Stump it up, or what to look for in Urban Yamadori.

I am always insisting that beginners only use good material to create bonsai, if you want to practice wiring, carving, etc. with no intention of creating a bonsai then go ahead and use whatever material you can get your hands on… but in my experience folk never have enough time/money/space and wish to create bonsai with each endeavor.

What follows are a selection of recently secured material, what they all have in common is character, some display excellent nebari, others good taper, and most importantly they have LOW branches. These are trees that will take from 3 to 6 years to make into excellent bonsai, they range from 12 years to I guess over 150 years.

Good material is NOT difficult to find, every stump shown is garden material with one exception, the Yew. The only tree that will require MAJOR fault correcting is the Box, the trunk has almost no taper and will require extensive carving, having said that it believe that it will make a very credible Chuhin bonsai.

I currently have my eye on a VERY old Rosemary bush, I have approached the owners but they want to keep it because they use cuttings for cooking… my next plan of attack is to offer them a mature Rosemary in a Tub, so they can keep it near the kitchen… and NOT go out to the front garden… it will be mine… oh yes… it will be mine.

One stump NOT featured in this post is my Large Escallonia, members have seen the development of this bonsai over the last three years, it will be potted and shown in the next 18 months. That stump took two years a cajoling, finally securing the plant when the owners decided to move house (probably because of my pestering them)

First the ESCALLONIA with a fantastic Nebari... this is the back of the tree!






A rather large HAWTHORN stump


A Great COTONEASTER with a fantastic Nebari






An interesting BOX, good low branches but lots of work to make a good bonsai




Here is a great YEW with wonderful taper, this is a really fat little tree, it will take quite a few years to develop.




So keep your eyes open, do not be afraid to knock on the door and ask for the tree, be polite... tel the owner exactly what you want to do with the tree... even invite them to your garden.. win them over... what's the worst that can happen!

thanks tony. I realise I'm pushing it her a little, but when you said that the Box willr equire a lot of work, could you give me an idea of what you plan to do? I'm really working in the dark here. I've recently joined a club, but most of the members with some notable exceptions would not consider themselves experts.

do not be afraid to knock on the door and ask for the tree, be polite... tel the owner exactly what you want to do with the tree... even invite them to your garden.. win them over... what's the worst that can happen

So there you have it, all over to Tony's house and ask him for his trees!

Tony,
I still have fond memories of seeing that humongous Escallonia, it was gorgeous then havent you got a little tempter of it now?

And how is the yew in the rock perhaps Bobby would like to see that, and I still don't know how you carried that.......

Dave Martin wrote:

what's the worst that can happen

So there you have it, all over to Tony's house and ask him for his trees!

Whats the worst that can happen... he can tell you to bog off

Dave Martin wrote:Tony,
I still have fond memories of seeing that humongous Escallonia, it was gorgeous then haven't you got a little tempter of it now?

And how is the yew in the rock perhaps Bobby would like to see that, and I still don't know how you carried that.......

Hi Dave all in good time.

Bobby. The Box requires taper and character adding to the trunk, this can only be done with sensitive carving, both with machines and hand tools. This may sound like a Plug for Burrs but... the tree is going to be styled at Burrs by one of the artists... book Here it cannot be explained easily on the forum.

Hi Tony,
Thanks for showing us exactly what can be begged from the neighbours. Generous bunch up North.
This has really given me some food for thought (and a little tear in the eye )

Mmmmmmmmmmmm Cotonester!!!!!
A wee bit larger than the puppies I work on but totally impresive. My dad has one in his garden that he cut right back before I could stop him, although its still growing well, but it should make a nice multi trunk/clump after I've lifted it next Spring. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the result of the Berberis (OK I can't spell) is that we lifted last Spring. Its grown like fury so I'm hoping to have a couple(?) of interesting tress from it.

Thanx again Tony, us newbies need all the assistance we can get

Some great material Tony... the story that interests me is the Rosemary collection. This can be tricky I understand. I have a very larger one that I intend to collect and as it is in my garden, I will have the luxury of preparing it over the next year or two by cutting back and root pruning while it remains in the ground.
Am I being over-cautious? How sensitive are they?

Justin Hervey wrote:Some great material Tony... the story that interests me is the Rosemary collection. This can be tricky I understand. I have a very larger one that I intend to collect and as it is in my garden, I will have the luxury of preparing it over the next year or two by cutting back and root pruning while it remains in the ground.
Am I being over-cautious? How sensitive are they?

Hi Justin, Here in the frozen wilds of Northern England 'mature' Rosemary bushes are quite unusual. I will treat this one with lots of care, removing the largest rootball I can carry... but keeping the tree quite dry as the current location starves it of water... hence its maturity... too wet and it would have been dead years ago.

You live in the pastoral climate of SA (Can I stay during the Soccer World Cup next year?) a climate not unlike mine but way dryer and much better light.

bonsai monkey wrote:I'm really looking forward to seeing what the result of the Berberis (OK I can't spell) is...

You got that one right - it was Cotoneaster you got wrong.

