Hornbeam Group

[Leigh Taafe]

Hi Everyone!

In an effort to get some discussion and activity going in this forum that we all love I am going to offer up a bunch of pics for open comment.

I am open to any comment, criticism, advice, etc, etc.

You wont hurt my feelings, I am prepared for anything.

I am just happy to offer up material for discussion.

Cheers,
Leigh.

Here is the third one.....A Hornbeam Group

Picture 023.jpg

[marleeney]

Hi Leigh
How can one say anything bad about these lovely hornbeams. I have a large hornbeam bought from Ray Nesci a few months back. As it was too hot to pot at the time it is still in the foam box. Apparantly, Ray grew a few from seed and this is one of them. I am a novice to bonsai and would love some info on the hornbeam and what to do with it. I believe it likes the cooler weather? When can I pot etc. Would love some info on this species. It has to be styled etc.
Many thanks for your time
Marleeney

[Bretts]

As much as I love hornbeam I sometimes feel they don't make the best Forrest in this size tree. I guess it is the leaf size.
I would be thinking that the top of the trees on the left need to have a finishing line that points out to make more sense. I may look at adding a considerably larger tree somewhere at the front of the group to improve the appearance of leaf size but I would say this is personal preference and may not even work as I envisage.
With all that said I think this is a great quality hornbeam setting.

Edit:

How can one say anything bad about these lovely hornbeams.

[Kelv]

Thats very nice!
I've always liked the foliage color of Hornbeams, all refreshing and light looking... kinda looks tasty even (I'm not being very constructive I must say)
Buuuuut aside from that I wanna give hornbeams a shot sometime, a gigantic one... over a metre tall

Are they finicky trees?

[Asus101]

I think this sort of forest should be shown in winter silhouette or autumn colour.

[anttal63]

i cant do a virt on this one; i find it difficult, unless i was to halve the height of this group. the palcement you have got in at the base area is excellent. love the way trees move and the way the path draws you in...BUT... by a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the way up the trunks, they become monotonous and boring. this group needs some serious trunk choppin and growing on. it has a long way to go. the foundation is there though.

[stymie]

I like them. As a quick fix for now, I would remove the top 3-4 inches from the tallest tree and create a little negative space between the two groups at the top. The outline is otherwise good and only needs smoothing out where bits stick out.

[Brad Loma]

I think this sort of forest should be shown in winter silhouette or autumn colour.

The species...maybe. This planting...wont look good bare of folaige, very little structure to it, no ramification to talk of. As previously stated, they become boring as you go up the trees. Individual placement is good.
B.

[anttal63]

I think this sort of forest should be shown in winter silhouette or autumn colour.

as brad already pointed out that would only show all the floors.

[Asus101]

I think this sort of forest should be shown in winter silhouette or autumn colour.

The species...maybe. This planting...wont look good bare of folaige, very little structure to it, no ramification to talk of. As previously stated, they become boring as you go up the trees. Individual placement is good.
B.

I was talking about this type of planting, with a large leaf variety of tree. This still needs a great dead of ramification work.


Ant, cheers for that echo, but "flaw" is "flaw", not "floor"....

[kcpoole]

the major tree just sticks out the top and is not in harmony ( height wise ) as the otheres.

Ant I think has it nailed by saying they are all nice til tey get to the top half and they become boring.

for some reason the bare are on the left of the pot seems to noticeable for me.. Cannot quite figure why

[LLK]

Hi Leigh,

Some really good comments here, don't you think?
I have a big European hornbeam myself and love the way it branches, which allows the creation of a nice outline when it's in leaf.
It is at its most beautiful in Spring, with its light grean foliage. Being very sun- and wind sensitive, the edges of the leaves tend to turn brown in Summer and of course there is no Autumn colouring, since the leaves just turn brown and shrivel. Also, the tree retains its dead foliage in Winter.
The leaves don't reduce much, so it has to be a big tree to keep the foliage in proportion. The trunk thickens easily, it seems, and that is where your landscape starts worryi ng me. The trunks are too close together to allow optimal development, while the trees still have a lot of growing to do.
The second thing is that the two separate groups have something artificial. Maybe the sugge3stion given above, of adding another, bigger tree, would solve that problem.
I hink it's too early for a shallow bonsai pot.

Best wishes,

Lisa

P.S. - I forgot to mention that pruning has to be done while the tree is dormant (like the beeches). It does not branch out again in Summer.