Picea Glauca Bonsai

As part of the plan for my big year I wanted to learn more about bonsai.

I love trees and have been facinated by bonsai ever since I was little and my dad had a horse chestnut tree that he kept in a tiny pot.  It can't have been more than 20cm tall and every year it would produce one large leaf.

I'd hoped to attend a course in person, but with lockdown and all the restrictions we're living with right now I decided to see if there was anything online.  Here I came across Bonsai Empire who not only had lots of information and advice but also a set of videos.

I worked through their Beginners course and some of their Getting Started course and decided to have a go for myself.

My first attempt was with a small Picea glauca 'Alberta Globe' which I bought from our local garden centre.  When I started it was just a ball of green, but I pruned it using the techniques I'd seen in the videos, then wired some of the branches, and potted it up.

It smelt a bit like Christmas as I cut bits off in the sun.  

It still needs some work, but that is part of the fun of bonsai, they are never finished, as a living thing they will continue to grow and evolve.  I look forward to seeing how this little chap gets on.