The Bonsai Attempt

Ok so as I stated in a previous post, I purchased a relatively small Juniper plant for around pennies on the dollar - a common theme around my house.  As I perused the plant collection at a local garden center, I was searching for a specimen that stood out.  One that had a thick interesting distorted trunk, and long arching limbs so that I can start my "cascading" Bonsai.

It doesn't look like much but through my untrained western eye I believe it has potential.  I took a gander at the trunk, one of the thinker ones in the collection.  It had a couple of offshoots that bent up and down, twisted to and fro.  A couple of the limbs, as you can see in the picture above, are fairly long and have already started their descent.  To me, this was a blank slat.  First things first, I had to get it out of the plastic container, and into something a little more appealing - something that would also show off the tree.

What a difference a pot makes.  Actually Bonsai comes from the Chinese word Pun Sai which means "tree in a pot," so obviously the pot is very important.    Immediately you are able to see the whole tree and all important trunk.  What I'm trying to imagine as I prune and train the tree, is an old Japanese black pine - wind swept and distorted on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean.

If you look closely, you will be able to see that I've pruned a few different "branches" off the trunk.

The pruning continues.  Also, an important step is identifying the front profile, which I have.  After turning and turning the specimen I quickly chose this view - right or wrong.

While I'm far from done, I did make a couple more cuts.  Additionally, I've added a few stones which I hope help the tree look more natural.