ADMIRATION FOR BONSAI

 Making a Bonsai takes an artists skills, and finishing one takes years to complete. Bonsai Artists have that much patience and love on finishing one.

I love nature trees plants and etc, having one at home looks refreshing and it is one of my way to cure stress.

It is for me the greatest form of art as it is a living art that doesn't die easily when properly cared. and it is a continuous work on progress as you maintain it. Unlike any art once done you can never touch again and just left for display purposes. Not in bonsai you always take care of it every time.

Looking at bonsai especially when it is fully blooming will make you awe.

BONSAI TOOL: WIRE CUTTER

Obvious in it's name it's main function is to cut wire. Wire cutter is mainly used when a wire is already got eaten by a growing branch it is hard to remove that wire therefore artists used wirecutters. On display bonsai as well for competition, wires is a distraction on judges so they remove the wire by using it before the competition

BONSAI TOOLS: SAW

Saw is used for cutting bonsai material's branches that is necessary to a finished bonsai. Artist usually used mini foldable saw as it more stable than the bigger one and does not harm the tree much.

BONSAI TOOL: CONCAVE CUTTER

Concave Cutter has same purpose like the long slim twig shear but same function with knob cutter, to cut big twigs and branches that is hard to reach due to covered outer branches. Bonsai is hard to make and years are spent to finish one, better be careful to cut than lose important branches and twigs.

BONSAI TOOLS: KNOB CUTTER

Knobcutter is one of the most essential tool for bonsai. It is used to cut bigger twigs that shears can't cut at the same time the curving of knob cutter makes an illusion like it is cut naturally in wild if the wound is healed.

BONSAI TOOLS: SHEARS

A Pruning Shear is widely used in making bonsai, it used for Bonsai ready for display cutting excess leaves. Without cutting Bonsai twigs will randomly shoot out on branches. Bonsai that is cut regularly will grow smaller and smaller leaves.

A Long Slim Twig Shear is used on twigs that is growing on innermost of the tree. If using regular shears it may harm the form or may break important twigs when trying to cut the further ones

Bonsai Tool: Wires

Bonsai wire is the most important tool on making a bonsai. No bonsai would be made today without it, though chinese use ties before. 

All bonsai started with wires in it. Wiring a bonsai is very essential on making one, if there is no wire twigs and branches can't be lead where will it go.

However, displaying bonsai in a competition, artists remove the wires because it is a distraction and can deduct points if it is visible.

NOT SO BONSAI SPECIE KALACHUCHI

Kalachuchi is always mistaken as bonsai, because of it's natural growth it is looking like a bonsai, but in making a bonsai there lots of things to consider in terms of balance an harmony, and a bonsai artist does not consider kalachuchi as a bonsai because it is naturally grown and not made to look like a tree.

BAD SPECIE: IPIL-IPIL

Though Ipil-ipil has one of the qualities for bonsai which is small leaves. It is not good for bonsai, same with other specie that are not good they have brittle twigs when wiring them to form.

BAD SPECIE: MALUNGGAY

Even if an ideal bonsai needs small leaves for bonsai, malunggay is not good because forming it with its brittle twigs is hard.

On a bonsai lecture, I always hear someone suggesting it as one of the specie that can be made as bonsai. Another quality about malunggay is a bad specie is that the smaller twigs and branches always stay green making it look like very young when displayed.

BAD SPECIE: ACACIA

As a bonsai lover I always thought acacia can be made as a bonsai. Most of the bonsai I've seen in photos is like fully grown acacia tree but the miniature one.

Though acacia's leaves are small and it's bark can crack, the problem about acacia as a bonsai is that it can't grow on pots because its roots need deeper soil to grow and the twigs of it is so brittle making it hard to form when wiring.

SPECIE: AZALEA

Azalea for me is the best specie. When it's flowers bloom it usually covers all of the leaves covering all the green making the flowers look like it's leaves.

The only problem with this specie is that in needs a colder temperature to live. Some artist are already cultivating it here on the Philippines, but I've never seen here.

SPECIE: JUNIPER

The Juniper is currently the top species in Japan and Taiwan. It is not hard to grow them and to make bonsai out of it.

The besy way to get them is by hunting it in nature or at mountains dead can't be grown. Most of the bonsai Master's can make better looking dead parts by using bonsai Tools.

SPECIE: AGOHO

At my childhood when travelling to Davao I can always see the trees in the middle of the road of Kidapawan. I am always amazed by the trees because I always think of it as Christmas trees, they put colorful lights and decoration. Agoho is also good for Bonsai, the bark of the trunk can crack looking old and it can have good looking dead parts which is good for competition.

The photo below is an agoho tree in the road of Kidapawan. It is always maintained and cut rounded.

SPECIE: HIBISCUS

We normally see this in Philipines as gumamela.  Hibiscus as bonsai originated at Taiwan, the leaves in it is smaller than the variety here in Philippines the only thing is they don't flower. 

Most Taiwanese artist prefer to display them without leave or the "winter" look because the twigs can go so small.

The bonsai photo above is a hibiscus in training that started from small cuttings now it is ready twigging.

