Live Oaks and Boxwoods

Thanks, Russell. Yes - helpful. I shall give it a try with your tree as a model, and Walter's methods, and see what happens! Cheers.

Very nice, and it does look good from all sides...an added bonus.

I'd love to see it in person...Rochester, 2014 perhaps?

coh wrote:I'd love to see it in person...Rochester, 2014 perhaps?

Ha! That's a good one!

Those Yanks are too abrasive for Russell! None o that Rochester shenanigans for him
Awesome representation of the "live oak style"...so much has been said about boxwoods making better "live oak style" bonsai than live oaks do, and you've nailed it. Wasn't the term originally coined by your neighbor....night or something? I may be remembering that one falsely.
Ryan
http://japanesebonsaipots.net/

We don't bite, you know! Well, not all of us...

Impressive transformation. Really good stuff. I like it a lot.

Fantastic and Inspirative...

Well done Russell.
I live among live oaks myself and I'm often in awe of them as trees. You have captured the feel of them well.

Thanks guys.

Ryan, I'm not sure who came up with "live oak style" but Joe was definitely the first to start talking about it seriously in our area. Several years ago he did a great program for or Day of Bonsai, breaking down different catagories using examples around town and how to use those as bonsai. We should probably revisit that.

I'm still sick over losing this one...

Russell Coker wrote:
Hi Rick.

I think boxwoods are perfect for beginners. They are easy to find and very forgiving. Well, at least the microphyllas seem to be. We can't grow sempervirens here where I live. Honestly, I can only assume you can treat them the same way, but I really don't know. I've seen some beauties at old plantations farther north, and Cram and Will B have posted some from your side of the pond. For us, it seems to be easy to find "tree-like" Japanese boxwoods (not 'kingsville') in nurseries and landscapes. The sempervirens I see at nursery trade shows are field grown and aways a bunch of little sticks that make up a big green ball.

I hope that helps!

R

Russel why doesnt sempervirens want grow there by you?
I also cant grow it here by us in the full sun, it burns.
Buxus faulkner is much hardier, and then ofcourse the beautifull African Buxus macrowanii. All makes good bonsai material.

I love your 'Oak' you are nailing it!

Russell Coker wrote:I'm still sick over losing this one...

Oh man, I would be too!!!

Andre, all I can figure is that it's our lack of winter. They seem happy a couple of hundred miles inland, and they actually have hotter weather than we have here on the Gulf Coast. But they also have a winter that we don't have. The ones I've seen planted here look great for a couple of years, then they begin to weaken and the scale gets really bad. It's like watching a really really slow death. I've never heard of the ones you mention so I'll have to do some snooping around and see if anyone has them here. They certainly aren't in the nursery trade!

Dario, I still have the top half. It will eventually go into a windswept group - just have to find the other trees first!

Russel,
My condolences, that was a beautiful specimen for sure. Great on the slab too! It real or is that a Joe Day too? Lol. Yet another thing the illustrious founder of you guys' Bonsai society pioneered. Cannot remember where I read that Joe came up with the "Live Oak Style." One of those passing tidbits of info whose source quickly falls by the wayside.
Ryan
http://japanesebonsaipots.net/

Ryan B wrote: Great on the slab too! It real or is that a Joe Day too? Lol.

It's as "real" as any stone slab - and was carved by Joe. I'm happy to have it, I think it's one of his best ever.

True that! I guess "real" was a poor choice of words. Perhaps I meant "all natural", not that it matters a whit, Joe's slabs are tops.

Here's victim, I mean subject 2...

front


left side


back


right side


Trimmed, plucked and wired most of the afternoon, back at it tomorrow.

Russell, I think this one will be even better that the first one! I really like the trunk and branching.

Russell Coker wrote:
Here's victim, I mean subject 2...

Trimmed, plucked and wired most of the afternoon, back at it tomorrow.

Very nice material, Russell. Keep us posted.

Zach

For the last week I've been in a part of this country where the term "live oak" is never heard so missed the start of this thread.

Let a fellow live-oak-boxwood lover and maker add a belated "well done" to the chorus.

Here's a quick before and after shot, work in progress. I have about 9 hours in it from Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully it won't rain this weekend like it has all week. I'm already dreading having to remove all of this wire when the time comes...

Thanks Russell
A picture is worth a thousand words! Now I can see the technique much clearer.

Mitch

Russell Coker wrote:

Russell, you have some awesome trees, but (of the ones I've seen) this one takes the cake for me. I'd like first bid on this tree if you ever get rid of it

What happened to your other tree on that amazing slab by Joe? You mentioned you still have the top, did parts of it die back? I hope not, that tree is a stunner as well. Please keep us updated.

I hope you have a great weekend!!!
Sam

Okay, I spent the better part of last weekend and yesterday on the beast. I don't mind telling you that I glad these are the only 2 I have in pots now, and that I don't want to see another boxwood for quite some time!

So here are the "after" pictures...









I decided to go in a different direction with the pot. This was a grift from a friend 20 years ago. He told me "I don't like boxwoods", so I thought this was appropriate



This one weighs a ton. I'm not looking forward to removing all of this wire! These's more work to do, lots of carving, but it can wait until early spring.

Hey Sam, sorry I missed your post.

The one on the slab was 2 trees twisted together. It had been dug (more like chopped) from a landscape and a friend rescued it from the trash pile for me. It always had a compromised root system but seemed vigorous so I didn't worry too much. It had been in a pot for over a year when I moved it to the stone. That picture was taken in June or July, can't remember. Later in the summer I noticed the lower portion was wilted and it went down hill fast. There had been no indications of stress, so I don't know what took it out. The top half is doing fine.

Thanks for your kind words, I prefer the first one to the second. Btw, the second in the red Chinese pot is also a trash pile rescue.

R

Impressive, and contemplative,as usual Russell.
Just in case you are wondering, the term, contemplative, is probably the highest compliment one can give to an oil painting or sculpture.

Thanks for posting.
Later.
Khaimraj