Entry #49
Judge #3: Nice transformation from starting material.
Juniper (Juniperus communis)
Italy
20 cm (7.8")
Before
The plant that I have choose to show is a common juniper, that is my favorite essence. This shrub is very current in the area where I live. The plant was purchased the last winter in a garden center not specialized in bonsai, has a discrete movement of the trunk, much vegetation and is open to different solutions. The plant is in good shape and will be a good challenge for me to be better valued. The first step will be cleaning of vegetation and the elimination of unnecessary branches so as to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the specimen and decide how to proceed. Looking at the plant and studying the Nebari I’ll be able to understand how to develop the work.
One Quarter Progression
First I have cleaned the bark and the vegetation eliminating the unnecessary branches, so I can started to study the base. I worked the Jins with pliers. Observing the plant I looked for the major interesting points. For example the shari that I have created and the sinuous line of the trunk. The observation of the base is crucial to decide the style of the plant and how to set it. It’s necessary to lift the vegetation from behind to front and approach it to the base . I tied reinforcements and wrapped everything up with rubber strip, so as to protect the trunk in the bending points. Slowly and with the help of tie rods I folded and kept in position the trunk. The bending points was not so hard/strong but I preferred to protect them appropriately. The photos were taken between November 3 and Dicember 31, 2013.
Half Way
I have protected the cuts with the healing paste and started to wire and set the branches.
Three Quarter Progression
In this set of photos I have terminated to wire the plant and set the branches.
Final
In this set of pictures it is noticeable how the plant shows its maximal expressiveness even if it is placed into an unrefined pot.
Jin and shari have been treated with liquid jin.
The bark has been brushed and polished with natural oil.
Moss has been placed over the soil in order to make the composition more evoking and elegant.
The plant suggests a mountain landscape: green and sunny during summer, but with folded and broken branches for the weight of the snow in winter time.
Spring is slowly awakening the plant from the winter lull.
During the next vegetative season the plant will be fertilized and treated with herbal-stimulants to overcome the stress of the processing that it was subjected to.
According to the response of the plant it will be possible to plan the following steps.
The maximal expressiveness of the tree is the goal to achieve with time and cultivation techniques.