Zach Smith - 20 years' experience
Fine Quality Bonsai and Pre-bonsai
Specializing in large collected and field-grown trees
Specializing in large collected and field-grown trees
My bonsai philosophy revolves around one simple fact: better material means better bonsai. If you start with great material, then no matter what direction you take the tree in you’re hard-pressed to go wrong. I like to think it’s not that easy to make something bad out of something really good (though it certainly can be done).
The bottom line is, we all work with whatever material we acquire, or collect, or happen across. Treat yourself to a little of the finer material that's out there. Your collection will be much better off for it.
And don't forget, I'm always available to answer any questions you might have. Just email Zach.
March 11 - Sign up for New Tree and Updated Photo Alerts at our Contact page.
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| May 11 - Cedar Elm Progress Here's a short progression series showing the cedar elm I collected in 2011. You can see how quickly the branch structure has developed. In the most recent photo, which was taken on May 4, you can see a common technique for adding girth to the lower branches of a tree. The number one branch on the left and the number one branch on the right have been allowed to grow out wild (I did wire them to keep them from trying to grow straight up). This, combined with keeping the branches in the upper reaches of the tree in check, will increase the girth of the lower branches so that they are in proper scale with the tree. I anticipate being able to cut back these two branches next spring or summer. There's always a temptation to do this too soon, since we want our bonsai to look show ready all the time. But patience pays dividends. Another common mis-perception about the branches of a bonsai is that they must get progressively smaller in girth as you go up the tree. With the exception of your number one branch, it's all right to have one and possibly two branches higher up the tree that break the rule. This is not out of keeping with nature, and can actually add interest to your bonsai. But ... this is a rule-breaking that you can't overdo. |
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May 4 - Sweetgum Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua, is an underutilized material for bonsai in my opinion. It's readily available, takes well to pot culture, grows all season long, and the leaves reduce well with proper care. I collected this specimen in 2010, and let it grow in a nursery container all last year. I wired the basic branches and trained a new leader. This spring I put the tree in a beautiful Paul Katich pot. I do need to turn the tree slightly next year, as you can perhaps see from the angle of the photograph. In a few years this is going to be a very nice specimen. The trunk base on this tree measures 2.5", and the overall height is 25". I think the hollow near the base, and the smaller one higher up on the trunk, help to make this a very attractive bonsai. |
| April 21 - Water-elm Developing Nicely I collected this tree in 2009, and began styling it late that summer. In 2010 I got a tremendous amount of growth, which allowed me to get the basic branches set. From that point till now it's been a combination of refinement where it's needed it and developmental pruning, wiring and shaping. You can see that the tree is really filling out well. There's still a lot to do with this specimen, but in about two years it's going to look like I've been training it for a decade. I'll update my Gallery photo of this tree later in the summer. I should have added a lot more heft to the crown by that time. Right now I'm letting it grow with minimal trimming and pinching, in order to cut it back relatively hard in June. |
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| April 15 - Water-elm Raft - A Big Hit! |
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| You may recall this unique, natural raft-style water-elm from last year. It was time for the initial potting of this specimen, and I'd bought a stone a couple years ago just for this purpose. As I studied the tree and the stone, it occurred to me that maintaining such a planting would pose special challenges in our climate down South. For the past several years, each summer has been very hot and droughty. As I tried to think of a way to compensate, I realized that I could actually build a "stone wall" out of the slate pieces from mosaic tiles, creating a more suitable home for the tree. I laid up the wall just like a brick mason would, and it turned out very nicely. Once the tree went in on April 14th, during my demonstration at the local club show, I knew I'd gotten it right. It was a big hit! This is one of those bonsai that looks even better in person. As I refine it over the coming years, it should become one of the more unique bonsai around. |
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March 31 - Big Hornbeam I collected this American hornbeam in early 2010. The trunk base is 6" and I chopped it at 18". For the past two seasons I've been growing a new apex. This year I cut it back, and I'll repeat the process over the next two seasons to build taper. I expect the finished height of the tree to be 26-30". Hornbeam is a great species to work with. It grows continuously all year, making development a rapid process. Even given the large size of this tree, I should have a "finished" specimen in less than 10 years. We have a very nice pre-bonsai hornbeam available now, and should have a couple more specimens later in the season. |
| March 24 - Unique Water-elm Here's one of the more unique water-elms I've run across. Collected in 2010 and grown out since, I got Chuck Iker to make me a custom rectangle that I think goes very nicely with the tree. I potted it about a month ago, and we're into our first flush of spring growth. You can see where I'm building the apex on the right-hand trunk. As it came from the swamp, it just didn't have the taper I wanted. In about two more growing seasons the transition should be very smooth. The trunk base on this tree is 2.5", and the height is about 24". I'd estimate its age at about 75 years. Look for it in our Bonsai section. It'll be available for shipping next month. There's one thing I've always liked about collected trees: more often than not, nature designs trees better than we do with total control. While I can imagine how this tree got the way it is, in truth I just don't know. It was growing near lots of others that looked very different. But I'm not complaining. |
