Melaleuca Linariifolia - popped my native cherry

[archie1979]

Gday Everyone I just wanted to let you all know I have jumped on the Native band wagon. Now to keep them alive, should be a since.

This is the Claret top I picked up today I am thinking about a mother daughter type of deal with this one. I have already trimmed a little just to remove some of the smaller twigs and a few crossing branches but let me know what you think.

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Now I have been doing some research and the styling is slightly different for natives from what I can see, more filled in the top and not so much the standard symmetrical triangle of traditional bonsai, or am I just imagining things.

[Amanda]

That's a very handsome Melaleuca..

[Pup]

Melaleuca's can be styled, in the conservative Japanese styles, or as Penjing, or as an Australian tree. As you see them. This tree has all the needs of a mother and child,
design if you wish it to be.

Australian Natives do not have to be as you put it all up top.

Cheers Pup

[Steven]

Way to go Archie!!!
Make me feel very proud that I was there when you made the decision to go native

Now I have been doing some research and the styling is slightly different for natives from what I can see, more filled in the top and not so much the standard symmetrical triangle of traditional bonsai, or am I just imagining things.

Now you are opening up a real can of worms mate... Australian style, what is it?

For inspiration, Why not check out Pup's gallery and also the gallery of entries into our recent Australian Native Bonsai Awards.

Regards,
Steven

P.S. Good luck with your spinal fusion mate!

[archie1979]

Hey Steve,
Thanks for the well wishes. I will have plenty of time on my back to research a style for these trees.

Thanks for the links.

[Mitchell]

Good luck! Been on the "band wagon" for several months now and I can say it's a fun ride!

Can't wait to see where you head with this one, should make for an interesting bonsai.

[ozzy]

Claret tops are excellent material, I picked up a couple at the nursery a while back.

[MattA]

Go Archie,

You finally saw the light...

You can style a native to look like any typical bonsai or you can go for the 'naturalistic' style by looking at how a particular species grows in the wild. As many pointed out in the Australian style thread, we live in a country that has every possible variation of environments and therefore you can find a native to fit with any style of bonsai, traditional & non. If you look at the Callitris I posted here gallery/image_page.php?album_id=20&image_id=150 it screams Penjing or Bunjin(literati) but also screams AUSTRALIA (well to me it does).

I am with Ozzy, Claret Tops makes fantastic bonsai material, they fatten quickly if given plenty of room to run. Can take a chopping and dont mind there roots being stripped bare. In return for the 'abuse' they simply throw out loads of new buds from everywhere and just push on again laughing at us all the while.

Matt