Nursery special

[buddaboy]

Hi Guys,
Never pass up the chance to go through all the Nurseries around you area, no matter how small or strange. We have one in Gladstone that covers plants that the others don't seem to care about. Anyhoo, i was wandering around my local eclectic nursery one day last August and saw that they had a "Discount Section". When I had a look I noticed a really weird looking tree, identified by the nursery as a Lillypilly.

Slanting Lillypilly01 10-08-2008.JPG

Now the nice lady who owns the Nursery told me the story: 'Last summer we had all that wind, some of the trees blew down. This one lived, so we just cut it off and let it go to see what would happen'. The price for this gem of a tree? $10.00. I said to myself: Self you could probably style this tree as windblown.

So I bought it, got it home and had a good look at the base structure.

Slanting Lillypilly02 10-08-2008.JPG

Then I decided it needed a haircut

Slanting Lillypilly03 10-08-2008.JPG

Slanting Lillypilly04 10-08-2008.JPG

Thn I let it have a short holiday, ie Recovery. After a couple of months I wasn't happy with the growth aspect of the new foliage.

Slanting Lillypilly06 05-10-2008.JPG

So I gave it a little trim.

Slanting Lillypilly07 23-10-2008.jpg

Which helped the tree understand what it was supposed to look like. Three months down the track, I'm ready to start looking at styling.

Slanting Lillypilly08 22-01-2009.JPG

My vision is a multi trunked raft style tree, with a slant in the base and I'm going to keep the exposed roots. It will be in a cascade style or higher angled pot to show that the raft is only grounded at one end. Any suggestions, critiques Gratefully accepted.
Thanks,
Ron

[MelaQuin]

I see it all as simply too straight. The trunk, even for a raft, is too straight. The 'trunks' coming off it are too straight. Judging by the thickness of them I think they are past too much bending. I'm afraid my suggestion would be this could be a waste of time. One option would be to get a shoot a few centimetres from the base and cut off above that to change the direction.

I am contemplating a dogwood in my own garden that was bought on spec and my growing feeling about it's bonsai abilities are focusing more and more on binning. Or I could plant it in the nearby park. Some trees just don't make the grade and I think movement is so very important.

Sorry to be a bit negative but you did ask. And I do know that photos tend to show the worst of any tree, no matter how good. So maybe I am simply not seeing the redeeming features.

[buddaboy]

No no, Its all good. Please dont think Im gunna get upset by someones honesty, I probably wont listen but I wont hold it against you. I posted pics because I want to know.

Ron

[Jon Chown]

Ron - Thinking outside the square is a gift and it is what makes some peoples productions awesome. Have a look at the forest on the tilted slab on this web site http://www.shohin-europe.com/PHOTOS-Japanese ... imura.html while it is not the same as what you have got there are some striking similarities with the way that the branches have formed trunks of the original trunk. Have a think about how you could plant this to show it at its best.

Good luck with it - nothing ventured - nothing gained.

Jon

[buddaboy]

Jon, Ive always liked the saying "There is a very fine line between Genius and Stoopidity". As I could never see myself as a Genius, that only leaves me with only one option.

Thanks for the weblink, It is the Breadth and width of knowledge shared about that makes this the best helping website ive been able to find. I hope someday to be able to help others with their issues & problems, even if it is: 'Dont do this to your tree because a guy showed us pics of his trees and he stuffed them'.

After my shift Ill try to do an artists impression of what I think the tree could look like.

Thanks,
Ron

[Jon Chown]

Nah Ron the only one who is stoopid is the one who doesn't have a go.

Jon

[Elias]

Hi Ron,

When I saw your Lilly Pilly I thought 'hmm interesting'....it reminded me of this,

http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATdamagedhawthorn.htm

I know the plant is obviously different but maybe it might give you some ideas.

Good luck, hope to see some updates in future.

Cheers,
Elias

[buddaboy]

This morning I gave it a little Haircut. I also wired it up and have come up with a cunning plan for it.

Slanting Lillypilly08 26-01-2009.JPG

Please feel free to tell me what ive done wrong. Dont look too closely at my wiring skills as you will be tempted to drive up here & kick me.

Ron

[Asus101]

http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATdamagedhawthorn.htm

[Bretts]

I understand some issues that have been raised but I like were you are heading with this. I think in time you will decide to go a bit lower on the main trunk(near the end) but I can see this in the future with some background setting that will go with the balancing act this fallen tree can decipit.