Great new styling! It would've been nice to see how the roots would've appeared more by tilting the rock forward a bit, that was my first idea and you mentioned it at around 12mins as well.
3 Click cut #1. Big cut #2 WOW! Tremendous improvements looking forward into the future. Oddly Reminds me of many many years ago when my daughters cut their beautiful long hair for the first time. Thanks, keep growing
Do people have bonsai that is styled all the way around that they display on a mechanical turntable kind of display so you can enjoy the tree all the way around? I feel like this tree would be a great candidate!
This was a very good tutorial showing your thought process in making big cuts & the styling of the pine. Think before one cuts would have been a nice title for this video. Excellent work!!!
WOW! I know you are brave sir but that cut must have been difficult to do. In the long run I'm confident you've done the right thing, it's such a beautiful tree with a great base and bark. Thanks for sharing Nigel!
I love the negotiations with yourself before the cut. I'ts also nice way to teach us your styling choices and why you make them. The tree looks so nice after the styling.
BUONGIORNO i gattini dove sono scusa i bonsai sono bellissimi ti seguo tutto i giorni ma gli animali sono bellismi tanti auguri di buon anno ciao Vezio
Woo some mighty cuts today! Looking forward to the rafia work and I think it's a great compromise, sometimes you do need to bend things to make the absolute most of a tree. I use guy wires a fair bit and even have some pebbles on strings weighing down branches on a maple in the garden. Hoping it works well and the same technique may come in handy for your birthday pine too! Thinking out loud a few pieces plaited together should make a pretty strong cord!
Enjoyed watching you work on this Pine. I like the styling decisions that you made on this tree today. A literati tree is a good choice for this plant. Seeing you work with the raffia reminds me of the work of Ben Oki. He visited out bonsai society several times. Such a fine gentleman.
Usually I admire your analyses but I'm really not sure about this one (sorry). OK, you've laid the foundations for a very conventional bonsai shape – but it doesn't look like a miniature Scots Pine. Not for me, but it's your tree! I doubt there's a set of universal grow 'n' clip rules that can be applied to any species any more than the set of conventional bonsai rules (the wired S shape, no branches inside a curve, a correct succession of branching etc) can be similarly imposed. Apologies, I've gone on a bit, but so think I.
You could of just use some wire and keep all the branches you just cut off the tree,now it's going to take you 3 or more year to grow back what you had never the less the front is better for the tree.
Nigel at his most nigel on this video. Big drama. Big trauma for some. I don't know, I think I liked the old front, but I can see that if you want to make a root over rock tree, then the best root view should weigh most in deciding the front. Gotta hope for the best growth development in the future.
It paid of for you nigel to be brave today! Looks 57 % better! You did the right choice s today. Every time i take so much of a pine or a juniper i am afraid i going to kill it. Do you have that fear?
can the needles themselves be trimmed? like halved? for smaller needles? or would they die? can you remove needles from the bottom of a branch to only keep upper growing needles? great transformation! what a difference!
Interesting analysis. Round pot? I really like the view at 11:50. With the roots splayed wide like that they really grab at that rock (*from any side, really). Looking at it length-on like it is the rock looks really high and precarious, and the hand of the tree clinging hold. I might use the visible branch as the apex, wiring that upright with the other branches making up the back and the left and right branches, again wiring that into several planes. But that's not clip-and-grow method.
You have inspired me so much in the past few months! I have used up nearly all my pots from collecting saplings and cuttings this winter, and I already have a Eucalyptus cutting and a rescued scotch brush that I plan on training into something like a bonsai!
A difficult decision in this episode! I don’t envy you Nigel, then again, it’s part of bonsai that I think we all love. Creativity, expression and joy! Thanks for taking us along on the journey of your trees 💚
I’d like to ask, where did you get this rock from? Did you collect it? What’s it’s story? It remind me of the geological formations you see in Dartmoor national park which is where I grew up. The opposite front with the thicker roots shows it best, on the left hand side of that front where the white and yellow lichen meet. Those layers of rock look so familiar 😍
Anyway, sorry for the long comment. I try to only add when I have something to say or ask, today is one of those days! Poor you 😉 thanks Nigel
Holy huge changes for sure! Raffia Eh… I've only just started looking into alternatives for wire…. Although, I would like to try wire, just to experience it at some point. What a great change! Your explanations and contemplation are extremely helpful!
