Clean Sweep - Show Us Your Brooms

A boxwood with a slightly different twist on broom style.

Walter Pall, it is always worth mentioning the top quality of your bonsai. Your bonsai are the best I've seen in the world. You have a God-given talent for your skill in the art of bonsai.

Justin

RyanFrye wrote:

JimLewis wrote:Yup. Lovely as all of those trees are, I think many of them fit only the most liberal definition of broom style.

Agreed.

"The vast majority of human beings dislike and even dread all notions with which they are not familiar. Hence it comes about that at their first appearance innovators have always been derided as fools and madmen." - Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

Best regards
Peter

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THE WORLD OF THE POT: http://www.peter-krebs.de/

peter krebs wrote:

Best regards
Peter

_____________________________________________
THE WORLD OF THE POT: http://www.peter-krebs.de/

Beautiful tree Peter. Nice pot too. One of yours?

Walter Pall wrote:

RyanFrye wrote:

JimLewis wrote:Yup. Lovely as all of those trees are, I think many of them fit only the most liberal definition of broom style.

Agreed.

"The vast majority of human beings dislike and even dread all notions with which they are not familiar. Hence it comes about that at their first appearance innovators have always been derided as fools and madmen." - Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

Nobody said they "disliked" your trees (in fact the opposite was said)....it's just that you're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole as it were. If any innovation is to be had in your case it is innovation in the realm of the informal upright, not the broom style. And credit of this innovation being award solely to you is questionable....

Hi Rob,

yes, this pot I have make pottery particularly for this tree.

regards
Peter

"The vast majority of human beings dislike and even dread all notions with which they are not familiar. Hence it comes about that at their first appearance innovators have always been derided as fools and madmen." - Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

" They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown."
Carl Sagan (1934-1996)

Please, please, please . . . let's not go to "rules."

Labels we can talk about, though. "Broom" was coined -- I think -- to bespeak the resemblance to more primitive sweeping tools -- a bundle of straw tied together on a handle of some sort very much like the whisk picture someone posted here early on. (Someone else posted a push broom, but thankfully few of these bonsai resembled it!)

Broom trees under this image have a relatively short trunk, then a fan of branches spreading upward and outward, much like the whisk.

The other trees, shown here and called "broom style" -- a central trunk, with branches spaced around it as it tapers into a rounded apex totally loose that "broomish" look; there aren't any sweeping tools to my knowledge that resemble them. They need to be called something else, and "informal upright," while not as descriptive as "broom" fits the bill as well as anything we have at this point. (But maybe some sort of a "brush?"
)

A deciduous "informal upright" wouldn't have the pointy top that a conifer with the same name might have. Otherwise, the form would be quite similar. There's nothing wrong with that and they're NOT "pine tree" bonsai.

But they're not "brooms" either.


IMO, of course.

I think John Naka nailed the versatility of this style in his second book, page 149-160. Some really great images. Don't worry so much about the name of the style but the image that it conveys.

I'm of the same opinion Rob. And I'll add Charles Ceronio's Bonsai Styles of the World, pages 38 to 47 where he sketches more than 20 pretty distinct variants of the traditional broom style.

I love all that have been posted as they emulate miniaturised broadleaved trees from nature.

Best regards
Mario

whoooow Mario!!!!!!!!!!! very nice

shohin firethorn
only about 15cm high

This is the first bonsai I bought, and it's because off this tree I get involved with this fascination bonsai-hobby
It's a zelkova and his height is 15 cm.
I have got better tree's in my collection,but because it was my first tree it is very special for me.
Gr Ed

Ed van der Reek wrote:
It's a zelkova and his height is 15 cm.

Are you sure that's a Zelkova? looks very much like a Chinese Elm to me.
There was a period a few years back (and maybe even now, I don't know) when the big importers bringing Bonsai into the UK garden centre trade were labelling Chinese Elms as Zelkovas. I presumed at the time it was to try to get round some import restrictions.

EDIT: or is the common name for the tree different where you live?

Corkbark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia "corticosa")

Here is a small Zelkova I have been working on for several years...the base was air layered to rid the tree of an ugly knob at the bottom, and is just now starting to come along.
The last image is a Zelkova I saw at the Green Club in Tokyo.

pascal47 wrote:

pascal47 wrote:Good evening Mr. Slovak,

Beautiful tree .. I have to take one, but I do not know much about this case, can you give me advice. Easy or not bonsai ..

Thank you

Hi,

Well, no answer , no one can answer on this species, le berberis

Thank you

Berberis is a durable tree, fast growing root, but the tree develops a hedge, slow thicker branches, and the owner likes to hurt their tiny thorns.
I love the colors berberis leaf, which responds to the amount of light. I have two berberis, but I no want more!

3 season growing:

Hi Pascal.
Sorry, I overlooked the question.

Berberis is my modest tree. Conversion of an old bush is not a problem. Aggressively growing in the container. Unfortunately, mold can be a very young branch.Has a delicate wood and breaking. Unfortunately not like the wire branches.Shaping mostly cut. Or branches carefully to make and download the necessary position.(see photo) Winters with no problem.

Pavel

Mario Stefano wrote:

pascal47 wrote:

pascal47 wrote:Good evening Mr. Slovak,

Beautiful tree .. I have to take one, but I do not know much about this case, can you give me advice. Easy or not bonsai ..

Thank you

Hi,

Well, no answer , no one can answer on this species, le berberis

Thank you

Berberis is a durable tree, fast growing root, but the tree develops a hedge, slow thicker branches, and the owner likes to hurt their tiny thorns.
I love the colors berberis leaf, which responds to the amount of light. I have two berberis, but I no want more!

3 season growing:

Hello and thank you Mario,

Why do you want more? beautiful Ecorse River

Ed van der Reek wrote:This is the first bonsai I bought, and it's because off this tree I get involved with this fascination bonsai-hobby
It's a zelkova and his height is 15 cm.
I have got better tree's in my collection,but because it was my first tree it is very special for me.
Gr Ed

Ed, It's a cute tree but I don't consider this a broom style. The trunk is too wiggly.

BYW, I'd make two bonsai out of this. Chop/layer the top and let sprouts grow off the chop.

pine queen wrote:OK, I give, nice broom style.

Ok, you posted enough to reveal your wry wit but this tree I don't consider a broom either. It's an IFU.

There's a good example of what some might call a cross between a "broom" and a "clump", or a "broom without a handle" on Esprits de Goshin.

It's a tree posted by a new member, from Brazil, and the species is Patagonula americana L.

Patagonula americana L.

Let's sweep the comments about what is a broom or not under the rug and look at some more broom style bonsai. Here is one I photographed at Mr. K. Kobyashi's in early fall color. Couple of comments - if you were to put all these Zelkova brooms in a row, wouldn't it look rather boring? The Zelkova broom as executed here appears to have some reverse taper. Acceptable for a broom, n'est pas?