Noelanders. A question.

Will a deciduous tree, however good, win at Noelanders?

Hi Bob,

Udo Fisher won the 10th Noelanders trophy with a maple a few years back

http://carlos-van-der-vaart.ofbonsai.org/files/2009/01/img_7754kl.jpg

It made a change from the usual junipers and pines - I think this was the only year it happened

Cheers,
Duncan

If it ain't big

if it an't a conifer

if it ain't got lots of carved deadwood

it ain't got much chance

Les S wrote:If it ain't big

if it an't a conifer

if it ain't got lots of carved deadwood

it ain't got much chance

Seems to be sad but true (IMHO)

I agree. And it is a shame as there seemed to be a lot of top notch deciduous trees at the show based on the pics I have seen so far.

Yes it is a shame and especially with the amount of time it takes to (and often from scratch) create a well ramified deciduous canopy.Still, Simon Temblett was nominated and won the BCI award. Not bad for a tree raised from a cutting. It's still good to see that "home grown" can compete with really expensive imports.

will baddeley wrote:Yes it is a shame and especially with the amount of time it takes to (and often from scratch) create a well ramified deciduous canopy.Still, Simon Temblett was nominated and won the BCI award. Not bad for a tree raised from a cutting. It's still good to see that "home grown" can compete with really expensive imports.

If it's not in one of the other threads, please someone post a picure of it. There were some beautiful deciduous trees there and I'd love to know which it is. Any guess as to the homegrown vs imported ratio?

R

Here it is Russ.

Thanks Will, that would have been my choice too. It stopped me dead in my tracks when I saw it earlier. What a cool bonsai!!

That is cool. What kind of plant is that btw?

Willow, I assume.

I'd be kinda interested in the ratio between home-grown (or collected) and imported trees -- both sexes (conifer or deciduous) -- too, if it is known.

Yes Jim it's a Weeping Willow. Simon has pioneered techniques with Willows as with more normal bonsai treatment they tend to die back heavily.

It is what we'd call a show stopper - well crafted and unique. Unlike the conifers which to my mind are becoming rather somewhat of cookie cutters.

I'm sure Simon won't mind me pointing out that he pioneered techniques with this species and after some setbacks has achieved the stunning result you see here. His worst mistake, if I recall correctly was using plasticene weights, one season, to bend down the new growth. The tree absorbed chemicals and it nearly died.

Hi,

These deciduous trees are being displayed in their nakedness in winter. They are beautiful. Would it matter then how big the leaves are? Why then do we care about leaf size in deciduous shohin when they too will be displayed in winter? I love the winter image of deciduous trees. Would appreciate some clarity.

Some trees do best when displayed in winter silhouette. Some are OK being displayed dressed and undressed. Some look best only when in leaf . . . or in flower . . . or both.

Often, the trees with the largest leaves are correspondingly coarse in their leafless state. These are the species whose leaves we hope will reduce under bonsai technique.

It is both more difficult and more time consuming to develop a tree with a decent winter look. Many beautiful trees in full leaf look pretty sad when the leaves drop. That includes many of mine, as I just do NOT have the patience required to wire the smallest twigs -- or more truthfully, to UNwire them. I do have a couple, however, which mostly through the benefit of lots of time, have developed decent winter looks. I posted my pear here recently. The other is a Korean hornbeam.

I do like those weeping willows, though. Here's one we see fairly often at the Carolina Bonsai Expo:



You can do the same with other species. Here's an odd-ish bald cypress.

Here's Simon with his award winning tree (Salix Babylonica). I believe that Simon also made the pot too

and the beautiful display table as made by Doug Mudd, Doug also made the table for the raft beech which was also a nominated tree and won the Dusseldorf Bonsai museum award

Another beautiful UK deciduous tree (a raft beech) as mentioned by Les, and apologies to Dougie for cropping off his table (!).....

fiona wrote:It is what we'd call a show stopper - well crafted and unique. Unlike the conifers which to my mind are becoming rather somewhat of cookie cutters.

I agree completely, but that cascade pine ties with this willow for me.

attwass wrote:Hi,

These deciduous trees are being displayed in their nakedness in winter. They are beautiful. Would it matter then how big the leaves are? Why then do we care about leaf size in deciduous shohin when they too will be displayed in winter? I love the winter image of deciduous trees. Would appreciate some clarity.

hi,
While it doesnt really matter about the leaf size a convincing deciduous show tree needs excelent, fine ramification - many of the large leaved trees have much thicker twigs to support them, so the bare view looks quite thick and course rather than fine and delicate.

I think the noel show is very japanese inspired, certainly the judging seems to be, (and while there is nothing wrong with that at all) they will loose a lot of deciduous and native entries in future years and leave the door open to a rival show to get a foot in the door, unless the selection & judging is deemed fair and unbiased by all attendants. I believe one size catagory is nominated each year for one of the main prizes ? - they need to include 'deciduous' as a nominated catagory for a seperate prize as well in future years.

Japanese Import via homegrown makes absolutely no difference - a hypothetical italian or Swiss mountain tree, bought by a man in the Uk then maybe kept at a UK bonsai professionals garden all the time, or just taken there to be styled & made show ready for a show like this, is just as undeserving of a prize for the 'owner' as a newly imported masterpiece. Both types of trees occur at many major shows - but that is the japanese way too. To me the pride and enjoyment comes from working a tree for yourself - if it doesnt win just try harder.

cheers Marcus

i agree there is a danger we get blinded by the showiness of the immediate image of the conifer with all of its deadwood,
but bryan allbright won with a very simple scots pine literati a few years ago!
hopefully some well ramified deciduous trees are submitted and win in the near future!!
i like simons tree too and like the fact it was his seedling, its fanatastic apart from the nebari which would be a deciding factor in a quality show like the noelanders when compared to some other trees.

Continuing the theme of great deciduous trees at Noelanders 2012, here is one of my personal favourites, a Korean Hornbeam in a Tokoname pot. It was awarded a special EBA prize (it did not receive a nomination). The shohin Lonicera "accent" was delightful.

Mark Cooper wrote:Another beautiful UK deciduous tree (a raft beech) as mentioned by Les, and apologies to Dougie for cropping off his table (!).....

Beautiful it is indeed and I can so much identify with it.

Mark Cooper wrote:

Kev Bailey wrote:I'm sure Simon won't mind me pointing out that he pioneered techniques with this species and after some setbacks has achieved the stunning result you see here. His worst mistake, if I recall correctly was using plasticene weights, one season, to bend down the new growth. The tree absorbed chemicals and it nearly died.

and we let our kids play with plasticene!!!