Old "mugo" Pine.

hansvanmeer

Hi everybody,
As promised here are some pictures of the whole "Mugo"Pine featured in mine woodwork article from a few days ago. This Pine was bought in early 2002 in Switzerland. In September 2003: the tree was brought from there to me wile i stayed at the Gingko awards in Belgium that year. After 2 days at this bonsai event, Danny (the owner) was glad I took the tree (that stood in his garden) home whit me to Holland, He was tired from explaining a hundred times or so to customers "THAT TREE ISN'T MINE TO SELL !!!" HA HA!!. I re potted the pine in a large and heavy tokoname pot in early 2004. Because there was not much root work don, and the tree was doing really great, I dissident that it was safe to do the first styling.

October 2004.

Pic. 1: After more than 25% off the excess branches were cut off. Here you can allso clearly see how the branch stump from my wood work article looked like, before i did any work on it.

Pic. 2: View into the tangled and to long branches.

Pic. 3: Getting the foliage more or less into the right place was a bid off a puzzle but a lot of fun. Here you can also see the tree is completely hollow.

Pic. 4: The day after. Looking already much better.

Pic. 5: Then some heavy duty wood work. The large shari was difficult to design because the tree is hollow.

Pic. 6: A few hours later, working with heavy power tools. You see: i do wear safety glasses!

Pic.7: This picture was taken last weekend. There is not much wire in the tree and because off the heavy feeding program it is in this year, the needles are very long. The candles were cut off as soon as the were completely opened up, witch resulted in a lot off back budding and around every candle that was cut, at least two new strong buds returned. There still is a lot off work to do on the deadwood, but i have all the time in the world. The tree remind me off a swan with here head between here wings, swimming to the left, pushing a wave along in front of here. Or a rocket, crashing into the sea, with flames still bursting out off it.

Pic. 8: The same picture, but i made a virtual off a smaller pot underneed it, so you can have a idea off the way the tree will look with the dead wood sticking out over the edge off the pot.

You can see the whole story on my website in a month or so.

Remember the tree only had one styling up to now and there is still a lot of work to do! Bud I'm pretty pleased up to now, hope you like it to!
Hans.

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hansvanmeer

Pic. 7 and 8 :

Hans.

Attached Images

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	aug 2006 014 hans 2.jpg (69.5 KB, 234 views)

Ashbarns9999

What a beautiful challenge you are faced with Hans. This 'old man' could not be in better hands. Is it your intention to raise some of the branches/ foliage to allow that gnarly trunk more exposure to show the intended story of its life?
As we would expect Hans has put the health of the tree first and it will be interesting to see how it develops over the next few years.

Many thanks for giving us the opportunity to share in this Hans.

Regards Ash

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Better to procrastinate than lose sight of the objective by rash deeds.

http://www.bonsaivault.com

rschlafer

Hans, You really have a way with these trees. Every one you put up here Is a freaking monster!!!! I love them. That trunk you cut off and sculped was HUGE!!

p.s. what's your website?

__________________
- Todd

coloradobonsai.com
Specializing in Yamadori Bonsai/Pre Bonsai.

Lee

Nice work Hans,it reminds me of Tony's Tiger! He will be very jealous!

hansvanmeer

My website is: kara motto.org
I hope to open it at the end off this month, I still making pics ans story's for it.
There also is a weblog, that will be regularly updated with work on my bonsai, demo's and tips etc. As soon as it is opened i will tell it here on Bt off course!
Hans.

TonyTickle

Wow Hans… what an amazing job you have done with this beautiful mugo…. Without doubt this bonsai will be one of the great ‘European masterpieces’ that folk will refer to in the future. This is a ‘Bigsmall’ tree…. Looks BIG but is really small. I like it very much. The deadwood work has been sensitively done and foliage carefully styled.

So many Mugos are MONSTERS… yours is a Hobbit.

I want to name your tree for you… ‘The Swan’

1) Because of your wonderful description

2) When I visited your garden you said “if you could take any tree home from my garden what would it be?” and I told you “This one”



Looking forward to welcoming you in my house in November, Sam in particular

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Who ever said the world was flat was right!

Tony