100% Juniper by Behr Appleby

Behr gives us a up close look at what it takes to create a Tanuki (phoenix) graft.

Behr a question I have always wanted to ask regarding this project. In the image titled Frankie it shows the two living veins. The one on the back side of the deadwood, the smaller of the two. Were you able to follow the grain up as it departed the crotch of the two trunks?

Mr. Behr many years ago I regarded tanuki or little badger with disdain. I even got more incensed with the American term of Phoenix graft (how dare they) but I now realise why it is done. Also how beautiful it can become. This surely is an act of of love, giving life to a really nice old trunk. A great article, very descriptive and instructive.

Ash

Tachigi wrote:Behr a question I have always wanted to ask regarding this project. In the image titled Frankie it shows the two living veins. The one on the back side of the deadwood, the smaller of the two. Were you able to follow the grain up as it departed the crotch of the two trunks?

Mr. Tom, I am not certain I understand what you are asking, but I assume you are referring to the grain of the wood in the dead ashe juniper trunk...If this is so, the secondary trunk on the live tree was at nearly the proper angle to follow the original grain of the trunk with minor bending...There is a small area at the very base of the secondary trunk which goes across the grain at approximately a 20 degree angle for less than an inch...his was un-avoidable if I maintained the design I had in mind...I hope that answers the question, but if not try me again...I will say it is a moot point at this time due to the loss of the entire rear [secondary] trunk when I had to move all my trees this past August...Because of the logistics involved, my trees went without being watered for four days...I did suffer a few losses, but nothing drastic...Most of the losses will only result in some design changes and a bit more time in development, and possibly some will even be improved as a result...Time will tell...

Ash Barns wrote:Mr. Behr many years ago I regarded tanuki or little badger with disdain. I even got more incensed with the American term of Phoenix graft (how dare they) but I now realize why it is done. Also how beautiful it can become. This surely is an act of of love, giving life to a really nice old trunk. A great article, very descriptive and instructive.

Ash

Thank you Mr. Ash, and as I believe you are aware, I strongly dislike the term 'tanuki' or any of the other Japanese terms which are so extremely popular we are expected to know the meaning of...However regardless of my preferences, I do realize that these words are a means of universal communication, much as the Latin terms used in musical notation, which by the way I also try to avoid using when possible...There has been much discussion in the past regarding the use of this technique, and I am fully aware of the "disdain" for it among many...I am glad you have come to the realizations you have...I consider this just another means to achieve an artist's vision, if they choose to use it, and develop enough skill to adequately make it believable...

Regards
Behr

Mr. Tom, I am not certain I understand what you are asking, but I assume you are referring to the grain of the wood in the dead ashe juniper trunk..

You hit it dead on Behr, it answered my question throughly. My condolences on the loss. A move can be extremely tough on trees as I can attest to.

I strongly dislike the term 'tanuki'

UH OH!....MY bad, you want I should change the forum description?

Tachigi wrote:

I strongly dislike the term 'tanuki'

UH OH!....MY bad, you want I should change the forum description?

Mr. Tom,

Most definitely not...That would be totally unnecessary and not desired on my part...As a matter of fact I truly do not care what term you or anyone else prefers to call the technique...As I stated "However regardless of my preferences, I do realize that these words are a means of universal communication, much as the Latin terms used in musical notation, which by the way I also try to avoid using when possible"...The use of Japanese terms is certainly not offensive to me, it is just something I prefer to avoid when possible...I am not Japanese, and in general the people I converse with are not Japanese, and likely have no clue what I am talking about if I use the terms...Only when I am talking with other bonsai enthusiasts can these terms be used in confidence, so why develop the habit of using them...I talk with many more people that do not have a clue about Japanese bonsai terms, than I do with bonsaists...If I were conversing with someone that was of the Japanese background, or knew the Japanese language, I would most definitely attempt to avoid using these terms because I would not want them to immediately recognize just how ignorant I am...They would surely know instantly as a result of my misuse or lack of proper pronunciation...I believe I understand the 'need' of people to use these terms, I just choose not to if I can avoid it...

