Page 45 - BCI Bonsai & Stone Appreciation Q1 2025

This two-page spread shows
the deliberate, precise
and unforgiving process
of separating the two live
veins from the deadwood,
wrapping the live veins in rafia,
reinforced with aluminum
wire, carefully bending and
compressing the live veins
under the deadwood and
settling the tree in its pot.
Note the length of deadwood
top left of this page that
Alessandro cut away to
shorten the trunk.
A unique challenge with this tree was its double
live vein. Typically, junipers have only one, but here,
two veins nourished distinct parts of the canopy. This
meant the process had to be executed perfectly twice,
each time separating a distinct root system connected
to each vein.
Handling a large juniper while performing such
delicate operations can be daunting, even for experi-
enced enthusiasts. That’s why I sought help from Marco
Invernizzi and Valentino Villecco, who happened to be
in Japan for the Kokufu exhibition. For any hobbyist
attempting complex bends, having an extra pair of
January/February/March 2025 | BCI | 43