California Juniper

I have this California Juniper for quite some time, plan to re-design and find a new pot for it. Since many bonsai masters here, I would love to hear your input. Here are few pictures.

Thanks much in advance.

Best,
--Dinh

Hi Dinh
Before making any comments, I would like to see views of the tree against a plain background. Too much going on in the current images.

Mike

mike page wrote:Hi Dinh
Before making any comments, I would like to see views of the tree against a plain background. Too much going on in the current images.

Mike

Sorry for late response. Here are few pictures from different angles.

Best,
--Dinh

hi
this is very possible if it grows foliage quick enough.



cheers Marcus

beautiful, thank you so much Marcus.

--Dinh

Great material to make a start with, great bunjin movement.

CraftyTanuki wrote:Great material to make a start with, great bunjin movement.

Thanks CraftyTanuki, yes, I was trying to create it as a juniper bunjin. Here is my first draft, but somehow it doesn't look satisfy for a bunjin in my imagination. So I am still in searching for the alternative design for this bonsai.



Best,
--Dinh

Awesome material, Im sure whatever you go with is going to turn out impressive

ditto, that's a terrific piece of material. Really looking forward to see how it works out.

Steven wrote:Awesome material, Im sure whatever you go with is going to turn out impressive

Many thanks Steven, I am also looking for a good pot for it. Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.

Best,
--Dinh

Orion wrote:ditto, that's a terrific piece of material. Really looking forward to see how it works out.

I plan to start working on it next year. Hope that I won't disappoint you.

Best,
--Dinh

dinh wrote:

Steven wrote:Awesome material, Im sure whatever you go with is going to turn out impressive

Many thanks Steven, I am also looking for a good pot for it. Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.

Best,
--Dinh

hi,
style the tree first as the pot needs to complement the final design - final pot choices are better made 2 or 3 years after the tree is styled, especially in a critical design like bunjin. (this trunk is quite thick and heavy for a true convincing bunjin, thats why i increaded the foliage density in the virt, to balance the trunk). To make a really good literati from the material i would be defining the live veins and carving the trunk to be thinner and lighter.

cheers Marcus

marcus watts wrote:

dinh wrote:

Steven wrote:Awesome material, Im sure whatever you go with is going to turn out impressive

Many thanks Steven, I am also looking for a good pot for it. Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.

Best,
--Dinh

hi,
style the tree first as the pot needs to complement the final design - final pot choices are better made 2 or 3 years after the tree is styled, especially in a critical design like bunjin. (this trunk is quite thick and heavy for a true convincing bunjin, thats why i increaded the foliage density in the virt, to balance the trunk). To make a really good literati from the material i would be defining the live veins and carving the trunk to be thinner and lighter.

cheers Marcus

Thanks again for your excellent input, Marcus. I will take your advice to the work for this California Juniper. Yes, the trunk is kinda fat;-)) In additional to that, too much foliage and a little too high now (35"). This juniper now is not bunjin yet, but hope it will become one.

Regarding pot, if your style design is final, why pot choices are better made 2/3 yrs thereafter?

Best,
--Dinh

dinh wrote:

Regarding pot, if your style design is final, why pot choices are better made 2/3 yrs thereafter?

Best,
--Dinh

I say wait before buying a pot because a photoshop virt is just a guideline that you can try to get the tree to fit if you like the virt. Bonsai have a habit of not always behaving - a branch may die, it may grow strongly in the wrong places, you may sell it, you may practice grafting onto it , etc etc.

If you buy the pot early you will be tempted to repot the tree too soon as well, rather than keeping the tree settled while you are working it.

cheers Marcus

marcus watts wrote:

dinh wrote:

Regarding pot, if your style design is final, why pot choices are better made 2/3 yrs thereafter?

Best,
--Dinh

I say wait before buying a pot because a photoshop virt is just a guideline that you can try to get the tree to fit if you like the virt. Bonsai have a habit of not always behaving - a branch may die, it may grow strongly in the wrong places, you may sell it, you may practice grafting onto it , etc etc.

If you buy the pot early you will be tempted to repot the tree too soon as well, rather than keeping the tree settled while you are working it.

cheers Marcus

Great ! Thank you, Marcus.

--Dinh

Hi Dinh,
Nice to have you posting here We won't hold it against your also a Koi Nut.....

I like the future for your tree. I wish more folks used american junipers, I have several rocky mountain junipers in my collection.

With junipers I always like to see a pot that matches closely with the color of the live vein. When the time comes that your ready to repot your juniper into it's special pot, please take the tree with you so you can actually match it with it right there on the spot.

I help out occassonally at a bonsai retail outlet and my biggest frustration is trying to help someone from hearsay without having the tree right there for proper size and color...

dick benbow wrote:Hi Dinh,
Nice to have you posting here We won't hold it against your also a Koi Nut.....

I like the future for your tree. I wish more folks used american junipers, I have several rocky mountain junipers in my collection.

With junipers I always like to see a pot that matches closely with the color of the live vein. When the time comes that your ready to repot your juniper into it's special pot, please take the tree with you so you can actually match it with it right there on the spot.

I help out occassonally at a bonsai retail outlet and my biggest frustration is trying to help someone from hearsay without having the tree right there for proper size and color...

Thanks Dick. Hope to learn more from you all here.
Best,
--Dinh

Man what a nice piece of material. I'd love to have something with this dramatic of a trunk.

This tree has great potential dinh. I would be tempted to superfeed for a few years to increase the foliage density in the crown

Regards

Robert

robert nocher wrote:This tree has great potential dinh. I would be tempted to superfeed for a few years to increase the foliage density in the crown

Regards

Robert

Thanks Robert, I have this cal juniper around 6 years ago. I wish it got more foliage by now.... I planned to start working on this tree next year, but perhaps I will be listen to you to wait for another few more yrs.

Best,
--Dinh

tmmason10 wrote:Man what a nice piece of material. I'd love to have something with this dramatic of a trunk.

Thx Tom... This tree was original collected by Mr. "California Juniper". I bought it from a member of our local club because of the dramatic of the trunk of this tree.

--Dinh