Sometimes I work on nursery trees, sometimes I work on client’s trees……and sometimes if I’ve been a really good boy I get to work on my own trees. Hopefully these regular visits will give you an insight into what goes on behind closed doors……….
Studio Stories – Academy 2015 Two “Tanuki’s” ……Preparation…..
Last week saw the first session of the year for the Academy Six group. The subject of this class was creating Tanuki bonsai. This is also known as a wraparound or driftwood style bonsai and is often referred to as a “pheonix graft”.
Examples of similar bonsai created in the past were put on display to illustrate the technique and were discussed accordingly.
The students first selected from some dead stumps we had acquired. Any remaining bark and wire was removed and the stump itself was generally given a total overhaul.
The students then selected a young Ittogawa Juniper and discussed exactly where it would be fixed to the dead stump. Grooves were made in the deadwood where necessary to accommodate the live trunk.
During our next session in Spring the Juniper will be fixed to the stump and the whole thing potted up in a training pot. The stumps will be treated with lime sulphur before the next meeting.
After a good days work the stumps are looking really good and the final tree image for the future can be appreciated. Watch this space and I will bring you an update in due course.