Tenets of collecting

[Desert O'Piñon]

I drove through Nebraska but I don't remember any trees. The kind of place you could watch your dog run away for three days.

I'll second that. I grew up in northwestern Kansas and North Texas. The plains states are as you describe, for sure. But there are periodic "islands" of trees with potential for decent yamadori.
Here in the high desert? You like mesquite and sagebrush? lol
Out here, your dog gets loose and you only see him for about 100 yards before he either gets lost in the brown-out or tumbled by the wind.

 

[Cruiser]

What I saw was a rude response to something that I posted.

Yeah. No

Aren’t you a writer? Surely you recognize that starting a response like this sets a bad tone for the rest of your comments.

Wouldn’t have collected the first BTW Pretty non descript.

Then you insult my choice of tree to collect.

The second isn’t weird. It’s a common natural form of the tree.

Then, as someone who does not have experience collecting firs, tells me I’m wrong.

Over the years I’ve read many of your posts. There’s some gold in there, but sometimes you come across as blunt or mean. That attitude has finally reached me and I’m not ok with it.

 

[rockm]

What I saw was a rude response to something that I posted.


Aren’t you a writer? Surely you recognize that starting a response like this sets a bad tone for the rest of your comments.


Then you insult my choice of tree to collect.


Then, as someone who does not have experience collecting firs, tells me I’m wrong.

Over the years I’ve read many of your posts. There’s some gold in there, but sometimes you come across as blunt or mean. That attitude has finally reached me and I’m not ok with it.

I told you I don’t know much about collecting fir. I also gave an honest opinion of your tree and you took it as an insult. Fwiw I wouldn’t have collected it. In a post about odd looking trees it Looks pretty non descript to me.

Yes I am blunt. Take it or leave it. I said I’m uninformed and not experienced collecting fir trees so my opinion is hardly worth being insulted about

You seem to have some kind of trigger here for some reason with my advice not to collect odd looking trees. Have from the start. It’s a head scratcher.

 

[Cruiser]

You seem to have some kind of trigger here for some reason with my advice not to collect odd looking trees. Have from the start. It’s a head scratcher.

Do not misrepresent my opinion. I agree with the advice to an extent.

I agree that there are some oddities that do not go well with popular bonsai styles.

My point was that sometimes odd/unusual trees are worth pursuing and that “weird” lies on a spectrum that varies by species, features, and form. You have proven that by showing what you consider a weird oak.

BTW, here's a photo of my collected live oak. It's very unusual as well for its species. If you're curious I can explain why this tree is uncommon and weird.

To you, the oak is unusual because the form it exhibits is uncommon and weird for that species. That is exactly the point made about the first pictured fir. Instead of recognizing the point, your response was to say it wasn’t worth collecting.

 

[Gabler]

I've always appreciated rockm's bluntness. I don't think it was ever intended to be condescending. Even if it were, it's good information—or at least a well-informed opinion.

 

[rockm]

Do not misrepresent my opinion. I agree with the advice to an extent.


My point was that sometimes odd/unusual trees are worth pursuing and that “weird” lies on a spectrum that varies by species, features, and form. You have proven that by showing what you consider a weird oak.


To you, the oak is unusual because the form it exhibits is uncommon and weird for that species. That is exactly the point made about the first pictured fir. Instead of recognizing the point, your response was to say it wasn’t worth collecting.

The movement in the oaks trunk is not weird. It’s a feature on most live oak. What in unusual is WHERE the movement is. Low on the trunk. This was originally a 30 ft tall tree and about 300 years old at collection. The collector recognized the unusual features and why is would look natural as a bonsai.

Weird is indeed on a scale. The challenge is to recognize how that weird/unusual feature can be incorporated into a decent natural looking design

And FWIW I said I wouldn’t have collected it. Doesn’t mean others should or shouldn’t. I just don’t appreciate what you appreciate in it.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I've always appreciated rockm's bluntness. I don't think it was ever intended to be condescending. Even if it were, it's good information—or at least a well-informed opinion.

My first year (?) or so here at B-nut, I thought @rockm was kind of... a bit too harsh to want to engage with.

But... when I need cold, hard, real advice, he's my guy. He has great knowledge and experience, is willing to share it with us strangers, and gets nothing in return. @rockm is going to tell you like it is without any sugar coating. There is good value in that.

While he's a bit harsh sometimes, if he says something, it's probably worth consideration. You will make the final decisions on your trees anyways.