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The Bald Cypress (otherwise known as the Swamp Cypress) is an incredible looking tree. When turned into a bonsai it becomes even more impressive. It lives in swamps in Florida and grows large “knees” at it’s base.
Picture found at Bonsai North Shore also home of the gigantic Twister
It’s very important to think carefully before you cut off a branch! Remember that you can only make this choice once! It may sound a bit stupid but it’s amazing how many times I have cut something off and thought “hang on, maybe it would have been better where it was…”.
Penjing is where bonsai has it’s roots from. It is a landscape of rocks and trees instead of a single tree as the standard bonsai form. Put simply, it’s a landscape in miniature.
Penjing is very important to bonsai because bonsai is actually a refined version of the art. When we add rocks, models and accent plants to our pots we are actually crossing the boundary into another art form called penjing. Sometimes we cross into this art by accident in bonsai. I am not too sure about this, but it seems the Chinese call bonsai penjing as well as the penjing that we know. Over at Mai Lung Penjing they give a great explanation of how to create penjing and also a good example of junipers in the style on this page. It seems a good site to learn all about the art.
At the Chinese gardens of Yangzhou this have some very dramatic examples of penjing.
Sometimes quite a bit of pressure needs to be applied to a branch to get the desired effect. This can often cause unwanted unsightly wire scars which can take years for the tree to grow back to normality
A good tip to stop your wiring cutting into the branches and trunk is to wrap a small piece of foam around the desired branch before wiring. It usually works best on a branch where a large amount of pressure is about to be applied.
Most trees and shrubs are excellent for bonsai. For others however it is a constant struggle to stay alive.
There is one tree I hate more than any other….
