Monday 30 December 2013

Yamadori Crataegus & Prunus, December 2013

I'll let the photos do the talking...

















Crataegus and Prunus bagged and ready to go.
My favourite of the haul was this large hawthorn. When selecting yamadori, I look for movement, taper, character and bark... This tree has the lot and is very old! It has very unusual nebari with a secondary trunk (apparently a separate tree) self grafted across the base - clutching a limestone rock. Is it a fault or does it add character? You decide!

My big hawthorn as found.



Pruned and ready for digging.


Front?

Back?


The Unique nebari, clinging to limestone.

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Shohin Scots Pine (from nursery stock)

Last weekend I picked up a small Scots Pine from a local garden centre.  I generally try not to buy nursery material - preferring to put my money into petrol in the car for yamadori hunts, but I was tempted into parting with my hard earned £25 so as to have some 'ready-to-work' material for practicing the techniques that I learned from Pavel at Burrs.

Before



After
Usually when styling a tree, I have a very clear image in mind, but on this occasion my focus was more on technique than design - emulating what I had learned from Pavel. It was not until I had finished the styling that I realised just how close an image I had created to the Mugo that Pavel and I styled at Burrs! (An inferior version, of course.)


The Mugo that Pavel & I styled at Burrs