bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Trees Through Human Eyes: Rutledge On Design

Originally posted by Tony

>I suppose the meaning of bonsai has changed through the years. At it's basic level it may mean "plant in a tray" but for most who have studied it or grown it, it means so much more. For me, the wild grasses in a pot doesn't cut it. I think a bonsai should have a woody trunk and branches and should portray a tree in nature, or at least one that is possible in nature. This still leaves plenty of possibilities for individual likes and dislikes when it comes to style. Sorry, but if it has a green celery stalk for a trunk, it ain't bonsai in my book.

Tony

I'm basically in the same place as Tony. Don't get me wrong--I enjoy seeing grasses and plants that others would call "weeds" in containers. Next year I'm hoping to branch out and experiment with plantings using some of the wide variety of grasses and plants in my yard. I will even use bonsai pots for that. But I won't call them "bonsai." I guess I stop at the water's edge in terms of trees with woody trunks.

As Tony said, there is still plenty of room for styles and preferences. For me, I'm not necessarily against using trees with larger leaves. I'm planning to collect an ash in our back yard in the spring that has a wonderfully gnarled trunk and aged bark. It seems as though it is growing on top of some rocks just below the soil line but I don't know for sure. Ash has compound leaves that are often 10" long, leaflets are 2-3". I'll just plan on making it larger.

My point is that within "tree-ness" there is an incredibly wide range of options. Same goes for tropicals with larger leaves. A person could spend the rest of their life experimenting with different types of trees and never cover all bases.

Grow grasses, etc. in pots? Sure. It adds color and seasonal accent. Bonsai? Not for me. That doesn't devalue such plantings in the least. It just isn't bonsai.

Craig Cowing
Zone 5b+

7-Sep-2002	#39
Craig Cowing Recovering Workaholic Join Date: Aug-2002 Location: Orange County NY Country: USA USDA Zone: 6a!!! AHS Heat Zone: 5 Posts: 647	Originally posted by Tony >I suppose the meaning of bonsai has changed through the years. At it's basic level it may mean "plant in a tray" but for most who have studied it or grown it, it means so much more. For me, the wild grasses in a pot doesn't cut it. I think a bonsai should have a woody trunk and branches and should portray a tree in nature, or at least one that is possible in nature. This still leaves plenty of possibilities for individual likes and dislikes when it comes to style. Sorry, but if it has a green celery stalk for a trunk, it ain't bonsai in my book. Tony I'm basically in the same place as Tony. Don't get me wrong--I enjoy seeing grasses and plants that others would call "weeds" in containers. Next year I'm hoping to branch out and experiment with plantings using some of the wide variety of grasses and plants in my yard. I will even use bonsai pots for that. But I won't call them "bonsai." I guess I stop at the water's edge in terms of trees with woody trunks. As Tony said, there is still plenty of room for styles and preferences. For me, I'm not necessarily against using trees with larger leaves. I'm planning to collect an ash in our back yard in the spring that has a wonderfully gnarled trunk and aged bark. It seems as though it is growing on top of some rocks just below the soil line but I don't know for sure. Ash has compound leaves that are often 10" long, leaflets are 2-3". I'll just plan on making it larger. My point is that within "tree-ness" there is an incredibly wide range of options. Same goes for tropicals with larger leaves. A person could spend the rest of their life experimenting with different types of trees and never cover all bases. Grow grasses, etc. in pots? Sure. It adds color and seasonal accent. Bonsai? Not for me. That doesn't devalue such plantings in the least. It just isn't bonsai. Craig Cowing Zone 5b+ __________________ I'm not finished yet, neither are my trees.