The sculpted look. This Mugo pine by Georg Reinhard combines wildness and elegance with its flowing lines and almost perfectly shaped robust live growth. I particularly like the way the deadwood twists and turns all the way back down to soil and the jagged lightening bolt on the left. Though I know that some people take issue with highly sculpted deadwood, this is so well done that I can’t imagine even the most dogmatic proponents of the naturalistic look being too worked up about it.
There are Mugos, and then there are Mugos…
I don’t think we ever see Mugo pines quite like these here in the States. It’s safe to say these are Yamadori (collected from the wild); Mugos are native to Europe, and they certainly have that look. But then there’s that skilled human hand that belongs to Georg Reinhard. Check out bonsai-kunst for more bonsai by Georg.
A more natural feel. The human hand is less evident here than in the one above. Still, it’s hard to know just how much the artist (Georg) contributed to this tree’s natural feel without seeing the way it looked when it was dug. No matter, this tree speaks for itself, loud and clear.
I like the first tree. It’s “Kimuraish,” but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The second tree is remarkable. Your right yamadori like this do not exist for mugho in the US, but California, Rocky mountain Junipers, Colorado Blue Spruce, Ponderosa and various other indigenous pines from the States (Shore, etc.) can be equally impressive.
Yeah. Good point Owen about Western US yamadori. However, those of us in the east aren’t quite so lucky. We’ve got larches and a few others, but nothing like for instance, California junipers or Ponderosas etc. Anyway, I’ve always liked mugos (they’re easier than some other pines) but nursery grown stock is far from the yamadori in these photos.