Page 19 - BSAM 2015 Q3

continues to be cultivated for maximum growth
to create branching and to thicken the live veins. In a couple of years, that is, ten years since it was collected, I will start to slow down its vigor to build fine branching and short needles.
We can see from the photos of the front, sides and back that the semi-cascade seemed like a obvious solution at the time. Did you consider other possi- bilities before committing to a semi-cascade style? The cascade style had a couple of serious flaws: a surface root was in an unfavorable position and
too long, and the trunk had a reverse taper which could have been masked with branches, but tilting it in the moyogi style, its sculptural qualities and extraordinary movement is more evident.
How was the tree cultivated while it was a semi- cascade? What work was done to the branches and needles?
As a semi cascade it was fertilized for strong growth and it was coarsely wired.
Was it allowed to grow freely at some point so that it could transition to an informal style or was it a chance discovery? Take us back to the day when you made the decision to dramatically alter the inclina- tion of the trunk.
In fact it was a flash of lightning: one day cleaning the shari that was rotting under the trunk I saw
a stunning beauty, I did a test to tilt it and—I wondered—how could I not see it before!
Top left and right; Jin solution is applied to the deadwood, a major feature of this subject tree. Middle left; This is a photo montage that combines a photo of the styled tree with the selected
container to provide a preview of the finished composition.
Middle right and bottom; The styled tree, Massimo Bandera and Antonio Jesùs.
July/August/September 2015 | BCI | 17