AusBonsai

This is the second thing Shannon Young repotted for me last Saturday. It’s a gollden Chinese Juniper, Juniperus sinensis “Aurea”. Originally it was a garden shrub with 5 trunks. I dug it up in 1997. I kept 1 major and 1 lesser trunk and carved the remainder. Since 2002 it has changed very little, I’ve just gradually accentuated the windswept look. As is typical of Chinese junipers, the juvenile foliage is needle-like and the adult foliage is scale. To have the two kinds together on the tree is not very attractive, so after the main Spring growth I remove or shorten part of the juvenile foliage, leaving whatever I would like to develop into scale foliage. On the tree below, no juvenile foliage is left.
Shannon did a great job repotting it. He is so conscientious – gives me a complex, no kidding. The pot is again a mica pot and I like it, because it does not look heavy.

Lisa

Great looking tree Lisa! I'm jealous. It looks so natural, especially the nebari. Love it.

Thanks a lot, Raging Bull. I used to love carving, but I'm past the age where wrists are strong enough to cope with the recoil of electrical tools. I'd tell anyone with a big enough tree to do some carving on suitable branches or trunks, it's fun and it adds a lot to a tree.

Lisa

Hi Lisa, agreed a very natural looking tree. Moving toward the windswept is a must and i hope it keeps evolving for you. Great stuff.

Thank you, bodhidharma. I was lucky to have the right material for a windswept tree. That style is really fascinating, but so hard to get right! I've wanted to ask Steven for an AusBonsai windswept/windblown competition for a while, but haven't got round to it. Anyway, it probably wouldn't be very popular.

Lisa

Better photos (I hope). This juniper is still in a protected spot, because of the frosts we've been having. It is doing very well.

Lisa

I like the blue backdrop Lisa, and the tree of course.

Thanks, Watto. I should have ironed that sheet, though!

Lisa