Czech Yamadori

Prunus mahaleb No 10 Mahalebs, mahalebs and mahalebs. That is the way our backyard looks like.   No complain though.  Happy to have them.  In fact,  they are one of my most favourite trees.  Apart from sloes, purple red apple trees, pears,  oaks and should not forget hornbeams, birches and number of others. This mahaleb has been  with me for quite a long time.    The basic structure of primary branches has been built as well as the secondary and tertiary shots. Well AlmoST.  There is still missing a good part on the top right.   But it is on the way.   Now we need to get more delicate ramification and REDUCE the size of the  leaves.  Not an easy task for a relatively small tree.  By the way any guess how big this tree is? August 2016 Dead wood detail December 2014 45 cm?  No way. 35 cm?  No! 25 cm? Well nearly.  This little beast is 29 cm tall.

 Prunus mahaleb_The Zorro_a year after Another year has passed and  I am none the wiser.   The "don't  step on the rattlesnake barefooted" jin is still showing above the slowly maturing canopy of green leaves.   Should it stay or should it go? End of Aug 2016 -Front Back You can find the previous article about this pre bonsai in  here  and   here

In the pot from 2012.   Nicely weathered bark and natural deadwood with a lot of character. Cornus mas_available for sale or trade.  Dřín na prodej nebo výměnu The smaller tree on the left is connected with the bigger one with a single surface root.  It can be separated and trained as a shohin or bigger. Current height: 50 cm Price: 220 EUR Possible front Left Right Dead wood on the right Back Dead wood on the back Dead wood on the terminal Width

Cascading Cornus mas It is true.  There are not many cascading deciduous trees around.  In fact, I may have seen just  two or possibly three of them in my life.  Ok,  I have not sat with the other guys at the Round Table but I am old enough to  remember the first shiny dot well above my head with Yuriy on the board. Never mind.   Here is another deciduous cascade.  And I am quite happy with the way it looks now.   Still under development,  but getting closer to the final look. The way we were... A year after   (More details about the transformation  in  here  ) Summer 2016 Dead wood - still needs some more detailed refinement A view from the back.   It looks like a strange creature eating an earthworm...  Well, despite the fact I like it  because it is funny - I will remove the worm later on. And finally - a cherry on the top. Sorry I meant berry for sure. ...

Small trees in my backyard_Acer campestre_ an update The plan for this year is to get more ramification and to improve the nebari. So how do we stand in the second half of the summer? As far as the ramification is concerned - yes the tree looks a bit more mature with better outline.  But there is no second flush of growth.  No idea why is that.   The same for the other 4 trees of the same species.  Different sizes,  but +/- the same cultivation.    Now for the nebari.   There is REALY nothing to write about.   You can see the scar as a result of the slit I have made alongside selected parts of the existing roots.  A kind of partial airlayer.   A few years ago I made the same partial airlayer on another A.c.  The amount of new roots the tree has produced was ENORMOUS.   So I was expecting some good results here as well.   NO.  There are only 2 new roots - one of them visible on the right ...

An Elm yamadori.   Species?  No idea.  Perhaps U. minor? I have not collected  many trees in the 2015 due to the lack of available space in the back yard.   This elm was the biggest from the lot. The tree has grown in the pocket of soil on the rocky hillside of the river Vltava.   First spot in 2012.  Then few years of hesitation: take it or leave it?  I did like the bottom part of the tree but at the same time I was not very fond of the top section.  But at the end my natural greed has taken the upper hand (AGAIN! ) and as from the last year the tree is sitting in a pot. As the elm has responded well to the transfer ( well it is an elm so not a big surprise ) I have decided to jump in the bonsai training a bit earlier then I would normally do.  So in spring 2016  the basic structure of branches has been selected and  wired.   Based on the set up of branches the final height of the tree should be around 80-90 cm. ...

Pyrus communis_PC 4_Spring 2016 Air layer in progress_so far so good Any time I have passed this tree I have got a tingle at the tips of my fingers.  You know that kind of strange vibrations of compulsive need to do something.  Something you know that it is inevitable,  but at the same time that king of thing that could ruin all your past effort and could lead to the termination of the plant.   A plant that I have admired so much for its endurance  and character. My original plan - i.e. to leave the tree as is hoping that the week point at its tachiagari will be overcome by time - was tumbling at least a bit. Long run and uncertain outcome.   For sure - the lower part of the trunk has gained a bit more on the girth but the original disproportion was so dramatic that I could not imagine a believable story the tree could tell about the place it lives.   Well, apart from  telling the truth: This is   A Tree In The Rock. As a concept  I g...