Before and after of a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) by Harry Harrington. The trunk provided a good start, but the rest sorely needed Harry's help
Harry Harrington has long been one of our main sources for good bonsai material (for good bonsai books too). Though there is room for a number of approaches to styling and refining bonsai, I like the rugged natural style expressed in this little Scots pine. It’s a hallmark of many of Harry’s trees, though he sometimes drifts into a more highly stylized, but equally impressive look. Especially with some of his carving (take a look at the English yew below for some serious carving)
BONSAI TOOL SPECIAL ENDS SOON
ALL BONSAI TOOLS & GARDEN TOOLS
25% OFF LIST PRICES
special ends Sunday, August 25th
–
Before. Great trunk but a bit of mess otherwise
After. Tamed but not over-styled. Perfect pot too
Here's Harry's caption from his fb timeline... "One last post before I finish getting ready to head to the mountains tomorrow and the upcoming Scandinavian Bonsai Retreat 2 with Thor Holvila, see you guys up there! Scots Pine Yamadori with Accent-Harry, height 6”/15cm. Bonsai pot by Victor Harris of Erin Pottery"
An entirely different look (from a post we did back in 2016). Here's what Harry said about this tree... "Finally, work on my Taxus baccata/Yew bonsai completed with the branches wired and laid-out. Height 25"/61cm, trunkbase (inc root jin) 12"/30cm. Pot by Victor Harris of Erin Pottery."
Want to learn how Harry does it? Here's your chance. Both of these easy to follow, down to earth how-to books can be found at Stone Lantern.