Bonsai Rafting – Sinuous & Straight

This rugged sinuous root raft-style planting is by our friend, Robert Steven. I don't know the variety, but my guess is that Robert will let us know.

We’ve added one photo (just below) to this post on raft-style bonsai that originally appeared here in August 2015

We don’t need to say much about raft-style bonsai – Peter Adams has it covered below -except that all the bonsai rafts shown here are sinuous root style (netsunagari in Japanese) as opposed to rafts with straight line trunks, like nature’s raft just below

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naturesraft

Nature's raft. It's a straight one, rather than a sinuous-root raft, but you get the drift. You can still see some of the fallen tree's root mass on the right. In order for the raft to live, some roots from this mass must remain anchored in the ground until the new roots form underneath the fallen trunk. Thank you to Janet Gossett for sending us the photo

The section just below by Peter Adams originally appeared on Bark way back in 2010.

mapleraft

This very well rendered drawing by Peter Adams is from his book 'Bonsai with Japanese Maples.' It appears in a section called 'Creating Raft Trees' and on the back cover of the book. Whether or not this drawing comes from a tree in Peter's collection or is just from his imagination, we can't say

Rafting in Peter’s own words… “The raft method… is formed by laying a tree on its side and encouraging it to root along the recumbent trunk. The branches on the underside of the old trunk are removed to facilitate it lying comfortably in the new posture. Other branches are left and are developed into trees.”

I think Peter’s drawings are more or less self explanatory, depending on your experience. If you’d like more detail, try the book

You can use a box while roots are developed along the trunk, and if you can't afford a suitable pot, you can always leave it there.

The early steps: top to bottom. Notice how the upper limbs are wired to form interesting trunk shapes and how the lower limbs are removed before potting.

Firstsinuousroot

Where it all started. Sinuous root Japanese white pine after restyling by Isaburo Nishiyama. According to an article that appears in Bonsai Today issue 44, this the first netsuranari (sinuous root style) bonsai. It came to light in 1937 at a famous Japanese auction where it was distinguished from the older clump style bonsai. Most original sinuous root bonsai are Japanese white pines. That's a bamboo stick supporting the guy wires.

This one is a Hawthorn. You don’t see too many Hawthorn rafts (I know of no others) and I don't think I've ever seen one that overflows the pot on both ends. Speaking of, that perfect pot was made by the owner of the tree, John Pitt, a well-known bonsai potter.

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Here's a sinuous root bonsai where the original trunk is completely buried (or almost completely, I can't tell for sure). It's a Rockspray Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis) in splendid fall color, by Bill Valavanis of International Bonsai. BTW: Bill, like Robert, is another old friend who seemingly keeps track of the entire bonsai universe.

The Japanese maple raft belongs to Stephen Dodds from Belfast Northern Ireland. It was originally purchased from Willowbog Bonsai. I like the way it arches up out out of the ground (twice), just like Peter's drawing (above). For more on this tree you can visit Bonsai Baker (Stephen's blog) and two Bark posts from 2012 (here and here).

raftcloseup

Close up

B1JMAPLES

The drawings and the quoted text above are from this book
And yes, we know that’s a Trident maple on the cover
not a Japanese maple (not sure what Peter was thinking)
Still, misleading cover and all
it’s available at Stone Lantern.
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A Magnificent Affront

Taisho

This magnificent old yamadori Shimpaku, with its self framing deadwood has to be one of the most outrageously unusual bonsai we've ever posted. It's from Taisho-en in Japan. I originally found it here.

Spectacular smokey Yosemite (day before yesterday with a fire detour), Rustic old Jamestown (Yesterday), San Francisco to Portland (today, more fires) and back home to Vermont (Monday). It’s a wonder we even have time to answer our email – but we try – and a wonder we have time to whip up a new post. Again, we try, but today we’re re-whipping one from August, 2014

Trees as unusual as the one above are often controversial. I think some of this controversy is a tendency towards orthodoxy. We get used to things a certain way and next thing you know that’s the correct way
Continued below…

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taisho3

Another magnificent old Shimpaku. Unlike the tree above, it has a classical bonsai shape. Still the deadwood is magnificent. One thing that is unusual about this tree is how the live vein is completely hidden (at least in this view). This photo is from Bonsai in Japan.

All three photos shown here are of trees that live at Taisho-en. Here’s a short discription I lifted from Bonsai in Japan: “Taisho-en is a working nursery in Shizuoka (the foot of Mt. Fuji). It is run by Mr. Nobuichi Urushibata and specialises in Shohin bonsai. That being said there were numerous examples of fine medium and large bonsai as well.”

taisho2

Another classical bonsai shape, but if you look at the negative space you'll see something unusual going on. This photo is from the Taisho-en website

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A Magnificent Affront

Taisho

This magnificent old yamadori Shimpaku, with its self framing deadwood has to be one of the most outrageously unusual bonsai we've ever posted. It's from Taisho-en in Japan. I originally found it here.

