Douglas Fir: A Twisted Turn on Classic Design [Bonsai]
Another Douglas Fir is pictured here. Check out some photos of this tree. It is part of my collection of over 30 young bonsai trees I am sharing on the blockchain this month.
Covered in flexible wires, this tree and I have butted heads a few times with indecision.
About two years ago, I removed the top of the tree, and it caused many of the side-ward branches to spider out. The tree has always remained that way, showing me a strange character of a monster instead of regrowing a new thin trunk like I thought it should do.
Last year, I found one of the top branches could be bent back upward into a shape somewhat similar to the top area of the trunk that was removed. It looks like by wiring up these top branches, I will be able build a ladder of new trunk pieces to help the tree grow upwards again.
So many twists and turns from every direction. The tree is permanently affected by the decisions I made to alder its shape. To ensure that the small low branches continue to grow, I must always re-angle the branches above to prevent the needles from being shaded out.
The thing I like most about this tree is that is looks ravaged. A good bonsai tree has a good story behind it. This tree looks like it has been pushed by glaciers to me, and it has grown branches into weird shapes to find pockets of sunlight under the shadows of other trees. Perhaps it endured a forest fire, and like a phoenix it survived death and is reborn with new life, though changed as an expression of its past ordeal.
Currently this is the angle above the I think makes the best front. The tree is healthy and still growing bigger. It is getting a bit to large for this small pot, so I may consider switching it to a large pot this year.
Historical Information
ID: 0017
Nickname: Elsa
Type: Douglas Fir
Age: 5 years
Grown: yamadori (collected from my own yard)
Last repotting: spring 2018?
Wired: August 2019?
Additional articles featuring this tree by @creativetruth:
- Bonsai Wiring Paranoia
- Fantastic Tour of my Spring Bonsai Collection
- Helping Hands: Support found when I least realized I needed it most
- Garden Tour: Happy Memorial Day
- Douglas Fir: Getting into Shape for Spring
- Observing Mini Douglas Fir in Summer
Be sure to follow my work this week. I'm in the process of sharing the whole host of bonsai trees in my collection. There is over thirty trees I am growing. That means you can enjoy more than a month of fresh content from @creativetruth's back porch.
Share the goodness with me.
Photos in this post are all #originalworks by @creativetruth, unless stated otherwise.
Find me on discord and chat with other tree growers, bonsai enthusiasts, and gardeners. We have quite a few accredited experts filling out our ranks, and a helpful Spanish-speaking community.
#fir #douglas-fir #green #bonsai-wiring #inspiration #hobby #native-tree
Is there any other phoenix than a ravaged one?
My "Advachiel" pine is 30 yrs old and has been shamelessly butchered by my early attempts to create forest fires for it (ah,... the art of wiring). I think Japan will decline me a visa for it...(sad face).
Francis, the elm, fares no better (going for the upright look): I love growing trees, and have to keep them small to be able to look after them (in my tiny garden) but remain in two minds about how much to train them - as if I am the landscape and weather god....Can't help loving bonsais though...
Very funny. I like your sense of humor. Thanks for sharing your tree photos. They look a bit unhealthy to me. Do you think it is the soil or weeds, or are they out of season?
They are ok, healthwise, in the sense that they have plodded on much in the form they are currently in for the past 10 years or so. In fact Advachiel has been the worse for wear, fancy that! They surely are very ragged by nature now, and so it is inspiring to have found your passion. One doesn't have to live in a Zen monastery to be able to keep a nice bonsai!
The pine keeps on putting out fresh sprigs each spring, and Francis has suffered a bit from the drought so has decided to go into an early autumnal retirement. Due to neighbourly tiffs (over the fence, of course, which I deem in need of repair, but call me crazy) I have shamelessly neglected all in the garden, this past year. The ox-daisy (not quite a weed, but here perhaps) doesn't help the elm get the nourishment it needs, of course, you are very observant in that. But Francis has so many stories to tell, he just collects new friends all the time to sit at his feet.
Hola @creativetruth, esta hermoso ya va tomando forma, gracias por compartir tan laboriosa tarea, Feliz día…
Hello @creativetruth, this beautiful is already taking shape, thank you for sharing so laborious task, Happy day...