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The Art of Bonsai - February 17 - Water-elm In 2010 we were out collecting and I spotted a natural raft-style water-elm. Now, in 20 years of collecting I've gotten pretty good at spotting material with potential. With that said, however, once you get your trees home you tend to re-evaluate them, and this process continues throughout the entire time you have the tree. It's not uncommon to like a tree less when you get it home than you did when you were both in the wild. This tree struck me out there in the wild as having great potential, so I brought it home and put it into a growing pot to let it recover. Although I fed and watered it, I didn't pay a lot of attention to it because it just didn't hit me the same way it had when I first saw it. Today I decided it was time to pot this tree. I had an old Tokoname tray I've been wanting to use to its best potential, and I thought it was just the pot for this tree. That idea didn't last too long; fortunately, I had a great Paul Katich pot at hand. In the progression below, you can see the tree right after I collected it, then the potting and basic styling. I was frankly amazed at what came out of this work. From time to time you work on a tree and end up with a lot more than you thought you would. This was one of those times. This tree is now available on our Bonsai page. |
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| Winter Collecting Season - But It's 75 Degrees! Well, I'm used to drizzly, dank, cold weather during winter collecting. I truly don't mind it, what matters is the trees you find. But I've got to say that collecting in January with temperatures in the mid-70's is downright weird. But you play the hand you're dealt. We're finding more hawthorns, hornbeams, privets, and hophornbeams, plus a new species you'll probably be hearing more about later in the growing season. We'll see how it responds to pot culture. |
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Mayhaw - Crataegus aestivalus - First Potting I collected this Mayhaw in Winter 2011, and it grew very nicely all season long. What I found interesting about the tree was the fact that it almost qualifies as a formal upright. This is perhaps the most difficult style to create. You don't want both the trunk and branches perfectly straight, but you can't have a lot of movement in the branches though some is essential. When all is said and done, if you can make a good formal upright then you've accomplished something. This tree needs to develop secondary and tertiary branching this year. Right now it's relatively "static" looking, though I think you can see that we're talking about an awesome piece of material. I don't know if you can see the nebari in this photo, but it's superb. I think that within about two or three years, this is going to be a killer specimen. It'll appear in my new Gallery page, coming soon. The pot is a beautiful piece by Byron Myrick. I've collected additional Mayhaw this winter, and you should see specimens appearing for sale by April or so, following the first flush of growth for the season. |
| Chinese Privet - Ligustrum sinense - January 7 I collected this tree in 2010, and first potted it last year. We're having unseasonably warm weather so I've been out getting a head start on spring, which I think is going to come early. I bought a bunch of Byron Myrick pots last fall, and this one seemed perfect for what I think is a terrific informal upright privet. Basic development is nearing completion. I defoliated today so I could achieve leaf-size reduction and do some strategic work inside the tree. This one is for sale in our Bonsai section (1/10 update - SOLD). Ships in March or April, depending on where you are. The tree is 15" tall and has a 1.75" trunk diameter at the base. Great nebari. I'd estimate its age at around 30-35 years. |
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| Big Mayhaw - Crataegus aestivalus - September 11 This is the tree you first saw below back on April 10th. This is a single growing season's training! The first photo is the before shot, the second after. I wired the primary branches earlier in the season, and I've done the appropriate trimming and rewiring through the season. Today it was time for a little fall trimming. The trunk on this specimen is 4" in diameter, and the height of the tree is 23" to the chop. I should complete the apex at around 30". You may be able to see the thread graft I initiated this year. I was missing a branch at the rear of the tree, so I drilled a hole through where I need the branch and fed through a young superfluous shoot. We'll see how well it does next year. |
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| Big Water-elm - Planera aquatica - August 14 I collected this tree in Winter 2011, which is not the normal time for collecting the species. But it was in an area that is usually under at least three feet of water, so I didn't want to miss my opportunity. You can see in the first photo on the left below how well it grew this year. I wanted to begin the training while the branches were still pliable. The "after" shot shows the result. Next year should get this tree a long way toward its ultimate design. The trunk of this tree is 5" in diameter at the base, and the finished height should be around 24". It's got some beaver marks on it, which I plan to incorporate into the design. |
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June 12 - Big Hornbeam This hornbeam first appeared on our Pre-bonsai page last year. The growth has been great both last year and this year; in fact, with roots emerging from the pot, I decided it was time to do something with this tree. I had gotten two really nice Chuck Iker pots last year, and the second one looked like it would go really well with this tree. I think it turned out great. The trunk base on this tree is 4", and the spread across the rootage is 7". The original chop was made at 17", and I expect the tree will finish up at around 30" when all is said and done. Completing the thickening of the apex will take another few years. And how about the muscling on that trunk! I think what caught my eye in the beginning was the twisting appearance it had. All in all, this is a cool tree. |
