FredL

OK, Bonsai experts, I'd like your thoughts.

At present I have 5 trees in grow boxes that I estimate are within 2-3 years of being ready for bonsai pots. One is a pine that looks like a candidate for literati (bunjin) style. I'll send in a picture when I work up enough energy to take on the technical complexities of digital photography and internet transmission of pictures. But, it's not a problem, other than getting it stronger and healthier. The others are 2 Boxwoods, a Flowering Quince and a Blueberry. These 4 specimens all have one thing in common: they all appear to be basally dominant and want to sucker rather than develop a trunk and alot of branch ramification. All four are, nevertheless, quite interesting and I think should make very fine bonsai.

It seems to me that the right "design paradigm" for these four specimens is what I've seen termed "clump style", with the ruling vision being a small clump of trees or thicket of shrubs. I haven't seen alot of examples of this style in more recent Bonsai Texts, but do remember it from several years ago. It doesn't make alot of sense to me to try to force these specimens into having a traditional trunk with lots of branch ramification, especially the Quince and the Blueberry. I think the only result of that would be lots of branch die-back.

I'd certainly welcome comments on these species and this style. I expect all four will be well rooted in 3 months or so when I expect to begin basic formation of the major structure of each of them.

Fred

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