale.

 

[sorce]

I'm with you Darlene.

They still are intriguing to me.

Like that recent spindle tree post.

I have come to appreciate a good Nebari.

But anything that is wild looking is still awesome, and I beleive a good artist can make it work.

The only thing I don't like is a nursery tree with "pot round uglies". There has to be some natural sense to it for me.

But Im in.!

Here is an old early summer pic of one I love.

 

[jk_lewis]

If you look at good exposed-root bonsai, you will see that in most if not all of their roots are arranged in some kind of order. They are not a helter-skelter tangle as the two or three of yours have been. They show the hand of man in the tree's design. It imitates the randomness of Ma Nature but puts some reason into it.

There are some very, very nice exposed root trees here (some pretty poor ones, too a in all collections in Google Images), particularly in the first 4 rows:

https://www.google.com/search?q=exp...2hJk2m8KDkAM&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=602

 

[Giga]

does this count?

 

[Vance Wood]

I was once informed that Bonsai was merely an appreciation for the tortured and unappreciated.

A remark and judgement from the ignorant and imperious.

A person like this does not have the ability to do something like bonsai, does not have an artistic bone in their body and resents the fact you do----- and wants to make you feel guilty about.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thanks for fixing my title of the thread!Much appreciated...