A  confession and a little insignificant history
I’ve never met Nick Lenz. I don’t think we’ve even talked on the phone. Andy Rutledge (a student of Nick’s who’s been featured on Bonsai Bark) introduced us via email years ago because he thought we’d enjoy each other (we share certain unrelated-to-bonsai views). The upshot was a flurry of emails and finally, a decision to reprint an enhanced version of Nick’s now famous book, Bonsai from the Wild.

So what’s the secret?
It’s no secret that Nick Lenz is a brilliant, innovative and sometimes eccentric bonsai artist.  It’s also not much of a secret that Nick is a genuine treasure of bonsai and horticultural knowledge and wisdom (though the extent to which this is true, might surprise you). The secret is, that, in addition to being all of the above, Nick can write. Bonsai artists with Nick’s skill and knowledge are rare, and ones that can also write are even more rare (most people have trouble putting their thoughts onto a page; even otherwise very talented people).

So what?
The so what? is, that Nick’s book is full of fascinating (and eminently useful) bonsai and plant wisdom. If you haven’t read it, maybe you should. Especially if you are interested in collecting and growing any of the following types of bonsai (or any bonsai for that matter): Larch, White cedar, Ground juniper, Field juniper, Rocky mountain juniper, Pitch pine, Wild apple, Honeysuckle, Blueberry, Eastern red cedar, Ponderosa pine, Spruce, Hawthorn, Hornbeam, Leatherwood, Hemlock, White pine, Bittersweet vine, Boston ivy, Wild grape, Poison ivy!, Birch, and a Mystery tree. There’s a chapter on each.

That’s a ceramic tank bogged down in this old larch forest. A remnant of a WW2 battle somewhere in northern Europe? I imagine that Nick made the tank (he’s a ceramic artist as well as bonsai artist), but I don’t know for sure.

Ground juniper (J. horizontalis). It’s unusual to find one with such a well developed trunk.

Another ground juniper. A common plant elevated  by Nick’s uncommon touch.

Nick (Rarch master Renz) is famous for his larches.

Trunk chopping 101 for deciduous trees
There’s an excellent article on trunk chopping at Andy Rutledge’s bonsai journal. Andy bills it as trunk chopping for beginners, but I suspect there are experienced bonsai people out there who might also benefit (like me, for example). I’ll just show you an illustration and a little text here, and encourage you to visit Andy’s site to see the whole article (and plenty of other useful stuff).

Cutting back to an existing leader

Here we have a likely candidate (above). This tree already has pretty good taper, but it is too tall for bonsai purposes.
Until now, you’ve been growing the trunk for size and you’re ready to begin its transformation into a bonsai. You’ve decided to cut back the trunk to an existing small branch that will be the new leader (indicated by the red arrow).
Use the saw and cut a little bit above the branch. Be careful not to damage the branch that will become the new leader.

Visit the bonsai journal for the whole article

Another great trunk. Also from the bonsai journal.

More than just a labor of love
If you read Andy’s whole article, you’ll see that there are at least two tools you’ll need for successful trunk chopping; a sharp saw and a grafting knife. Needless to say, the folks over at Stone Lantern (that’s us) would be happy to help you with these. At a sizable discount, no less.

A unique American bonsai artist
Nick Lenz is an unusual person. On the spectrum from conservative to daring and even outrageous, his bonsai land somewhere beyond the latter. What he says about bonsai (and other things) reveals a unique mind; fascinating, humorous and often quite insightful. Beyond that, you be the judge.

Collected larch (Larix laricina). Tree by Mother Nature and Nick Lenz. Pot by Nick. Larch with decent taper are extremely unusual. Chances are, Nick applied a few tricks to help this one along. Photo from The Art of Bonsai Project.

Nick’s classic book
In addition to being a big time bonsai artist, Nick is also a big time bonsai author. His book, Bonsai from the Wild is the classic on collecting bonsai. Though the trees are mostly northeast North American varieties, the techniques and insights apply wherever you happen to be.

Interview with a unique American bonsai artist
The following interview with Nick Lenz was conducted by Andy Rutledge. You can read the whole interview on Andy’s The Bonsai Journal.

Andy Rutledge: Why did you first take up bonsai?
Nick Lenz: Because it was natural. It was implanted into my infancy and skirted throughout childhood and adolescence. The Lord waited until I could buy my own beer to slip me a couple of cheap black & white photos of real Japanese bonsai, and said: Do it kid. So I got into my jeep and went to another nursery that sold bonsai pots (I was living in a shack on a nursery run by drunken Germans). I hurried back with two large pots, fed the daily road-kill to the margay [ed. - one of Nick's exotic cats], swiped a couple of plants, and went to work instead of writing a term paper on annual bacterial succession in a dirty pond. I just did it as I eat and excrete and do other things. I was meant to.

For the whole interview visit The Bonsai Journal.

Another azalea by Nick. Photo from The Art of Bonsai Project

Mt. Washington White spruce. One of Nick’s many unusual bonsai creations. Photo from The Art of Bonsai Project.

This one is labeled Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Rug’ at The Art of Bonsai Project. Rug refers a very low growing ground cover and yet this tree looks completely natural in this upright form; evoking perhaps a towering west coast conifer.

Portrait of an artist. From The Bonsai Journal.

Take a look – it’s worth it
Artistic Foundations of Bonsai Design provides a wealth of material for anyone who wants to take their bonsai to the next level. Andy Rutledge approaches bonsai with respect for the depth and breath of the art, and it shows in this well thought out, well organized web book that just might be worth a few minutes (perhaps much more) of your time.

One of a series of simple and helpful illustrations that appear in Andy’s webbook in the chapter entitled ‘The Language of Artistry.’

Andy Rutledge
Andy Rutledge is a Lone Star bonsai maven (of no small accomplishment) who seems to be motivated by a sense of seriousness and of enjoyment, at least when it comes to bonsai. In addition to his web book, Andy has contributed to both of Robert Steven’s wonderful books (Mission of Transformation and Vision of My Soul) and has been involved in numerous other bonsai related project (we even worked together once on a Bonsai Today related project).