Yaupon holly – before and after

It’s fun to see where bonsai come from. The journeys trees make from seed, layer, graft, cutting or point of collection can be subtle or dramatic. Rapid or dramatic changes are exciting, but continued improvement plays no less important a role in the creation of bonsai.

Following a tree’s history can also be informative. People who’ve been at it for a while can see how others approach similar work, and people with less experience may be able to catch a glimpse of what they’re getting into when they bring a tree home.

I’ve posted the mid-point of a project to develop a Yaupon holly and the progress to date below.

Half way there – January 2009

September 2014

I’ve added additional steps along the way at Ask Bonsai Tonight in hopes that others will do the same. I encourage anyone interested to share their progress to date and provide updates as the progress continues. Thanks to Boon for the suggestion.