Call it tanuki, phoenix graft, the world's greatest deception, herby, fred, or what ever else one prefers to call it...The term is not important...I would only hope all people would eventually allow themselves to be open minded enough to accept this technique in the same manner which I do, which is, this is just another 'technique' available to the artist if he/she chooses to become proficient enough to use it, and has a need...Just as wiring, pruning, carving, trunk chops, using lime sulfur, or any of the many other techniques we have at our disposal to create our vision, if we choose to do so, and have the need...I hope that some day in the future, the various techniques used in this tree will be universally accepted as appropriate...Sadly, I believe that is far in the future, if ever...I shall not be fortunate enough to live that long...There will always be those which desire to place limits on others...To constrain and hold them back to a level which is comfortable for those people...Perhaps this is a result of the popularity of competition...I desire to never allow myself to fall into this position...

Regards
Behr

Behr wrote:The use of Japanese terms is certainly not offensive to me, it is just something I prefer to avoid when possible...I am not Japanese, and in general the people I converse with are not Japanese, and likely have no clue what I am talking about if I use the terms...Only when I am talking with other bonsai enthusiasts can these terms be used in confidence, so why develop the habit of using them...I talk with many more people that do not have a clue about Japanese bonsai terms, than I do with bonsaists...If I were conversing with someone that was of the Japanese background, or knew the Japanese language, I would most definitely attempt to avoid using these terms because I would not want them to immediately recognize just how ignorant I am...They would surely know instantly as a result of my misuse or lack of proper pronunciation...I believe I understand the 'need' of people to use these terms, I just choose not to if I can avoid it...

I loved the article Mr. Behr and I can't wait for your next one. Have you found a suitable name for the technique you developed for BC yet? I hope you will also publish that here as I think it would be a great addition to the knowledge base.

I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments as far as using Japanese nomenclature to describe things in this hobby. I was blessed to be born a Texan and in Texas it's called a root not a nebari...

Thank you Mr. BO for the kind words...Yes, I do have a name I am using for the bald cypress process, and when I have my own computer once again, I do plan to finish an article on the process and submit it to Mr. Tom for publication here on the vault...

As is often said "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here quick as I could"...

Regards
Behr

Hi Mr. Behr, I really liked your article a lot. Your article taught me some neat stuff about carving. I love carving and think that it always adds some dignity to a tree if it is done right. You did a great job on your trunk. Have you thought about wrapping your trunk to get the new growth on the live trunk to grow out across the dead trunk.

Taylor Brown wrote:Hi Mr. Behr, I really liked your article a lot. Your article taught me some neat stuff about carving. I love carving and think that it always adds some dignity to a tree if it is done right. You did a great job on your trunk.

Ms. Taylor,

I am so honored that you have furthered your knowledge concerning carving through the reading of this article...That alone makes time spent putting ones thoughts together a worthwhile venture...I too am really fond of carving and deadwood when properly executed...It not only adds dignity as you so well stated, but also serves the goal of indicating 'age of the tree', which is usually one of the desires of the artist...It serves as a point of interest or 'focal point' in many works, and in others can serve as a compliment to other features of the tree...I believe it was Mr. Dan Robinson who stated “all trees deserve deadwood”...I am not quite sure I would go that far, but a high percentage of my own collection either has deadwood or it is planned for the future of the tree...The creation of deadwood is certainly one of the easiest ways to disguise work performed on a tree, if it is properly executed...Any artist who does not devote some time to learning proper techniques for creating convincing deadwood, is in effect limiting their own creative possibilities...

Taylor Brown wrote:Have you thought about wrapping your trunk to get the new growth on the live trunk to grow out across the dead trunk.

Actually the thought did not occur to me, and I have never tried wrapping the live portion for this purpose, nor have I used a trunk wrap on the juniper species other than for bending, but will certainly keep that in mind for future reference...Thank you for that idea...On this particular tree I did leave as much foliage as possible to 'drive' the growth of the 'live portion' causing it to form callous along and overlapping the seam where it joined the deadwood, thereby reducing the “un-naturalness” of the union...

Regards
Behr