But remind me what the Berberis looks like as I can't picture it (Photie please). I'll probably recognise it instantly and have to put my current memory loss down to brain freeze brought on by having just sneaked a couple of illicit spoonfuls of Haagen-Dazs mango & apricot ice cream smoothie. It's allowed. It's got fruit in it - it's part of my five-a-day!

OK smartie pants, I can help being a wally

You probably won't remember it as it was burried away out back in a large plastic tub!!!!!
Not sure if it's one big shrub or not until the Spring as it was "Stolen as Seen"
I'll keep ya posted,

Okk, Okk,
Simon

Here's the base of a 3-foot Podocarpus I've had for some time now. The top looks S- - - - y, but the base in neat.




Can't seem to get it to have anything but a topknot.

Tony...thanks for the postings...you raise some very good points about collecting. I am never too shy to inquire about plant material from whomever it may be. The attached would have become fodder for the bulldozer earlier this summer on our university campus...a new greenhouse is being built and this azalea was part of a foundation planting around the old building...it was planted in 1973....I am enjoying it now, but don't know if it will survive the winter (fingers crossed)...it was collected during the summer, well past when it should have been.

Regards,
Tom

I just knew you wouldn't be able to resist showing the new Esc off at the first available opportunity, Tony!

With regards to coaxing family/friends/neighbours to part with (often prized) examples of ideal bonsai material, I'm still drawing up my next plan of attack for the thick-as-yer-thigh fuschia round the corner from me. I've also had a trawl round the neighbourhood and found a couple of nice escallonia and a berberis near work with a stunning aged trunk that must measure about 8 ins across. I haven't seen the height/taper of the trunk yet, as a bloody big dog keeps warning me to 'Put the spade down and back away from the gate'.

I'll let you know the minute I succeed in 'winning' any of the above.

Great stuff Tony and thanks for the pep talk on getting up to the door and asking. I had been eying a few older boxwood right down from my house and never asked and then the other day came home to find them all gone and replaced by arborvitae. Ahhh! Why, why didn't I ask?!
I have my eyes on a few other things and I am getting the info on who to ask now and come spring it will be me, a shovel, and a gps.

[quote]You live in the pastoral climate of SA (Can I stay during the Soccer World Cup next year?) a climate not unlike mine but way dryer and much better light.

Absolutely Tony... I will clear out the shed.

If you are seriously thinking of coming out next year, have you contacted any of the local Bonsai clubs? I have no doubt they would be delighted to have you in to share your wisdom (and pay you handsomely with the mighty rand).
I would be happy to put you in touch.

Attached is the view from the shed:

I’ve taken your advice Tony.
My dad has 2 quite large Fuchsias out in his front borders that have been there since he moved in to the house over 30 years ago. I went round last nite to borrow some tools for a project that I’m in the middle of (mmmmmmmmmmm Power Tools!!!) and dropped a hint that if he ever wanted rid I would be interested. Now the thing is I know that he really likes flowering bonsai so next time I have to sort out his Internet connection, which will probably be any day soon, I might accidently drop onto the Wirral site and show him some of Andy Harman’s. Worth a try!!!!

Keep you posted,
Simon

We are a devious bunch.

Hello folks,

nice stumped up thread.

here is one of a few stumps i got only in early march 2012, a carpinus betulus from a hedge of approx 20years old. Lots of work for sure, only some 'annihilation' done (unfinished jins etc), and lots to be grown in the future years to come. To secure its surviving i put it in the ground for this year. Next year i'll have it in a wooden container or such.

I'm sure this one will have a good future, and will change dramatically within 2 to 3 years after the first carving and top has been created (dead wood).

Also good possibilities for deadwood on the rootspread, yammie

[quote="tony"]

Dave Martin wrote:
Bobby. The Box requires taper and character adding to the trunk, this can only be done with sensitive carving, both with machines and hand tools. This may sound like a Plug for Burrs but... the tree is going to be styled at Burrs by one of the artists... book Here it cannot be explained easily on the forum.

Sigh..
Why do you insist on reminding me of BURRS and how much I am going to miss, Tony. Still hating my employer of booking my free time that weekend
Next year Tony, next year

leatherback wrote:Next year Tony, next year

Not sure if you know but there is a photo progression on the work done to this tree already (very nice too! ).

Tony,

I wish I've read this thread when I was starting. Never the less, this is exactly what I did.

Nothing beats what you can actually see but after collecting a few myself, I learned that on most of my best finds, the best feature (nebari and trunk) were actually hidden/buried. I almost walked away from most of these (best finds) only to be surprised later. I usually use possible age as a better benchmark. Collecting data by observing the location/neighborhood, asking questions, etc. you can piece together a better profile whether a specimen is worth the trouble or not.

Just thought I should share this little tidbit.

Here's a privet I grabbed after they took to a hedge with a chainsaw and chopped/skipped the lot... It was dry as a bone, in full sunlight when I lifted it and planted it in the breadbox.



Could anyone do anything with this!??



Bryan

Did you sell the hawthorn stump