This is a little Ulmus parvifolia that i have had for sixteen years. It grew with a weird twist or kink in it which assured it would not be good Bonsai material. It was my wifes first tree so not a lot of attention was paid to it. I decided to ROR it nine years ago and went rock hunting up at Mt Franklin (which is in my backyard nearly) I had a plan and just had to find the right rock. Once the tree was fixed into place and buried totally for three years (the rock, not the tree) It sat and grew. When i had it to a clinging stage i scored the cambium layer and glued rock fragments between the tree and the rock. It then got moved into a training pot and buried again. Every year i would lift it and score the cambium so it would adhere or grow onto the rock. The plan, as good ROR's should, was for the rock and tree to be one. The rocks that were put on afterwards have completely blended and the gaps have all but disappeared. I think that if i keep scoring the cambium the tree should continue growing over the rock. The kink at the trunkline has grown nicely over the apex of the rock and it looks like it has followed the curve on the top of the rock nicely. I have never defoliated this tree and i will now begin the process of refinement. I think this will be a nice tree in another ten years.
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Last edited by bodhidharma on December 7th, 2011, 12:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Advice is rarely welcome, and the one's who need it the most welcome it the least"
I quite like it and what an improvement over the years.Shows what perservence can do. I think the shallow tray compliments the tree and once the trees develops and fill some more ill like it even more i reckon.
Thanks Matthew, I am glad i started taking photographic records. When you work on them all the time you dont notice progression.
harry wrote:Hello to you Mr Bohdihama, I like what you are doing with this combination.
The only thing I find that disturbs my eye is that some of the roots are now as thick as the trunk.
Also has any one noticed the face on the roots or the trunk in picture no 4 he does have a dreamy look.
Harry
[/quote
G'day Harry, havent met you before. I know with the roots and thing, but i am hoping that as the tree swallows the rock it'll all even out. Time will tell. Cant for the life of me see the face.
OHH..ok now isee it.
Last edited by bodhidharma on December 7th, 2011, 12:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Advice is rarely welcome, and the one's who need it the most welcome it the least"
Hi Bodhi , very nicely done .I love ROR with most species , they look as one which is the aim of the game .Most certainly have got some good growing weather , I keep looking at all the work here that could and should be done , but i guess it will still be here next year . Looking forward to a well earned break as soon as i can put 1 foot in front of the other , in the mean time best get back to the job at hand .
I decided to ROR it nine years ago and went rock hunting up at Mt Franklin (which is in my backyard nearly) I had a plan and just had to find the right rock. Once the tree was fixed into place and buried totally for three years (the rock, not the tree) 
It sat and grew. When i had it to a clinging stage i scored the cambium layer and glued rock fragments between the tree and the rock. It then got moved into a training pot and buried again. Every year i would lift it and score the cambium so it would adhere or grow onto the rock. The plan, as good ROR's should, was for the rock and tree to be one. The rocks that were put on afterwards have completely blended and the gaps have all but disappeared. I think that if i keep scoring the cambium the tree should continue growing over the rock. The kink at the trunkline has grown nicely over the apex of the rock and it looks like it has followed the curve on the top of the rock nicely. I have never defoliated this tree and i will now begin the process of refinement. I think this will be a nice tree in another ten years. 
