Ramification

Follow the development of this English Elm bonsai from rooted cutting in a bag, field growing, development and then finally through refinement to exhibition.

This blog post follows the development of a Cotoneaster bonsai tree from a rooted cutting, developed in the garden and then in a growing pot for only 4 years. In it cover the basics of what to do from the time you dig up the tree till it goes into a refinement pot or container.

Last work of the season on these two Chinese Hackberry originally field grown by Terry Erasmus from seed.

Trident Maples make superb bonsai subjects and in this post we take a look at a number of wonderful examples I encountered on my March 2016 trip to Japan. Although not so much emphasis in placed on the text this time you can learn much from simply looking at the pictures. 

One of the most attractive qualities of deciduous bonsai when sensitively styled is the light and delicate appearance within the visual mass of the canopy. When hidden by a full canopy of leaves this beauty is lost to the viewer, but it's in winter that these species' structure which required many years of pinching, defoliating and wiring is finally revealed.

This Chinese elm started out as a bag tree from a local nursery. After field growing it and developing the trunk for some years I finally lifted and began styling it in 2013. The tree is now at the stage where branch structure is being developed. In this blog post we will defoliate the elm, trim the excessive growth and style the branches with wire.