| Water-elm Raft - Styling begins The trick with any forest planting is to produce perspective and an impression of an actual forest in the distance. With a raft-style bonsai this is still true, except for the fact that all of the trees are "joined at the hip." This does produce some limitations, but it can also produce some unique effects. This composition is one of those latter cases. Once it's placed onto a slab I'll post additional photos to show what I mean. In the meantime, by trimming the low-ranging foliage I've established that this is a forest, not just a tangled mass of growth on an unfortunate tree that got run over. There's much more to do, of course. Nature gave me quite a pallette to work with, but it's going to take me three years or more to bring out the real beauty of this piece. |
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| Water-elm Raft - May 2011 You may remember seeing this unique raft-style water-elm last summer after I collected it. This is how the tree appeared this spring before I took it to our local show in Baton Rouge to do the initial styling. As you can see, the growth was rampant which is typical of water-elm. How do you style a tree like this? Because nature (and someone's truck) did such a good job of creating the basic layout of this forest, all I had to do was decide what to get rid of. I should be loading up the result soon, so be sure to check back. Photo copyright 2011 by Leslie Smith. All rights reserved. |
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| April 10 - Big Hawthorn Here's a big Mayhaw, Crataegus aestivalus, that I collected this winter. It budded out profusely, and today it got an initial styling. You can see how attractive the Mayhaw bark is, exfoliating to reveal a creamy, smooth underbark. The powerful trunk on this tree measures 4 inches at the base. I chopped the trunk at 24 inches, and anticipate the finished height will be about 30 inches. My plan is to allow the new apex to continue growing, in order to make the transition smoother and more believable. This will take a couple of growing seasons. While the apex is being allowed to grow more or less wild, I'll pinch, wire and shape the branches in order to make this a realistic bonsai. I predict that within a few years it'll become an awesome specimen. One more note about this tree and all of the hawthorns I collect: they always come with nice surface roots. I bury the surface roots when I collect trees, in order to ensure they don't dry out. As I move this specimen from pre-bonsai to bonsai, I'll reveal the surface roots. I'm really looking forward to the future of this tree. |
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| November 21 - The National Champion Bald Cypress I have the great good fortune to live a mere 17 miles from the national champion bald cypress. This massive tree measures 17 feet in trunk diameter at the base and 94 feet tall. It is reputed to be at least 1,000 years old. I suspect it could be over 3,000. This tree is the largest east of the Sierra Nevada, and the sixth largest in terms of overall volume in the nation. It appears to be two trees at first glance, but is actually a twin-trunk. Now, for those of you big tree fans, Wikipedia mistakenly says that a tree called "The Senator" in Florida is the champ (note: The Senator was destroyed by a vandal who set it on fire; it's not possible to describe a tragedy of this proportion; RIP, great tree). To the left of this tree and back toward the viewer stands a cypress with a 13 foot trunk. To the back and left of this tree, about thirty or forty feet, is a multi-trunk cypress unrecognized in any literature I know that's not too far behind the champ. I stepped off a trunk circumference of almost 50 feet, meaning almost 16 feet in diameter. It's hard to describe the feeling you get when standing near this incredible natural phenomenon. Enjoy! |
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| November 28 - Me and the Champ Here's how to judge the scale of this tree. I'm standing at the right side of the left-most portion of the twin-trunk monster. You can't even see all of the trunk base. For those of you whose thoughts go to the obvious, I have collected cones from this tree and plan to propagate it. It's going to take a while to make bonsai worthy material from it, but so what? How could I pass up an opportunity like this? |
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November 6 The Louisiana Bonsai Society of Baton Rouge held its fall show November 6-7. I did a demonstration on a large triple-trunk water-elm collected back in July. Here I've begun the wiring process. |
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Here's my sketch of where I see this tree in five or six years. You can see that I need to build the top of each trunk. This is not going to be a problem, as these water-elms grow more or less like weeds given sufficient water, food and sunshine. As I told the audience, while researching this species I ran across a paper by an LSU professor who noted that water-elms can sometimes become "noxious weeds" in certain areas requiring control. I'm more than happy to provide a public service in helping control this "pest." |
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A final survey of my work. The basic branch set plus the new leaders are in place. I'll allow the new leaders, especially on the larger trunks, to grow wild next year so the tapering transitions are believable in a few years. This is a critical step in developing a bonsai from trunk-chopped material. |
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Me and the tree, a basic design to work from. The left-most trunk will need a tapering cut this coming spring, when I'll be able to count on rapid growth for healing. Water-elms don't always roll over as well as you'd like, but I do want to be sure I make the cut during the first active growth period of the 2011 season. Show shots copyright 2010 by Leslie Smith. All rights reserved. |
Our website is geared toward presenting you with BONSAI and PRE-BONSAI that are of superior character, so you can focus on artistic design. You’ll also find ARTICLES on various bonsai topics, as well as our fun PROJECTS page. I don’t know about you, but along with the pure enjoyment of bonsai I really love all the doing that goes into this art/hobby: the collecting, the workshops, the exhibitions, laying out the display garden, pinching, pruning, potting, repotting, wiring, unwiring, rewiring; even the weeding and feeding. All of these things are part of a greater whole, which I guess is another way of saying that bonsai is much more than the sum of its parts.
Please enjoy these pages, and please keep me in mind as you make your bonsai journey. I would love to help you in any way I can.
