Looking back….we can tell a tree’s story…..admire an image…..capture a moment…..remember a special event…..be inspired – to create a memory for tomorrow.
I hope you enjoy this regular peep into some of John’s bonsai history.
Memory Lane – Cedrus Atlantica Glauca
I think it was around November 1999 when I did my first demo for the Norfolk Bonsai Club. I had taken with me this rather large garden Cedar with the idea of making it a bit smaller….a bit more manageable…. and hopefully a bit more like a bonsai.
Wired, bent and twisted, by the end of the evening the tree was certainly smaller, just as heavy, but undoubtedly more like a bonsai……I was generally pleased with the outcome.
The third picture shows the tree in 2001.
During 2001 the tree continued to grow well and the wire had to be removed….the tree lost it’s shape. Time for some judicious pruning, some work on the deadwood jin/shari and eventually a rewiring.
The third picture above was taken by Paul Goff in his studio. Craig Coussins had asked me to do an article for his new book “The Bonsai School” and so I decided to tell the story of this Cedar. Paul obliged by providing me with a studio shot of the tree’s current position.
The story continued…..the tree continued to grow…….refinement of the branches and extensive smaller bud development was a joy to watch. The first picture was in April 2005 whilst the next four pictures were taken later in the summer. You will see he is now in a ceramic bonsai pot.
The last picture above was taken in July 2006. Colour, growth and vigour are excellent. He now has a nice new Walsall Studio pot.
It was shortly after this that the tree and I sadly parted company. A bonsai enthusiast was seriously interested in the tree and after much deliberation I finally decided to sell him. We had come a long way together but maybe it was time for him to have a new life, a new beginning. Ironically his new owner came from Norfolk and was there when he was created with the first styling. I hope he is still going strong in his new home.