Ulmus Minor/ European Field elm

I love the work you have done. Love the roots, nebari, the dead wood, the open hollow, all the details.

Really nice tree.

Except one item, that may be my personal taste. If it were my tree, I don't like the angle of the first segment in relation to the pot. From your front, it comes up at a 90 degree angle from the soil line. The first segment looks like the start of a formal upright. It gives a sense that it is not part of the whole tree. Somewhat disconcerting.

Now I realize this tree, and its well developed nebari is past the point where you could change the planting angle much. But perhaps you could change the image by choosing a different "front" for the tree. One of this side views would be a better "front" in terms of unifying the top half of the tree with the gnarly, nebari.

Just my personal taste. I know it would be too difficult to change the planting angle significantly. Perhaps a slight change in planting angle, combined with a rotation of the tree would do the trick.

Just my 2 cents. I would be proud to own this tree, it is a very nice composition overall.

Cheers Leo for your comments, i understand what your saying about the tree going up and then bending away, ive never really looked at it like that.
The planting angle can indeed be changed, but for now it will establish and develop as it is for a few years without re potting. because tbh i still dont know what the front of the tree is, i enjoy viewing it from all angles.
it sits on a rotating plate on my balcony and i turn it all the time, this is my current favourite view, which is a slight change of what i chose as the front



But then from here it has more taper and flow but loses power and leans back a little, but that could change if tilted forward


a further rotation shows good taper, nice nebari spread and flow, but the branching needs to be developed and it needs one or two branches to sprout from the right side of the trunk, maybe this is a potential 'primary view'



i like the tree from here too, but its obviously leaning away


so yeh, it just needs some time to develop, will update later in year, thanks for the comments everyone.

damn bobby... all these replies and i cant even see the pics you posted here and your other threads
(web filter here at work)

are you posting pics someway other than the forum's photo host ?
(the forum hosted ones seem to get thru the filter...)

Not sure why you can't see them, if i log out i can still see them even from my phone, you can see my latest pics ive posted on my Flickr account in my sig.
I use photobucket to host the pics but some of the URL were copied/pasted from threads on another forum, that maybe why. but photobucket is such a pain and so frustratingly slow im not doing it all again even the images dont resize properly at times, so will update in spring, but next time ill do them all directly from photobucket

Sorry buddy

no sweat bobby... i dont imagine i'm the only one with an issue...
photobucket is a "dirty" site and that explains why i cant see them...
(by "dirty" i mean spammy...)

if photobucket is slow and frustrating it is because they want you there longer to generate ad revenue

the photo hosting site within this forum is pretty hassle free

I wonder if you can see them now? took the lock off a few albums, not sure if this was the reason...

Cheers

nope !
still nothing...

BUT i had some time at home last night (no filter) and perused the pictures...
and i gotta say i too really dig it and it looks like nice work on your part !

421829_382823388409963_257140404_n by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

This one underwent a few changes since the last post. potting angle is a lot better and the tree looks more stable and grounded. i cringe at the earlier photos, thanks for the suggestions everyone. part of the apex also died off and a lower branch wired up as a leader. still, its grown well this summer and winter will reveal the work ive been doing...

IMG_2386 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_2387 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Here's an update

July 2017
IMG_5103 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Sept 2017
IMG_5457 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_5471 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Future plans will be to get more foliage over the front of the trunk

Very nice elm with a great trunk movement, Bobby. Do you have any special reason to cover the trunk by the foliage?

Hi Vlad, im striving to create a tree as it would appear in nature.. foliage covering the trunk usually from all angles, i dont want to cover the trunk entirely but obscure it so the trunk line is still visible through the foliage, Just a matter of training a couple branches into the empty spaces really and developing the crown

It's becoming really nice!

You know I'm not a fan of dead wood, but this one looks really natural: I love it

Thanks

Here's a before and after without leaves

Nov 2014
IMG_4776 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Jan 2018
IMG_6274 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Majority of us are trying to style the branches in a way that " a bird could fly through". Bobby, you are much further. On this tree the birds could fly even through the trunk...

As like the tall and slim shape of the crown of Ulmus minor I am more attracted by the Nov 2014. But I am sure you have better design in your mind. Looking forward to follow the development of this tree.

