AusBonsai

Picked up this early 90's stock recently and decided to give it a first styling. I tried to retain all the trunks to create a clump style feel, imagining it sitting on a nice slab But I felt they didn't work in the overall design and it needed to be simplified. I will wait until winter before I decided on jin/shari work. At this stage I would like to keep the bottom low trunk...there wasn't enough foliage to make it look convincing but I will let it regain vigour before making a decision on it. This is what Ive spent the last 2 days on
I welcome any thoughts or opinions

for its first wiring that look like it will be a spectacular tree in the making. You have shaped that tree to a nice formation. I really like it well done.

Looks great

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Thanks for the comments After some research Ive realised it was tagged wrong at the nursery and is not a Foemina but a Chinensis variety.

I have since done some minor tweaking. The tree will be left to rest now

Really nice movement in that one.
Great Job!

That's looking really good Jeremy, I'm looking forward to following the progression.

In regards to the ID, would it be that it's Juniperus Chinensis Foemina? I have one which I think is the same and that's what I understand it to be. Maybe even the same source at Northside?

Cheers,
Nigel

Yeah mate got it from the back corner of Tess' nursery. Research suggests Foemina is a needle Juniper. I'm guessing what she sells as Sargents would be Shimpaku and this would be regular Chinensis Its very close to Shimpaku foliage, perhaps not as tight or deep green in colour

Yeah it's definitely what I got too. Seemed very fairly priced so I pretended I wasn't broke Tess showed me one she had recently cut back hard that had the needle foliage, which would mature back to the ones like we have. My assumption is they have been left to grow so long so that is why it's mature foliage all over.

The Bonsai Today Juniper book describes the juvenile foliage being preferred and to remove the mature scale foliage. I like the scale foliage though so I'll skip that part.

It has left me somewhat confused about what defines needle or scale. Once I started to get confused I saw scale like foliage on my Procumbens which hasn't helped my confusion

Cheers,
Nigel

This tree is nearly 100% mature foliage. The immature foliage looks like Shimpaku, whereas I believe Foemina foliage to be closer to Communis. Google image Communis and you'll see the difference. In any case, the trees we have I would believe the mature foliage to be superior. Whatever it is, it seems like a nice tree to work on and very well priced compared to Squamata of this size.
Share a photo of yours if you don't mind, Nigel

This is the one I got. I have done a bit to it but don't have a photo, will post when I do though. I've been wanting a tall Literati since I started learning about bonsai and thought this one could do it. Just not sure if I can

Im sure you'll do it justice mate. Its a nice tree, plenty of branches and soft movement in the trunks