These examples of my work are Juniperus 'prostrata'. On a recent trip to the bonsai nursery i bought about 5 of these plants in starter pots. They weren't in any shape at all and had been in these pots since they left the propagation table. They varied in age from 3 to 10 years old according to the nursery owner.
What i like about these junipers is the flexibility and hardiness. As a landscaper i plant these in very tough spots as they can take most types of soil be it acidic or alkaline, they are drought and salt tolerant and like full sun. As long as the soil is relatively well drained this plant can take a battering while staying healthy and keeping an interesting habit through all seasons.
As a bonsai the younger growth is very flexible which helps enormously when shaping, as well as being very forgiving for a clumsy beginner.
Specimen 1 |
Specimen 1 |
Specimen 1 is a plant that i put straight into a bonsai pot as i was giving it away as a present. Another plus about bonsai is they can make a very good, cheapish (if you stay young and small), personal present which will last a lifetime (only if the recipient is a green thumb).
unfortunately i didn't take any before photos but to explain, this was one of the 3 year old junipers and all the branches of which there were many more lay prostrate. It now stands about 20cm tall from base of trunk to tip. It is in an informal upright style with a semi-cascade branch off the side. This is my favourite to date, mainly because it looks semi finished. It is a shape i wish to recreate one day in a much larger format, creating flat pads of branches on the outside curve of the trunk.
Specimen 2 |
Specimen 2 |
There isn't much technique or thought put into this specimen, i just wanted to try out some crazy trunk shapes which in time and after some thought will lead to some random foliage pads and hopefully an all around funky, interesting plant.
Specimen 3 |
Specimen 3 |
Specimen 3 is another of the 10 year old Junipers. Like all Juniper 'prostrata' they start prostrate. With this one a bit of very thick wire and some careful shaping it now stands in an 'informal upright' style. Clearly
a lot more work to be done on the habit of the tree but i think we are on the right track. When i potted this plant up into this larger training pot i tried to expose the roots a bit and added a couple of small rocks for interest but also to recreate the kind of terrain these plants are found in the wild, up in the mountains of central Asia.
This plant is in the same kind of health as the last one and hopefully the same care schedule will prove to work.
Specimen 4 |
Specimen 4 is a juniper i saw at a bonsai show in Pymble on the weekend. One day i hope to have the skills and creativity to grow something like this. This is the kind of thing i will continue to get my inspiration from, there is no limit to the things these plants can do (with a little help from people).
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