Design is what makes the difference between a good Bonsai and a tree in a pot.
It doesn't matter how wonderful the bonsai pot or how special the trunk of a tree, if the basic guidelines of design and horticultural expertise are not followed we still only have a small tree in a pot.
By examining a tree beginning at the roots and working up the trunk and applying the following rules we can arrive at a well balanced and therefore pleasing Bonsai.
* Observe the roots and base of the trunk to determine the style that the
tree is most suited to become.
* Note the direction and movement of the trunk.
*Consider the distribution and placement of branches.
*Observe the silhouette and weight distribution of the tree
*Determine a focal point for the bonsai
*Locate the correct position of the tree in it's container.
Often we cannot fulfil all the guidelines noted above and it then becomes the task of the Bonsai practitioner to determine which rules should be broken to give the greatest aesthetic effect.
Remember a Bonsai is not a copy of a real tree but stylized or impressionist tree. A tree that embodies all the ideals and feelings of real trees but contained in idealized miniature.
One should study real trees found in nature, the way they grow and how they are affected by wind and weather as the basic guidelines were conceived from the way trees naturally grow and mature.
One should always be prepared to change and redesign a tree as knowledge and expertise expand and as trees evolve. A Bonsai is not a static painting but a dynamic work of art.
Japanese consider the most important part of a tree to be the roots and base of the tree, where it leaves the soil. This part of the tree determines the style, strength, age and direction of the tree.
When considering a potential tree one should look for a base with a good taper, becoming wider towards the roots. The roots should appear to hug the soil without air spaces to give the impression of stability and strength. Roots should be in proportion to the trunk and should be interesting( but not grotesque). Surface roots should radiate around the trunk and blend into the soil at a natural angle. Roots should be positioned to the correct height in the pot. Remember that an aged tree has more surface roots exposed than a young tree.
A good Bonsai will have no large roots coming towards the front. Roots should not coil or wind about the trunk or other roots. Roots should be spread evenly on either side of the plant to give balance and should never protrude vertically. Beware of reverse taper that may occur due to poor grafts. A piece of rock or driftwood may be employed to overcome this.
The Formal Upright style should have an even spread of roots radiating from the base. The trunk should display an even taper. A tree that displays a strong upright movement at the base suggests a formal upright style. A Broom style also has this same upright movement at the base.
On e will often find that on an asymmetrical shaped formal upright their is often a stronger root under the first heavy branch to accommodate the extra needs of the branch.
For an informal upright the base of the tree should leave the ground at an angle and the apex should be between 5 and 15 degrees either side of the upright position. The apex should also tilt froward by approx. 5 degrees forward. Rootage will have a similar spread to that of a formal upright but the trunk base will slope to the left or right and ascend from the roots at an angle to the first branch.
Usually there will be a large root under the slope to balance the first branch which will be the largest branch. If the angle that the trunk leaves the ground is pronounced then their should be large roots on the opposite side of the tree to the first branch to hold it firm in the ground.
The trunk will leave the soil at a greater angle ( the apex being 15 - 45 degrees away from the base) and this means that the roots on the side away from the slant will be heavier to hold the plant in the soil. In this case the size of the roots is determined by the need to balance the tree not the foliage.
The roots under the leaning side of the tree will be subject to compression and therefore will be buttressed.
The apex is between 45 and 95 degrees from the vertical. The semi cascade is basically a horizontal design, gravity is exerting a much greater pull and so the tree must have a heavily buttressed trunk to support it and anchor it firmly into the soil.
As with slanting style there are compressed roots under the trunk and vertical tensile roots on the other side to anchor it into the soil.
The first change of direction in the trunk should be as sharp as possible to give the impression of strength.
This is very similar to the semi cascade but the tensile roots are even more vertical going almost straight down into the pot to counterbalance the weight of the tree.
Again the first change of direction should be as sharp as possible. A large open curve appears weak and insipid and does not add stability to the tree.
The cascade style base should rise on an angle from the roots and when it has cleared the pot it should sharply change its angle downwards.
After having determined the style of a tree and considered the base the next important aspect is the trunk.
The trunk line is found by drawing an imaginary line from the centre of the base to the apex of the tree through the centre of the trunk. The trunk angle is found by drawing an imaginary line from the centre of the base straight to the apex. The trunk angle determines the style of the tree.
All bonsai except formal upright have a trunk line direction (either right to left or vice versa).
The direction may be determined by observing to which side the terminal leads the eye. If the apex is directly above the base, the direction is found as the direction of the base and the last angle leading to the apex.
Single direction is when the apex and base direction are both to the same side. When the base and apical direction are in opposition we have a compound direction.
Generally a single direction is regarded as less confusing and more pleasing to the eye.