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taisho3

Another magnificent old Shimpaku. Unlike the tree above, it has a classical bonsai shape. Still the deadwood is magnificent. One thing that is unusual about this tree is how the live vein is completely hidden (at least in this view). This photo is from Bonsai in Japan.

taisho2

Another classical bonsai shape, but if you look at the negative space you'll see something unusual going on. This photo is from the Taisho-en website

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Marc’s Masterpiece & Bonsai Warsaw with More Answers

noelcu

Here's that close up of Marc Noelander's monumental masterpiece Wall Bonsai that we featured last week (the uncropped photo is below). We're showing it again because now we have some answers to your questions (courtesy of Marc)... "The wall planting is a Juniper procumbens. More than one... 3 big plants and 4 days work."

Sometimes we post without the information you want. In this case, there was one recent post that was short on facts (see above) and one that involved a simple act of forgetting (see below)

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 What I failed to mention about this photo that we featured yesterday, is... that's a Green T Turntable that the tree is sitting on, and that we are the North American distributors of Green Ts.... amazing tools that will change the way you work on your bonsai

ttgreen770

A Green T, up close and beautiful

noel-1

Marc's masterpiece. Uncropped

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Bonsai Stories

nacho

The smaller trunk was blown over in storm and saved when it landed on a tiny rock island. Fortunately, just enough of the roots are intact and a surviving branch has grown up to become the new crown. One of several stories told by this remarkable planting. The artist is Nacho Marin, a frequent presence here on Bark

Traveling today so it’s archive time. This one is from one year ago yesterday

The best bonsai tell stories. Usually it’s about hostile environments and hardships, though you could have a robust and stately tree that speaks of a more gentle climate and easy living

In the case of the tree above, you can see tough times in the small trunk that was blown over and in the battered deadwood on both trunks. Island life with limited soil and nasty storms

However, the abundant healthy foliage speaks of ample water (of course), and many storm-free sunny days, with the the soil possessing more than enough nutrients for this tough old tree

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closeup

Close up of the tough (and lucky) little survivor...

nachocu2

The main trunk. Scoured by strong winds and airborne water...

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More European Bonsai – Poland this Time

We found this Japanese white pine (Goyomatsu) at Bonsai Warsaw. The other photos shown here are from the Warsaw Bonsai Show. They were posted by Will Baddeley (links for both are below)

Polish bonsai anyone? And just in case you think I’m a mole planted here to showcase European bonsai… well, it’s true, I do appreciate what’s going on in the European bonsai community and how rapidly they’ve advanced over the last 20 to 30 years.* But really, anywhere you find quality bonsai is good enough.

Here’s your link to Bonsai Warsaw. And here’s Will Baddeley

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This humpback tree looks like a Shimpaku juniper

This photo is a little dark, but you can see enough to appreciate the tree and its over-the-top (so to speak) jin and other deadwood. It's another juniper, but the foliage may be a little too coarse for shimpaku (or maybe not... it depends on how big the tree is)

A gnarly, gnarled old Ficus

*Europeans have the advantage of lax import policies on plant material from Asia. This has allowed for easy accessibility of superior stock when compared with the more restrictive (some might say unreasonable) U.S.D.A. plant import policies

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Boxwood Bonsai – Before & After Armageddon

Michael Hagedorn's Japanese boxwood. Here's part of what Michael wrote about this tree (from his Crataegus Bonsai blog)... "And after the new flush of leaves came out, summer 2017. Defoliation creates regrowth with smaller leaves. This photo is after minimal wiring and pad cleanup. There is a scale shift from the earlier, un-defoliated 2017 photos, and the structure of the tree comes out a bit better than the earlier attempt 14 years ago as a well-manicured foliage ‘mop.’ Which was fine for dusting or generally shrubbery use in Monty Python movies, but less good for bonsai."

Up to our old tricks… borrowing from one of our favorites, Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus bonsai. Enjoy!

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1996 photo of the Japanese boxwood in International Bonsai magazine, from a hedge plant

Continued from above…
Here’s part of what Michael wrote about Boxwoods in general (from the same post)… “I have been impressed with the ability of Japanese boxwood to take a lot of unskilled mistakes and laugh them off, similar to the way we recommend juniper for newcomers to bonsai. I would say boxwood is also in that easy to care for group. And by using the defoliation technique, Japanese boxwood leaves can be scaled down. Granted, it lacks a host of wabi-sabi qualities some prefer in their choice of species, but I must say after years of weird mishaps and weather and unmentionables, it is clear that Japanese boxwood are about the toughest things on the planet. After Armageddon, assume cockroaches, viruses, and boxwood. The world will still have nice hedges. Which is strangely comforting.”

