A few new pot pairings, Part 2

Next up is a Syuzan. Suzuki Syuzan lived from 1928-1988, and was known for using high quality Chinese clays, and has many Kokufu appearances, mainly unglazed pots. This one is a larger Shohin size; 8″ wide, and deep enough for my top-of-the-rack JBP.

The bottom stamp is really cool, and almost as well-known as his tea kettle stamp. He must have liked this pot, as he also stamped the lower right on both of the long ends, ensuring it shows either way the pot is used.

The tree is a large Shohin corkbark JBP, ‘Hachi-Gen’ on its own roots. The current pot is a Shibakatsu, and is a little blocky and busy for the box top display.

This should be a slam-dunk pairing:

Last but not least, this Shuho, Tokoname pot is super rustic…a love it or hate it pot. Before you scroll down, take a look and consider how you’d pair it. 6″ wide, 2 3/4″ high.

Here is my pairing, a princess persimmon.

Picture it with a few orange fruits contrasting with the milky aqua glaze, nice.

A few new pot pairings, Part 1

About the big box from Matthew Ouwinga…

It’s been a while since I went shopping for pots with specific trees in mind, but I have been refining a pine with Bjorn that is ready for a decent pot. We had discussed softer rectangles, bigger lip, and I had really thought a windowpane pot would be nice. The current pot is a heavy, blocky Chinese production pot, 16x13x4.5″. It’s deep enough to accommodate the roots…which I have been reducing from a 15-gallon can over the last several repottings.

This Gyouzan is by the kiln founder’s son-in-law, Yuji. It is slightly wider across the top, due to the lip, and gently turns inward at the bottom. The edge along the bottom suggests a windowpane, and the size was right so I pulled the trigger. 17.5×11.3×4.3″:

I’m eager to work the tree into this pot in the spring. Isn’t it funny how the new pot is wider, but looks smaller all around?

Here is a rough virt:

Next up is a tricky one. It took a while to find one I believe will fit this sumo Shohin trident maple. It’s been growing in a nice Ino Shukuho for the last couple years, which is an outstanding pot, but at 11.8″ wide, far too big to work in a Shohin display rack. This Ikkou (Tokoname) is 7 3/8″ wide, and should just work. I’ll be sure to post some shots of the shoehorn-style repotting in the spring.

Next week, we’ll finish unpacking the box…

Chojubai quince update

Just a quick update on the Japanese flowering quince, ‘Chojubai’. These are very small plants, but vigorous growers. Mine flower from September through about April, so there is always something of interest…to viewers and to aphids…

As purchased in 2 3/4″ pot from Evergreen Gardenworks, April 2013:

I think this one is on the right, being grown as a single trunk, and is about 4″ tall, in a oversized Bigei pot:

And maybe slated for this beautiful blue Tofukuji pot at some point.

Which would make this the one from the left, 7 growing seasons later…all in a pot:

The orange leaves and red flowers look great atop the aqua pot by Byron Myrick. With the leaves removed:

The bark is starting to develop, and winter is a great time to examine the trees’ progress, and look for problems as well.

See the aphids clustered around the base of the buds too? Time to hit everything with a winter pest control program!

Happy New Year y’all!