This was such a drama filled ‘edge of my seat’ episode 🤣. One of the great things about watching other people’s tree work is asking ‘what would I do’.
As you rotated the tree I picked my front and what I would do
Then you said you were keeping the original front and I was like NOOOOOOOOOOL NIGEL!!! 🤣
Then you changed your mind to my view and I was like ‘wooooo yeahhhhh!’ 🤣
But yeah the ‘new’ front 1) shows the base better 2) shows the gentle trunk movement better 3) the sharp angle back the other way at the top I THINK is actually a plus; it adds drama and interest to what is otherwise a simple elegant literati style trunk.
So yeah 200% in my option a great choice was made!
As far as the rock lacking interest in that side- nothing a lil epoxy and further building out of the rock structure can’t fix!
47 Comments
Great new styling! It would've been nice to see how the roots would've appeared more by tilting the rock forward a bit, that was my first idea and you mentioned it at around 12mins as well.
Nigel I wanna send you stuff why wont you reply 😢
I was just thinking sometimes nigel, i wish you would use a little wire on your trees. 😊
3 Click cut #1. Big cut #2 WOW! Tremendous improvements looking forward into the future. Oddly Reminds me of many many years ago when my daughters cut their beautiful long hair for the first time. Thanks, keep growing
Garden jute will work just as well as raffia for the job at hand. Good luck
Do people have bonsai that is styled all the way around that they display on a mechanical turntable kind of display so you can enjoy the tree all the way around?
I feel like this tree would be a great candidate!
Such a beautiful tree. I remember when you first showed us this – great progression and those roots give the tree real strength. Cheers Xav
👍👌
OMG Nigel you go wild with that pine. I remember when you start to style her . Look good now .
Big cuts! Takes guts! Setting the future look with awesome roots, nicer taper and movement. Very well done!
Yep, make bunjin style out of it,and you could use wires and just protect the branch with some rubber.
Awesome changes to the tree. I reckon it’s going to be so much better for it in the future ❤
nice marble block
you think it would look nice with roots growing over it ?
This was a very good tutorial showing your thought process in making big cuts & the styling of the pine. Think before one cuts would have been a nice title for this video. Excellent work!!!
WOW! I know you are brave sir but that cut must have been difficult to do. In the long run I'm confident you've done the right thing, it's such a beautiful tree with a great base and bark. Thanks for sharing Nigel!
I love the negotiations with yourself before the cut. I'ts also nice way to teach us your styling choices and why you make them. The tree looks so nice after the styling.
BUONGIORNO i gattini dove sono scusa i bonsai sono bellissimi ti seguo tutto i giorni ma gli animali sono bellismi tanti auguri di buon anno ciao Vezio
Wow! Quite the change! Noice
Making those large cuts is really hard. But if it's going to make the tree design better, they are worth it.
If you used a couple of wires to set the main branches low it would look amazing. I understand that its a tecnique of not your liking thou.
Woo some mighty cuts today! Looking forward to the rafia work and I think it's a great compromise, sometimes you do need to bend things to make the absolute most of a tree. I use guy wires a fair bit and even have some pebbles on strings weighing down branches on a maple in the garden. Hoping it works well and the same technique may come in handy for your birthday pine too! Thinking out loud a few pieces plaited together should make a pretty strong cord!
Enjoyed watching you work on this Pine. I like the styling decisions that you made on this tree today. A literati tree is a good choice for this plant. Seeing you work with the raffia reminds me of the work of Ben Oki. He visited out bonsai society several times. Such a fine gentleman.
Usually I admire your analyses but I'm really not sure about this one (sorry). OK, you've laid the foundations for a very conventional bonsai shape – but it doesn't look like a miniature Scots Pine. Not for me, but it's your tree! I doubt there's a set of universal grow 'n' clip rules that can be applied to any species any more than the set of conventional bonsai rules (the wired S shape, no branches inside a curve, a correct succession of branching etc) can be similarly imposed. Apologies, I've gone on a bit, but so think I.
