Entry: Chaenomeles speciosa – Flowering Quince – USA
ofBonsai Magazine
Before
This is a Double Take “Pink Storm” flowering quince that I found at a local nursery. I chose this material because it is a faster growing variety of quince and I love the flowers. I intend to define a primary trunk line and develop the branch structure in order to show off the profuse flowers of this variety. Originally I wasn’t sure if this tree would grow with enough vigor to allow me to use it for the contest but after seeing its growth in just a few weeks I decided to give it a try and see what can be accomplished in a short period of time.
One Quarter Progression
At this stage I have reduced the tree from what was essentially a bush to its usable trunk line. All unnecessary branches have been removed and the front chosen.
Half Way Progression
The tree has grown well so far and responded well to the heavy cutback. The primary branches have been placed and the tree has been trimmed back again.
Three Quarter Progression
This tree has now gotten its fall repotting although I did not want to reduce the roots by more than 50% so it will stay in this pond basket for another season. Some of the secondary branches have been wired into place and the planting angle has been tweaked slightly. The next step will be to finish setting the branch structure and prune it to shape. Sadly it won’t have any flowers for the contest but it has produced a few through the summer and they are very nice so creating a structure that highlights the flowers will be my goal.
Final
This tree began as a garden shrub from a nursery. Over the past season it was cut way back and the primary branch structure was laid out. The intention was to create a structure that would showcase the beautiful pink flowers it produces in the spring. The trunk and nebari are good on this tree and with another few seasons they will improve. The plan for the next few seasons is to increase the fine ramification of the branches and encourage the nebari to strengthen. I will also spend the next season searching for an appropriate pot.
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Scores:
Selection: 3
Design: 5
Technique: 5
Final Outcome: 4
Documentation: 10
Originality: 5
Total: 32
Nice result for starting out with extremely challenging material, at least this will look like a tree and not like a bonsai.
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Scores:
Selection: 3
Design: 5
Technique: 4
Final Outcome: 5
Documentation: 7
Originality: 6
Total: 30
Poor selection of material.
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[tab title=”Judge #3″]
Scores:
Selection: 5
Design: 5
Technique: 5
Final Outcome: 6
Documentation: 6
Originality: 6
Total: 33
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