SPECIE: BALETE

Usually, we see balete as a scary tree in a horror movie as it's roots sprouting out of the branches. But balete is also another good specie for bonsai. It is so easy to make bonsai out of balete and it is not hard to maintain. 

A perfect Balete with trunk portraying a very old and big tree.

Balete Tree in nature or as what we always see in horror movies

SPECIE: SAMPALOK

We normally see sampalok as a big tree, but have you ever see a miniature sampalok with fruits? It is so amusing to see one as a bonsai. 

The bonsai Below is owned by Herden Pedrajas, it may look like not real but it is actually a real sampalok in this small tree.

SPECIE: SANTAN

Like Bougainvillea, Santan is usually seen in most homes and schools. There are 2 varieties of Santan the one with bigger leaves and the one with smaller. The Smaller one is best as bonsai is better looking with smaller leaves.

The Bonsai above is owned by Bobby Gopiao, it won 2nd in Philippine wide Bonsai Competition and best in small and flowering awards. 

SPECIE: FUKIEN TEA

With it's common name Tsaang Gubat, this specie is one of the best as it has small leaves, bearing fruits and is a flowering bonsai specie. 

Loloy Bacus one of the best in making small bonsai with his 3 inches tsaang gubat that is already bearing fruits.

SPECIE: BLUE BELL

Blue Bell is the most hated Bonsai yet it is a very good material. 

Why hated? it's leaves and brances have thorns once stung the tip of the thorn is left in your skin making it so hard to remove.

Why Good? same with other specie like bantigue the trunk of blue bell is strong and its dead parts making it a potential winner.

SPECIE: GRANADITUS

The common name of Granaditus is Pomegranate, this specie bear fruits which can treat worms inside our body, but this specie can also be made as bonsai.

Locally, our granditus have thorns which bonsai artists hates as this thorns when u get stung it can give you fever. Most of the artist cut these thorns first to properly maintain form it as a bonsai.

SPECIE: BOUGAINVILLEA

Here in Midsayap and PPALMA bougainvillea is the most common specie where you can found it almost everywhere most homes have it. It's beautiful flowers is overpowering when properly maintained. 

This Photo was taken when road widening happened in Libungan lots of this plants was hit by bulldozers and was rescued by some bonsai artist.

SPECIE: BANTIGUE

Bantigue currently is the number one Bonsai specie not only in Philippines but the whole world today overtaking japan's juniper or pine tree.

As of Today Philippines got the title for the World's Bonsai Competition owned by Bobby Gopiao.  We are lucky about this specie as it only exist in few countries in the world and we are one of them, but not only that Philippines' Bantigue is far different from other countries as our bantigue got more stronger barks and dead parts which is the key on winning competitions.

Bantigue is can only be found in seashores or rocky areas near seas. Though it can live with fresh water, the growth of bantigue is far better with sea water as it is it natural food.

SPECIE: TUGAS-SA-BATO

This specie is probably the most common in Midanao, tugas-sa-bato is only found on Sarangani Province. It is normally found on rocky mountains. 

As years go by this specie is almost extinct in wild not because of bonsai hunters but because of wild fire happening in these mountains. After the fires are out instead of tugas, ipil-ipil and nim trees are growing in these areas.

Before, the natives in these mountains use tugas as their firewood as it is so hard it don't burnout easily, but because of bonsai they make it as one of their livelihood. You can see a lot of Bonsai material sellers along the road of Sarangani to Gensan.

BONSAI STYLE: MAME

Mame is smallest in all bonsai style usually measuring below  7 inches. 

Mame is usually displayed in group set but displaying in group is hard. As mame in group portray all seasons like winter or harvest, sometimes different species of trees and every single pot must be correct. Judging it as well is hard.

The top most Bonsai in Group Mame is usually the strongest or the most beautiful.

BONSAI STYLE: BROOM

As the name suggest the look on this bonsai style is like a broom

The broom style bonsai appears as a juvenile deciduous tree in nature. They are usually found in locations protected from harsh environments.

BONSAI STYLE: RAFT

A raft style may occur in nature when a tree because of wind, flood, landslide, avalanche, earthquake or other reason is knocked down and the trunk is flattened against the earth and possibly all or a portion of the trunk is covered with soil.

Another type of raft occurring in nature is the clump or sprout style in which multiple sprouts from a single root form trunks. Alternatively, several trees may have grown from the same place and have grafted themselves together.

BONSAI STYLE: CLUMP

Clump style bonsai should have three or more (an odd number) trunks grow from a single point. The natural equivalent might be a group of trees that have sprouted from a single cone, or a collection of mature suckers springing from the base of a single tree. All branches should grow outwards towards the light and create an overall triangular shape and composite crown.

Clump style trees do not have to have a main tree or trunk like in a forest planting, but have the ability to be formed in inventive ways. This image is supposed to be one where each individual branch is trying to become the main leader. Branches can be wild and the form can be dense and full with lots of leaves and flowers. This is a great advantage because you can have a compact image with lots going on, very intriguing to the viewer.