You could of just use some wire and keep all the branches you just cut off the tree,now it's going to take you 3 or more year to grow back what you had never the less the front is better for the tree.
Nigel at his most nigel on this video. Big drama. Big trauma for some. I don't know, I think I liked the old front, but I can see that if you want to make a root over rock tree, then the best root view should weigh most in deciding the front. Gotta hope for the best growth development in the future.
It paid of for you nigel to be brave today! Looks 57 % better! You did the right choice s today. Every time i take so much of a pine or a juniper i am afraid i going to kill it. Do you have that fear?
Looks nice Nigel!
can the needles themselves be trimmed? like halved? for smaller needles? or would they die? can you remove needles from the bottom of a branch to only keep upper growing needles? great transformation! what a difference!
Have to say what a skilled eye you have, matched only by your bravery in cutting.
Like that you talk us through your decisions and rationale.
I think the tree looks amazing now.
I think this is my favorite project of yours, Amazing!
Perfect 🙂
I think that transformed it into beautiful feminine tree.
Beauty
"The roots are set in stone."😂😂😂
You weren't kidding about the major restyle though. Nice work!
Interesting analysis. Round pot? I really like the view at 11:50. With the roots splayed wide like that they really grab at that rock (*from any side, really). Looking at it length-on like it is the rock looks really high and precarious, and the hand of the tree clinging hold. I might use the visible branch as the apex, wiring that upright with the other branches making up the back and the left and right branches, again wiring that into several planes. But that's not clip-and-grow method.
Bravo! Very bold cuts! I wouldn’t have dared😊
You have inspired me so much in the past few months! I have used up nearly all my pots from collecting saplings and cuttings this winter, and I already have a Eucalyptus cutting and a rescued scotch brush that I plan on training into something like a bonsai!
Wow great art ur passion is so great
A difficult decision in this episode! I don’t envy you Nigel, then again, it’s part of bonsai that I think we all love. Creativity, expression and joy! Thanks for taking us along on the journey of your trees 💚
I’d like to ask, where did you get this rock from? Did you collect it? What’s it’s story? It remind me of the geological formations you see in Dartmoor national park which is where I grew up. The opposite front with the thicker roots shows it best, on the left hand side of that front where the white and yellow lichen meet. Those layers of rock look so familiar 😍
Anyway, sorry for the long comment. I try to only add when I have something to say or ask, today is one of those days! Poor you 😉 thanks Nigel
Looks like a headless woman with her arms lifted upwards, holding the crown of the tree. Very feminine looking at the moment. Nice!
Fantastic choice 👌 I can see this being a lovely tree
I saw this flat top style in Nature when I visited Pompeii Italy and found it interesting and unusual.
Holy huge changes for sure! Raffia Eh… I've only just started looking into alternatives for wire…. Although, I would like to try wire, just to experience it at some point. What a great change! Your explanations and contemplation are extremely helpful!
Bold change but I trust your judgement (as always 😄).
This pine is so awesome, wow, 25 years!
Lot of big cuts and drastic style change but I really like the new look. Very clean and focal point is clear!
This was such a drama filled ‘edge of my seat’ episode 🤣. One of the great things about watching other people’s tree work is asking ‘what would I do’.
As you rotated the tree I picked my front and what I would do
Then you said you were keeping the original front and I was like NOOOOOOOOOOL NIGEL!!! 🤣
Then you changed your mind to my view and I was like ‘wooooo yeahhhhh!’ 🤣
But yeah the ‘new’ front
1) shows the base better
2) shows the gentle trunk movement better
3) the sharp angle back the other way at the top I THINK is actually a plus; it adds drama and interest to what is otherwise a simple elegant literati style trunk.
So yeah 200% in my option a great choice was made!
As far as the rock lacking interest in that side- nothing a lil epoxy and further building out of the rock structure can’t fix!