Hi Vlad, thanks
The old apex had died off, thats what prompted me shortening to a lower leader, the new leader just needs to thicken and the crown needs more development and filling in all around now. but the basic structure is set and a lot of what im doing now is clip and grow

old apex
IMG_1711 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_1714 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

the tree is more powerful now but has lost some grace and femininity:)
i think its a better tree now, but depends on taste.

i used some stain in the hollows a good while ago, but im thinking of shaving it out and leaving the natural colour of the wood to weather normally. im also thinking of tieing the small uro to the big one. but ill only do this if i think it improves the tree. but to my eye, the small uro in the top would be more convincing if it blended into the big one.

ps
its a myth that birds actually fly 'through' trees..........they fly 'into' trees, i heard Walter pall say this. its true, often birds fly into trees and take perch on a branch or fly into a hollow and build a nest

So i did a virt to show what i mean by joining up the Uro..... yay or nay?

@Alain, i know you will say nay

Anyway, its just a thought...

IMG_6274 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

With all due respect to Mr WP he is just trying to entertain in this case. First this saying is something just imaginary for the stupids like me to highlight the need for negative spaces and second birds fly through the crowns not only if they flee from danger but often if they just feel it is better for them. I guess they have never heard of Mr WP.

The brown/choccolate colour of the wood inside hollows are in my oppinion quite common. It is protected from the elements, sometimes there are remains of rot or a partial discoloration of the core wood. I have seen some old trees that have the wood inside the hollows burned to the cracking black (shou sugi ban kind of ). Unfortunately there are not that many " ancient " tree with uro around my place. I think that UK is much better on that.

Joining up the uro: I think it is a good idea. If the tree is mine I would start with connecting both of them just under the bark only. I would also extend the upper uro towards the lower one a little. Then I would decide how to proceed further.

Vlad wrote:With all due respect to Mr WP he is just trying to entertain  in this case.  First this saying is something just imaginary for the stupids like me to highlight the need for negative spaces and second birds fly through the crowns not only if they flee from danger but often if they just feel it is better for them.   I guess they have never heard of Mr WP.

The  brown/choccolate colour of the wood inside hollows are in my oppinion quite common.  It is protected from the elements, sometimes there are remains of rot or a partial discoloration of the core wood.   I have seen some old trees that have the wood inside the hollows burned to the cracking black (shou sugi ban kind of ).   Unfortunately there are not that many " ancient " tree with uro around my place.  I think that UK is much better on that.

Joining up the uro: I think it is a good idea.   If the tree is mine I would start with connecting both of them just under the bark only.  I would  also extend the upper uro towards the lower one a little.  Then I would decide how to proceed further.    

That is true Vlad, rotted wood in the wild can often take on a brownish colour...

Good point about joining the Uro just under the bark only, this is what i was thinking, just using a scalpel to define a thin line which connects both uro and merely peeling back the bark.

Ill spend some more time looking at the tree before doing anything else, thanks

Tree is looking very good!

Nice movement, proportions and a natural branch structure. No doubt with time the ramification will improve as well and it will get even better.

Very characteristic of old trees in the UK countryside in fact , which I know is what your aiming at, so that is also a success but ............I wouldn't join the two hollows.

It's not that it would necessarily look unnatural it's just that I think you would actually lose a lot of character rather than gain it.

I like both the shape and the size of the existing hollows, the way they relate to each other and even the character of the bark between them. There is a subtlety to them (even though they are already quite big) and although I realise that in reality the single large hollow you are proposing will not appear as dark as it does in your virtual image I think there is still a danger that it will be too visually dominant.

This tree has a lot going for it, I think it would be a shame if (visually speaking) it became all about the big hole in the trunk.  

Regards

Richard

After more thought, im in agreement about the hollows Richard, i decided to leave them apart from removing the ink inside, ive left the natural colour, they will weather naturally....
2018-01-17_09-23-35 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i also did some work on the big dead root, from some angles it appeared a bit lop sided, rather than reduce it, ive made it more of a feature, from the back anyway

its all dead here, just been taken right up to the live bark, the whole thing is rotten inside, but still live in the base of the root
20180116_145856 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20180116_145827 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20180116_201314 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20180116_201426 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
20180116_201442 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

Back
IMG_6356 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

will do a little more detailing and treat the root with wet rot wood hardener

Very nice and also very natural.

I also like that you can just see through the hollow out to the other side.

Excellent!

regards

Richard

Really good carving on the dead root. Very nice.

I like the uro separate also. The natural color is fine. I have seen ink used to mimic burning inside the trunk, often it ends up looking over done. The natural color is good.
This is a really good tree. Nice work.