Page 64 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2016Q3

and uncanny disposition to win the battle against the
elements have always been the source of inspiration in
my creation process. With this in mind, the puzzle of
how to humbly recreate my version of the Mysterious
Forest began.

The Material
Back in 2010, my good friend Mr. Ken Chen,
brought me eight Juniperus chinensis trees, container-
grown by his uncle for more than twenty five years,
previously ground trained for an additional twenty
years. At first glance, the material was a bit weak,
as manifested by juvenile form foliage and uneven
overall growth. Upon further inspection, I realized
that the trees had not been transplanted in a long
time and were unable to absorb nutrients properly.
Visually, the material had sinuous trunks, pleasing
interplay between live and dead portions and had a
wild quality that lent itself to represent what I had
in mind: the image of Taiwanese high mountain
junipers. Furthermore, some of the trees had
drooping branches that trailed close to the ground,
Top left and middle; The
material for this forest was a constant characteristic present in the high altitude
ground-trained for twenty alpine forest.
years, then container-grown
for more than twenty five
years. The juvenile form foliage
and uneven overall growth are
a sign that the trees have not
been transplanted in a long
time.

Middle row; Some of the trees
had drooping branches that
trailed close to the ground, a
constant characteristic present
in the high altitude alpine
forest.
Bottom; After improving their
general health, five of the
original eight trees brought
to me by Mr. Chen were
finally selected in 2011 as the
material to be incorporated
into the Mysterious Forest

62 | BCI | July/August/September 2016