The Italian Job

[anttal63]

More Oaks!!! Check out the tree on the right, he is doing thread grafts

[GavinG]

These shapes would be good in ground-grown casuarinas... Who's up for it?

Thanks for posting.

Gavin

[anttal63]

These shapes would be good in ground-grown casuarinas... Who's up for it?

Thanks for posting.

Gavin

Already a step ahead of ya !!!

Gavin a great point you make and i believe the next challenge for field growers is to simulate Yamadori shapes rather than cookie cutter moyogi's. Although some more CC's available on the market wouldn't be such a bad thing. That way i got a better base to cut down to !!!!!

[Olivecrazy]

Looking at all there wild stock makes me want cry going tree hunting this weekn see what i can find

[anttal63]

It doesnt stop there Andrea likes his Ulmo Campestre also !!!

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[anttal63]

Looking at all there wild stock makes me want cry going tree hunting this weekn see what i can find

When i started Bonsai and had the pleasure of meeting the best for the first time. The one thing he said to me that i didnt understand then was; "In Australia we lack the material" We dont really have high altitude, we cant import without killing 9 in 10 trees and our laws and penalties are severe. As the years passed i got it !!! I then started to become very fustrated with my bonsai because i realised that it didnt matter how much i improved, what did it matter if you havent got the stock to apply it to. Thank god ive moved on because i almost gave it up... So now one has to take every oppertunity presented to him. By that i mean being very selective about what stock you work on. Growing, collected or purchased. Spend the time improving the best stock you can get your hands on and let the rubbish go. This is not said to offend anyone and it is directed to a certain kind of bonsaist. Nutters like me !!!

[Brad75]

Hi all,

Some pretty impressive trees anttal. Makes me want to field plant.

Cheers,

Brad75.

[craigw60]

Extraordinary trees Tony all of them but being a big fan of deciduous trees the field maples really caught my eye. No amount of field growing is going to produce trees of that quality, not in one lifetime anyway.
I guess we have 2 options either lament the fact that we don't have access to great collected material or pull our fingers out and produce trees of a different nature. I am looking at my growing on stock now and think the path for me from here on in is to aim for chunin size trees. I think good ones should be very achievable in 10 - 15 years.
Craigw

[anttal63]

Extraordinary trees Tony all of them but being a big fan of deciduous trees the field maples really caught my eye. No amount of field growing is going to produce trees of that quality, not in one lifetime anyway.
I guess we have 2 options either lament the fact that we don't have access to great collected material or pull our fingers out and produce trees of a different nature. I am looking at my growing on stock now and think the path for me from here on in is to aim for chunin size trees. I think good ones should be very achievable in 10 - 15 years.
Craigw

Indeed mate we just gotta do the best we can on the best we can I certainly like your thinkin as far as chuhin goes, Probably my fav size these days !!!

[Craig]

I guess we have 2 options either lament the fact that we don't have access to great collected material

There would be some species we can't collect with great character but there are definately alot of Natives out there with great character. Character imo which is on par with the stock shown, people need to spend alot more time Looking for quality trees to collect because they are there. It takes many outings and more than a 5 minute walk from the car to find it though . Happy Hunting

[Olivecrazy]

I guess we have 2 options either lament the fact that we don't have access to great collected material

There would be some species we can't collect with great character but there are definately alot of Natives out there with great character. Character imo which is on par with the stock shown, people need to spend alot more time Looking for quality trees to collect because they are there. It takes many outings and more than a 5 minute walk from the car to find it though . Happy Hunting

Ive defently seen a lot of natives over the years that would make great bonsai but had no idea what they where ive never been into natives really . Craig is right about quality trees are out there some time you will get lucky but most the time its hrs of looking ive done the hanging from the side of cliff thing (pine didnt make it ) . The way i see it its how motivated you are
i look for places that are rocky, steep & cliffs dont scare me of basicaly the harder it is to get to a spot the better chance you have of finding good stock

[Craig]

Yes and you must be willing to trial species which are NOT mainstream.

[anttal63]

Here's a plum for my mate !!!

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[anttal63]

Hey hey hey ; time to ramp things right up again and by that i mean its time to visit cat town !!! Some of the bigger powers of Italian bonsai. Who better to start with than Enrico Savini. 37 yrs of age, formerly from Bologna and now resides not too far away in Monteveglio. Here is what most would call his signature tree. It is a Juniper Phoenicea. One of if not the best in Europe !!!

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[Olivecrazy]

If i ever find a tree even half as good as this one i will dig it regardless of location , native or on a cliff