This site is for the sole purpose of presenting and recording the slow transition of nursery stock and pre-bonsai material into developed bonsai.

    Bougainvillea (April, 2007)                                                                         Orlando Bonsai Store

I was contacted last year by a man named Bob in Bradenton Florida who told me he had a large bougainvillea that he wanted to give me.  Okay so what's the catch?  Well as it turns out, there wasn't one.  This was one of the most generous men I had ever met.  He said he saw this site and wanted me to have the tree.  Unfortunately, my computer crashed since then, and I can't find anyway to reach him. 

Bob, if you see this posting please contact me!!!

 

This is the tree that was given to me.  It is a HUGE bougainvillea, estimated to be over 50 years old.  This tree took a lot of thinking before I could begin working on it.  Oh and it has a lot of thorns (ouch!) Feb 2007

 

So seriously, where do you start?

 

Once I got in there to take a look I found that there was a lot to remove.  This is a soft wood so I tried to be careful and not expose the bare wood as much as possible.  However these cuts were big so I had little choice. Jun 2007

Initial Carving Jun 2007

 

After 7 months the canopy has begun to take shape.  This of course is only the first styling, with more to come.  I want to develop to top on the right side of the mound.  If all goes well I expect to have this tree ready to submit to Epcot display in 2009.  Sept 2007

 

Today I defoliated the tree today to find a mess of crossing branches and undefined branch structure.  The tree is very healthy however and  was full of thorns. June 2008 

Just a mess of crossed branches

 

My first thought was, keep this tree alive.  So I repotted it immediately into my favorite

bonsai soil mix

 

Close ups of the carving Jun 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what the tree looks like today.  In a short period this tree has come a long way, but still a long way to go.  In the Spring I will defoliate the tree, rewire, and maybe repot the tree.  It is very healthy and doing very well.  Jan 2008

 

 

Here it is after about 4 hours of wiring.  The tree now has the branch structure and carved trunk that it has needed for a long time.  The tree is well on its way to being a very nice bonsai.  Foliage should be back in a few weeks, and I'll update the site then.  June 2008

 

After the tree leafed out it really showed a nearly finished bonsai.  Only thing missing now is flowers.  Hopefully we'll see some this fall.  Aug 08 

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Case studies last updated: Aug. 2008

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