This Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) with its delightful deadwood and fluid movement was collected by Tony Cardoza and styled by Michael Hagedorn. Here’s Michael’s caption: “Finished tree. Or as my friends remind me, ‘No, not finished, that’s a dead tree!’ It’s quite alive. The tree is 24″ high, 31″ wide. The left lower branch is the key branch so it will need to grow out a bit. Left flow. In fact all the branches need length, as it looks like a small tree on top of a large base. I hope I’ve set things approximately right so there will be little need for major adjustment to compensate for that expected growth. With time the future image will show more integration of foliage and the rest of the tree.” From Crataegus Bonsai.
We usually try to stay focused on bonsai while keeping our praise of the humans involved somewhat in check. Especially here on Bonsai Bark, where there’s an effort to take some of the ego out of the art (while not precluding the importance of attribution) so we can just appreciate the trees.
That was the disclaimer, now just a small indulgence with apologies to Michael Hagedorn’s modesty for any embarrassment this might cause (and to you for the string of well-meaning cliches to follow)… if you would like to enjoy an ongoing seminar in the art of bonsai by someone with a deep practical knowledge of the art and techniques of bonsai, and an uncommon ability to communicate that knowledge with a refreshingly light touch and delightful sense of humor, then by all means, check out Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai.
To further whet your Crataegus bonsai appetites, here are a few recent posts:
The Difference Between Yamadori and Pot-Grown
Portland Bonsai Village…a bit closer now…
Wire Woes–When to Remove Wire
As Above, So Below-
Photos and Stories from the Fall Seasonal-
Beware Bending that Branch-
And the list goes on…
A Mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) with its new front. From Michael’s Fall Seasonal.
Uh-oh. From Wire Woes – When to Remove Wire
Speaking of a delightful sense of humor, and just in case you think we do this all just for fun, here’s Michael most excellent book for you to buy.