Somewhere between before and after (but much closer to after). Here's Michael's caption... "View of the Edward Scissorhands event close up"

And just in case you missed it above (twice) here’s your link to the entire post, including a whole series of photos that we’re not showing here, and more of Michael’s delightful story telling

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Adding Drama to an Already Dramatic Bonsai

Is this spectacular Juniper in its equally spectacular pot, listing just a tad to the left? Or is it just me? No matter, to my eye at least, the tension set up by this feeling adds a little more drama to an already very dramatic tree

Here’s a post from our archives (Novemeber, 2012). It was titled Getting It Right This Time (you can visit the original if you’d like to know what we were getting right). I picked it mostly because I thought you might appreciate the rather spectacular tree above, though the others aren’t half bad either

The photos you see here were taken at the Museo Bonsai de Alcobendas in Madrid, Spain (I borrowed them from the Bonsai Center Sopelana in Spain’s Basque Country). Here’s what Nuno Encarnação wrote about them…
“These are all from the bonsai exhibit in Museo Bonsai de Alcobendas in Madrid. This exhibit is the most important bonsai exposition in Spain and one of the three main exhibits in Europe along with Noelanders trophy in Belgium and UBI in Italy.”
Continued below…

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Great nebari, great trunk, good branching and phenomenal color. It's a Japanese maple. I won't bother to guess the variety

Continuing with Nuno Encarnação’s quote from above…
The Museum has also an amazing permanent exposition with some impressive Mediterranean species and imported Japanese trees, some of which were previously worked on by such masters as Kobayashi and Kimura. The beech shown in this post is from the permanent exhibit.”

Unfortunately, you can't see the trunks and much of the rock in this photo, but you can see the lovely Hinoki foliage and the tree's well balanced, dynamic flow

This must be the beech referred to above. You might notice how small the leaves are. It must have been defoliated at least once

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Before & After Bonsai, Artists & Philosophers & the Strangest Cat Video I’ve Ever Seen

Here's a fairly simple maintenance before and after. I found it on Mariusz Janusz Komsta's timeline. Here's Mariusz's caption... "Taxus Stavrakos - good job Stavros Stavrakis, from now it can be only better - refinement of dead wood, new pot, more density and clean trunk needed ... in the near future"

Mariusz Komsta’s caption above provides a few answers about this tree and raises at least as many questions. First, as you may know, Taxus Stavrakos is not a Yew species (though the tree is a Yew). More like a little joke on Mariuzs’a part. Second, when I followed the link provided, it does go to Stavros Stavrakis timeline, but I couldn’t find anything there about this tree
Continued below…

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Before. An already mature well-established bonsai. A simple task to shape it up, right? Well, simple maybe for a skilled bonsai artist, but not for just anyone. There's more than meets the eye to bringing an overgrown tree back into shape

Continued from above…
What is on Stavros’ timeline – in addition to some bonsai (some excellent trees by Bjorn, for example) and bonsai news – are some mesmerizing videos presented by some of the world’s greatest artists, philosophers and other fascinating people. Here’s just a small sample for the three of you who might care… Django Reinhardt, Bertrand Russell, John Edmark, Nassim Haramein… and for the rest of you, perhaps the strangest cat video you’ll ever see (sorry!)

After. Looking better but still a ways to go. Or to quote Mariusz (from above) “refinement of dead wood, new pot, more density and clean trunk needed … in the near future” BTW: is that what it looks like; a hole that goes all the way through the trunk?

Marc’s Masterpiece

noel

Whoa! Marc Noelanders posted this exquisite composition and my guess is he's the artist behind it. Here's his caption... "Another huge wooden wall.Hopefully we'll see you all next year at Bonsai namaste Convention."  Not a bad idea. Here's your link to 2018

If you follow Marc Noelanders on facebook you’ve already seen this masterpiece and its 10,000 rave reviews. If not, I’m happy you can see it here

noelcu

I cropped this one for a closer look, though I'm a little nervous about messing with something like this. Maybe you can just imagine that you are standing very close. While you're here you can't help but notice that little piece of dancing deadwood that adds a lighthearted touch to such a monumental masterpiece

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marc

A little perspective

Speaking of perspective...
and though you probably figured it out
the man in the tree is the famous artist himself

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here’s another bonsai wire special

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