My first try common boxwood

qgriffith

My wife and I took up an intrest in bonsai. We have been reading a lot of books and articles online and found a class we can take locally next Spring. I have been browsing these forums for about a week or so now and there is so much great information here that I haven't found a need to post anything since most of my questions have been asked and answered many times. I purchased a Schefflera bonsai from a website, I am not sure if we are allowed to mention other websites here so I will with hold its name. After picking up some books from the library and a book store we thought we would give our own tree a try. Off to a local nursery we went and found a rather cheap "Common Boxwood". I had read they are pretty hardy and can stand a lot of punishment so it should make a good first tree. Attached are two pictures the first being the before, and the second being after we trimmed a lot of it away. I am not sure what we should do next to this, I know it is a ways off from being anything yet. Does it have the making of a good "broom-style" Or maybe a twin-trunk? The wife wants to cut off the limb coming from the bottom of the trunk on the right hand side but I think it should stay and can be used for a second trunk style. I am looking for any thoughts on what you would do? Once we have a good style figured out we will move it to a nice pot. I haven't found any place locally in Raeligh NC that has pots and soil so for now it will remain in the pot it was purchased in, and it if surives us newbies cutting away at it, it will get a proper home.

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Deb

Welcome to the wonderful world(obsession) of bonsai. If your interest grows, you will discover yourself looking at your friends garden shrubs with a whole new interest... Anyway, the best thing you can do is take a class or join a club, and read, read, read.

I think the main thing to try and remember is that in bonsai, you are trying to develop a tree that looks like a full size tree, but is only 12 " high or 8" high or ... While many of the leaves on a full size tree are on the ends of the large branches, there are also small branches coming off the big ones all the way up, so it is important to be careful not to take off too many of the leaves or little twigs. While in most cases, the plant will develop new leaves along areas that are currently bare, except in the case of pines for example, it is a good idea to go slowly in the beginningl. Take off some, then step back and take a break, look at it with fresh eyes.

Another good plant to try for a beginner, in my opinion anyway, is azalea. The flowers are occasionally too big for the smaller bonsai specimen, but the plant grows new leaves on bare wood so easily that even if you blow it and take off a tad too much today, it will get new ones very quickly.

So good luck and have fun.