Tree of the Day - Wednesday April 20, 2005

TreeBay

Tree of the Day - Tuesday, April 19, 2005
This forum is an experiment that has evolved out of some of the activities on the bonsaischool program.

I'm going to select a bonsai each day to spark group discussion.

• Trees of the day don't belong to anyone you're likely to know, so there is very little chance that you're going to hurt anyone's feelings with your honest opinions, critique and suggestions. This is key.
• However, if you recognize the tree, please keep it to yourself until at least the next day.
• If you have a tree-of-the-day you'd like to submit, you can start a new thread (not a new post) in this forum. It won't appear immediately.

Some questions to ask about the tree of the day

1. What are the tree's strengths?
2. What are its weaknesses?
3. How could the tree be improved?
4. Does the tree have a message you could define in words?
5. How would you arrange the tree with other elements to create an interesting two or three-point display?

You can respond right here.


ABOUT TODAY'S TREE: Today's tree is a Japanese White Pine (Pinus parvifolia). You can make notes with the pencil tool underneath the attachment.

Attached Images

TOD_20APR2005.jpg (55.2 KB, 382 views)

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John Dixon

Wow, what a great pine. Now this is bonsai!!!

This bonsai is so good, I have second thoughts about saying anything. The only real change I would like is some expansion of foliage on the left side in the apex "pad". Some moss would be nice on the bland soil surface. The pot is okay, but it has a standard terra cotta color that is not very interesting.

Of course, this bonsai is so nice, who cares?

John

Attached Images

1113999265_image.jpg (65.4 KB, 36 views)

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John Dixon

Si vis pacem parabellum

Stay off the trails of others, that's where the booby-traps are.

Arnie

Wow....another stunner.

Agree with John, maybe a little more seperation between pads...If I owned a tree like this I'd be pretty nervous about doing anything to it. But there again I doubt I will ever own a White Pine of this quality.

Ian_Homer

John,

I agree whole heartedly agree with your observations. I held back myself since in my eyes there is little to do really.

Perhaps some would prefer to see a little more light between the branches.
Seeing how tight some of them are, I wonder how this tight structure would be good for long term health of the inner foliage, but then it looks healthy enough to me.

A pot change to a muted glazed slightly shallower oval may be a consideration, but in my view, easily the BEST tree we have seen on TOTD so far.

LOVE IT!

Arnie got in there just as I was composing - glad he agrees about more daylight !

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mike_p

As others have said, the tree could use a little spacing between the branches. What bothered me the most, is the top. It seems bulbous and out of balance. I trimmed it down some. Comments?
Mike

Attached Images

TOD_20APR2005.jpg (58.8 KB, 71 views)

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bonsaikoi

I am a newbie. But it helps to read otheres comments. Utsogushi(beautiful) When reading others comments it helps me invision what they are saying thanks to everyone who comments... BK

mkonig

I think that this is a great tree.

My only point of comment is that the apex looks "detached" from the rest of the tree.
I would simply bring the front of the apex down in to the obvious gap to unify the "tight" look of the tree. I don't really have a problem with the lack of open space between the foliage layers. They are well defined and the shadows they lay on to each other imply that open space for me.

Mike

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Vance Wood

Everything that everybody has said is for the most part true. The one real problem I have with this tree is a lack of comitment. The trunk, which in my opinion, is the introduction to the story the rest of the tree is trying to tell.

The base of the trunk is very interesting even though the nebari does not follow the rules. This element is lost in the rest of the tree as being too over-grown and conflicted in direction. It is a beautiful tree but it could be more. The fact that it is a J. White Pine almost makes it unapproachable as far as criticizim is concerned. In writting this I am almost waiting for the somewhat predictable response of " How dare you criticize such a beautiful tree?" My answer to that would be; I have trees that fall into the same catagory of an irresolute double entander as does this one. It is a beautiful tree and deserves the attention necessary to turn it into a masterpiece.

In short here is how I see what has happened. This tree has a very interesting attractive Nebari but I don't have an inspiration as what to do with the rest of the tree. Years go by, the tree is very well cared for, the new growth is pinched and ocassionally trimed back but there has never been an effort to trun this tree into a world class bonsai. The foliage has been developed into pads but because no decision as to the final shape of the tree has been made the Apex seems to not know where it is going and the trunk, its now best feature, is left to stand with its fly open while the rest of the tree takes off and does something else. If I have offended anyone please forgive me, but you post it, you asked and ye shall receive.

mkonig

Vance,
you make a very interesting point there. Having read your response and then looked at the tree a second time (a lot more closely than the first), I noticed that I toally missed the trunk base. The foliage (and especially the apex) is so dominat that the trunk and base are nearly reduced in to insignificance.

This second time around, I can suddenly see a very powerful (but much smaller) tree in there.

I wish you could elaborate on your thoughts.

Mike

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