A SHORT RECENT HISTORY OF A BOUGAINVILLEA.
Posted: February 8th, 2009, 10:22 am
ANOTHER STORY FROM MY BOOK "BONSAI RAMBLINGS"
This tree is a 105 year old ‘Bougainvillea Magnifica’ which was purchased last year from a Sydney
nursery. When purchased, the tree was in a Mica Pot.
What attracted me to the tree was the magnificent taper, exciting nebari and interesting bark, but on the downside the tree had a flat side along the base. Along this flat side had been placed a large rock to camouflage. I recently by chance, met the person who in fact collected this specimen from the ‘wild’.
Apparently this bougainvillea was part of a multi trunk tree that was growing in the Kangaroo Valley near Nowra. Locals estimated that the tree was over one hundred years old back in 1999 and road works meant that the tree was to be bulldozed. When
attempting to remove the tree it was so big that it was decided to cut it into sections, thus the flat side on this tree. In fact the tree is a giant cutting as they were unable to remove any of the root system and had to saw underneath with a chainsaw. The cuttings were then planted into peat and misted regularly, with all six pieces surviving.
The tree when purchased had a canopy of foliage and once I looked into the tree it was noticed that the extremely thick branch and multi trunk tops had just been untidely sawn off. My first thought was to remove the large rock, turn the flat side of the nebari to the rear and repot. I did this to highlight a perfect nebari to the viewer and to try and hide the multi trunk situation at the top of the tree.
Although I admired the beautiful trunk and nebari, I was not happy with the ‘broom style’ canopy or the flat side on the nebari even though it was at the rear.
What made me do a total rethink was when the leaves fell in autumn and the ugly cut ends of the trunk tops were
exposed. I should mention this tree has a diameter across the nebari of 55cm and is in a pot that can be described as very large, being 90cms x 65cms.
After much deliberation, I made the decision to do a
major ‘carve’ and use the flat- sided rear as the new front.
Usually I’m pretty ‘gung-ho’ about restyling a tree but to say this was a very expensive piece of material is an
understatement. A collected privet or olive would have been a challenge but this was a gamble.
I removed most of the foliage and took to the ‘new front’ with my arbotec attached to my angle grinder and proceeded to hollow out the trunk. Whilst carving I discovered some naturally formed hollows in the trunks further up the tree.
My good friend was enlisted with some of his homemade “Boys Toys’ and armed with this heavy artillery we proceeded to drill from the top and connect some of the naturally formed cavities.
Some of the ugly saw cuts have been carved out to make them look more natural.
Bougainvillea when carved is a very fibrous wood, so I will let it dry out before smoothing the carved work out with my dremel.
I am happy with the progress so far but it is a couple of years off realising its potential.
Maybe with the help of a few strong friends the tree may one day be seen at a club show (that’s what my heart says but my brain, back and knees tell me otherwise).
This tree is a 105 year old ‘Bougainvillea Magnifica’ which was purchased last year from a Sydney
nursery. When purchased, the tree was in a Mica Pot.
What attracted me to the tree was the magnificent taper, exciting nebari and interesting bark, but on the downside the tree had a flat side along the base. Along this flat side had been placed a large rock to camouflage. I recently by chance, met the person who in fact collected this specimen from the ‘wild’.
Apparently this bougainvillea was part of a multi trunk tree that was growing in the Kangaroo Valley near Nowra. Locals estimated that the tree was over one hundred years old back in 1999 and road works meant that the tree was to be bulldozed. When
attempting to remove the tree it was so big that it was decided to cut it into sections, thus the flat side on this tree. In fact the tree is a giant cutting as they were unable to remove any of the root system and had to saw underneath with a chainsaw. The cuttings were then planted into peat and misted regularly, with all six pieces surviving.
The tree when purchased had a canopy of foliage and once I looked into the tree it was noticed that the extremely thick branch and multi trunk tops had just been untidely sawn off. My first thought was to remove the large rock, turn the flat side of the nebari to the rear and repot. I did this to highlight a perfect nebari to the viewer and to try and hide the multi trunk situation at the top of the tree.
Although I admired the beautiful trunk and nebari, I was not happy with the ‘broom style’ canopy or the flat side on the nebari even though it was at the rear.
What made me do a total rethink was when the leaves fell in autumn and the ugly cut ends of the trunk tops were
exposed. I should mention this tree has a diameter across the nebari of 55cm and is in a pot that can be described as very large, being 90cms x 65cms.
After much deliberation, I made the decision to do a
major ‘carve’ and use the flat- sided rear as the new front.
Usually I’m pretty ‘gung-ho’ about restyling a tree but to say this was a very expensive piece of material is an
understatement. A collected privet or olive would have been a challenge but this was a gamble.
I removed most of the foliage and took to the ‘new front’ with my arbotec attached to my angle grinder and proceeded to hollow out the trunk. Whilst carving I discovered some naturally formed hollows in the trunks further up the tree.
My good friend was enlisted with some of his homemade “Boys Toys’ and armed with this heavy artillery we proceeded to drill from the top and connect some of the naturally formed cavities.
Some of the ugly saw cuts have been carved out to make them look more natural.
Bougainvillea when carved is a very fibrous wood, so I will let it dry out before smoothing the carved work out with my dremel.
I am happy with the progress so far but it is a couple of years off realising its potential.
Maybe with the help of a few strong friends the tree may one day be seen at a club show (that’s what my heart says but my brain, back and knees tell me otherwise).
firstly let me say it is an amazing transformation, great work. will you need to use some kind of wood hardener to treat the carving. i believe the wood is soft and prone to rot is that right ? the only thing i would have done different is too let the branches come up and out of the trunk a little before dragging them down. but hey different strokes for different folk. 
Peter