Makita Bob's carving on my "What the hell are you keeping that for?" Ligustrum stump

Those of you who attended Burrs 2009 will no doubt recall the monster Privet stump I was hauling around with me? The vast majority of folk who saw it left me in no doubt as to what they thought of it's suitability as bonsai. However, when I collected the stump earlier last year and found the ridiculous nebari hidden beneath the soil and the lovely aged bark, I knew I was never going to let this one go, despite it's obvious drawbacks. I took it in to see Dr Bob and after much 'Hhhmm-ing' and 'Ahhhh-ing' he marked the trunk where he wanted to carve it the following year.

The tree has spent much of the last year ignored, completely branchless and with small clumps of minute leaves forcing themselves through small patches of trunk. Honestly, there were only three patches of leaves, the biggest of which was around an inch in diameter. I was beginning to give up hope myself when, a mere 2 weeks before Burrs and my appointment with Bob, it all kicked off! Leaves, nay, branches began to spring forth from every available spot on the trunk. It was all I could do to rub them off before they re-appeared somewhere else!

Bolstered by this sudden flurry of growth, I loaded 'The Lump' into the car and headed off to Burrs.

As I stood before Bob with my reinvigourated tree, I saw a brief flicker of despair as he obviously remembered it from last year. Oh dear, I thought, not a good start. However, it wasn't long before Bob had drafted a plan of attack, bolstered by my telling him that 'Do what you want with it mate. I'm happy with anything you come up with.' Obviously not words he's used to hearing!

Anyway, here's the results of about an hour's worth of Bob's amazing carving talents. I've got a little finishing off to do yet, smoothing off etc, but I'm sure you'll agree that he's worked miracles with what was, if I'm honest, an ugly piece of wood. Hopefully, after another year's growth and another session in Bob's Burrs Surgery, a little wiring and a pinch of luck, you'll be able to see the potential that I saw when I first collected the tree.
Many thanks Bob.

First off, here's the 'octopus' nebari. I still haven't worked out which root goes where!


And now Bob's stunning carving. Sorry there's no 'before' pics. I've got some somewhere though.....





Now all I need to do is cut about 8" off the depth of the rootball, more so I can carry it around without a causing my self a mischief than anything else!

Holy Cow, I remember that (or was it just a drunken haze?!?!?)
Trust Bob to come to the rescue. I'm so happy with the work he did on my "dead" area on my Lonicera, even had comments about the carving work!!

Could be a cracker in a few years, if you can reduce the rootball that is,

Okk, Okk,
Simon

Reduce it? Bloody hell mate, I need to decimate it!

All told, it's almost 12" in diameter, most of which is made up of the fat stuff you can see in the nebari pic. It looks like a ball of wool a giant cat's been playing with.
Kev Bailey suggested a reciprocating saw, but when I showed it the rootball it ran off crying.

New thoughts include hacking away with my collecting saw until something gives or taking it to the local timberyard and whacking it through their bandsaw.

I forgot to mention, The nebari is 9" across, the stump is 5" dia most of the way up, and the height is 14".

Like I said, it's a lump.

When I first did see it, I asked Steve what he wanted with this piece of junk, it looked like a fensingpole.
Now it looks a lott better, where is the skull gone though?

Peter

The skull was only on loan, Peter. Like I told you though, I've got a real human skull here, so I might try to incorporate that next year! Maybe I could drill a hole in it and use it as an accent pot?

Harleyrider wrote:The skull was only on loan, Peter. Like I told you though, I've got a real human skull here, so I might try to incorporate that next year! Maybe I could drill a hole in it and use it as an accent pot?

Would love to see that one Steve, what would you plant in it

Peter

landerloos wrote:

Harleyrider wrote:The skull was only on loan, Peter. Like I told you though, I've got a real human skull here, so I might try to incorporate that next year! Maybe I could drill a hole in it and use it as an accent pot?

Would love to see that one Steve, what would you plant in it

Peter

I know what you could plant in it, a certain tree you will be getting in January, thats dug up from a graveyard

Peter

thats dug up from a graveyard

Now you just made me want it all the more!!!

Harleyrider wrote:

thats dug up from a graveyard

Now you just made me want it all the more!!!

I knew that, you sicko
I have one more tree from a graveyard, that one I keep myself

Peter

I have one more tree from a graveyard, that one I keep myself

Now who's the sicko?

Harleyrider wrote:

I have one more tree from a graveyard, that one I keep myself

Now who's the sicko?

Hahahaha I told you guys all weekend I am a psychopath

Peter

Why do you think no-one slept all weekend?

I slept nearly 3 hours every night!!

3 hrs! You jammy swine!

Mind you, you had the only private loo with en-suite bedroom.