ulmus parvifolia trained as a juniper...restyle

Hi everybody

I had this ulmus for many years, styled it like I later learned was, as a Juniper.....the tree could look nice on a Photo, but it actully had two tops, and a branchsetting I was not happy about...then the branches became too fat and straight, and I decided for a restyling...maybe I could make something nice out of the tree I found boring, and have some fun insteadt

How it was in 2009...cut it hard back, and grew out new branches in Places I liked.....left the tree to grow strong a coupple of years

In spring did I carve away bark, pruned back the branches, and left the tree Again, to grow

front

side

back

When callus emerged along the carvings...did I do most of the carving.....my small proxon is not strong enough to go Deep. and I am planning to bring the tree to my friend Ole...he has a bigger machine I can borrow.
But this is how the tree look now...the green line is how I expect the Crown to be...growing up

front, standing 40 cm tall...the carving look a bit boring...I must do something more, and better...and a snail have two times eaten back the tiny top, I am Lucky it still is alive....moved the tree, and kicked out the snail

back...the tree is standing 40 cm tall, and I will hopefully have my fun...

If some of you have some ideas for the future styling...then please post...I like more optoins

Kind regards Yvonne

Wild transformation Yvonne! Gained much character through losing much foliage. These type of tree's are some of my favorites in nature, so as well with bonsai. Thanks much for sharing, and please keep us updated.(I think it's awseome as it is, enjoy the direction you have taken!)

good morning,

excellent choice to start the tree again - this thread shows perfectly that trees we once think of as favorites gradually become less so as our tastes change and our experience grows. it is always good to revisit the old material though with new eyes and see if it can be improved - i find a great many trees have far to much foliage for the trunk size and look so much better pruned back hard or reduced in size.

keep an eye out for snails though !   the tree needs some free growth to get the branches forming

cheers Marcus

Many thanks to you Guys

I was a bit worried about the reactions I might have for doing this.....Many would have said " dont do this, it is such a nice tree as it is, love it with the flaws it have"

Now i will have new, and much more interesting flaws to look at...also can I improve the Work I have done now.

Have a nice day...Kind regards Yvonne

Yvonne,

very brave!
I will be watching to see how the driftwood holds up.
Thank you very much for taking the time to show.
Stay Well.
Khaimraj

Hi Khaimraj

I dont hope the deadwood does hold up too well, as I am counting on some rot will do a good job, and make it look more natural, before I treat the deadwood....all this, while I am Building the new Crown.

Hope for a happy update much later.

Kind regards Yvonne

good lord girlfriend.....like Khaimraj said very brave indeed! 

But in saying that, we know, and see how you create your beautiful compact bonsai, and we can only learn....

Love and light

Many thanks Andre

I look forward to the Work  

A little more than a year has gone...the tree is doing well, and have ben cut back a few times ...the crown look quit bushy, but is not in the real life, branches is forming....I expect it will show better in the future

In the future will the crown be rounded, but not now. I need the lower branches to become stronger first.


One of the live veans.

Kind regards Yvonne

Hi Yvonne,
Its been a while, love wat you have done...no pain no gain...hope to post some stones again

Regards your friend,
Ogie   

I really like where this is going.  Many possibilities. Thanks for the update.

Hi Guys, and thanks

The tree had to be started up with a pretty long distance between the branches...I would have prefered a shorter, but this is what i had to work with.
I am pleased the tree is doing well, and the taller I can make the tree with new branches in the top, the more will the long distance between first, second and third branch dissapear....hopefully   

Kind regards Yvonne

good job Yvonne.
  

Yvonne,

Have you ever considered removing the big crossing root at the left? I think it will continue to hold your tree back if you don't.

That said, not sure how it will look like if you remove it since I know it will leave its imprint at the lower roots that it choked for many years. Just something for you to mull over and see if it can be done.

Very brave of you to totally redesign a nice tree. I like & admire you for it!

Hi Dario

I have given the roots many thoughts ower the years....when I bought it back then, it had a root across the trunk comming from the root you talk about..this root went in the soil on the backside of the tree...this I saw as big problem back then, and removed it
Theese  days would I not have bought the tree in the first place  

The tree basicly had two large mainroots, one in each side, the one on the right side has ower some years ben reduced a lot in lengd.
The roots under the root in the left side, has ben growing strong ower the years, I know they are not struggling, they grow stronger every year...at the same time have I keept pruning the root ower...now I think the roots with the old bark harmonise and give direction and caracter to the tree, and it would be a major setback, if I tried to remove the root.

Looking at this 5 weeks old photo, am I pleased to see how much the tree has grown since...hopefully will there be a nice update next year.

to cut a tree that far back is severe, but I did not like it as it was...I like it now, and see a future with it, it may not be easy to see it on the photo now, but with time will the branching hopefully show.

Kind regards Yvonne

I am somewhat late into this topic, Yvonne, but I had a thought that if you left an inch or so of deadwood piercing up through the foliage, then the foliage triangle below it could be of smaller overall size, accentuating the size of the trunk.

David

Hi David

the crown of the tree is just on its way, it will not at all look like tis when it is "finished"...I am planning a high fairly narrow, not triangled crown, with stronger branches running through it...
But I would like to see a virtual...does not have to be pretty, from you...could be a better idea.

Kind regards Yvonne

I'm  glad you said it didn't need to be nice
Well here goes my first try:

This...
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...vs this
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By the canopy being lower, it can consequently be smaller and the trunk then makes up a greater percentage of the composition and appears more dominant.  Plus the bonus of getting deadwood at the crown.  This is all I was trying to say, and you probably already had thought of it.  I just wasn't stating it well enough.

Hi Precarius

I absolutely love your virtuals, they are something new...you have ben thinking out of the box

I will again take a closer look at the tree, as I can see you have shown it from the side on one of the virtuals.

I will also be back with a virtual of what I see....in the meantime would I like to hear what other people think of  deadwood in the top of a broadleafed tree...it is not something I would go for, but it can be done later on the tree, as it is now.

Kind regards Yvonne

I kind of like this starting point. I'd have to stare at it some more to see what I'd do next.

Or maybe this if possible.

Finally,
If possible - I think hollowing this hole through completely to the right some would enhance that area.

Hi Evan B

It is all possible...could you show us the "finished" tree?

Kind regards Yvonne

I think I better show the tree as it is now, one month later, as i have ben working on the branches...

this is nr. 2 branch, as you can see. do i want the mainbranches to grow upwards


this is the "finished tree" tall and slender...the dark green show the stronger upwardsgrowing mainbranch-area...the pale green thinner horisontal growth
For now has the tree only 5 Places branches grow from, but with more hight, can more branches be growing from the topbranch....with age will the tree and crown grow wider  


This is basicly how I plan to prune the trees first branch next time....very diffrent from what I did before I cut it all back to kingdom come  

Kind regards Yvonne

Yvonne Graubaek wrote:Hi Evan B

It is all possible...could you show us the  "finished" tree?

Kind regards Yvonne

I think with such deadwood you should try to continue the theme of "struggle" with the elements. An uneven canopy of some sort would be much more interesting (imo) than a central triangle. I'm not exactly sure what the finished product should look like, but here's something that is in the direction I would go.