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A Larch from seedling to shohin after 12 years

This small Larch was purchased as a seedling from Yves Létourneau in 2010.It was always cultivated in containers. 12 years later it becomes a shohin with its first ceramics. Year after year changes are incremental, almost noticeable. Another layer of cambium becomes xylem, another branch bifurcation increases entropy. Fissures appear on the bark. 12 years to build a tree. This is only the beginning of its journey. ...

April 23, 2022 · Philippe

Pruning and wiring of a collected Larch

This old Larch was collected in a distant land and has know cold winters. I am his protector since 2015. This tree was initially parallel to the ground and it took two repottings to straighten the trunk and sever the roots that emerged halfway along the trunk. I now focus on the ramification and developing the apex. The uppermost branches will be changed into jin when the desired shape and development is achieved. ...

April 22, 2022 · Philippe

American Beech progression

This small American Beech or Fagus grandifolia originates from a sapling collected in forest in spring 2019. Its slender shape is slowly appearing. Deciduous are built over many years. ...

November 18, 2021 · Philippe

Virginia creeper from spring to fall

Here are pictures of a large Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) over the last year. The plant was collected on a construction site and saved from an ineluctable death. ...

October 23, 2021 · Philippe

Japanese maple forest in spring

This young Japanese Maple forest made great progress in only 3 years. I moved it outside of the garage to the cultivation area. Japanese maple forest after pinching Prior to bud break The same forest in spring 2019 ...

April 28, 2021 · Philippe

Wiring a larch

Spring is a good time to work on larches, as they tend be rather full when they wear their dense foliage. Here is the tree coming out of cold storage First I cut the trunk section above a small branch that I raised last year to become the new apex. A few branches were wired and the banch junctions are reduced to two. After styling ...

April 19, 2021 · Philippe

Developping the ramification on a japanese maple

This Japanese maple is an Acer palmatum ssp. dissectum var ‘Tamukeyama’ and was bought in 2014 in a big renovation store at a discount price. In fall, all branches were cut back close to the trunk. Here is what the same tree looks like 6 years later: Ramification techniques Branch ramification is promoted by the means of the following 4 techniques or principles: ...

March 10, 2021 · Philippe