My boxwood nursery tree

[Steve C]

Was at Sam's club and they had some good sized boxwoods right by the door for a really good price so I couldn't pass picking one up.

This is the first tree I have completely done myself from nursery stock. I'm still new at bonsai (about 15 months into it) and have some trees I have done a few small things too, but this is the very first one I have done any in depth work on.

I'm almost ashamed to admit it took me 7 hrs to do the work on it because I bet most you could have done it in 1-2hrs, but I'm sure as I get more experience the amount of time will get better.

At any rate, I'd appreciate a little feedback on it so I can try to learn a bit more. Feedback as in perhaps what I did right? what I did wrong? What would you do next? I know it needs a tad more thinning out but I didn't want to overdo it all at once.

Before....

After....

 

[Bonsai_Bubba]

I like this! I think it's a really good first effort! Huzzah! With that said, I might think about selecting a new front for the tree, and pruning it down a little more. I'm a newb too though, so you might want to take someone else's advice. I thought this site might be interesting to read:

http://www.betterbonsai.com/bush/buxus/01.html

 

[Poink88]

I'd chop it down to less than half it's current height if this is mine.

 

[M. Frary]

Only half?

 

[jk_lewis]

I agree with Dario -- well more than half. Umbrella shape. And I'd wire or pull those lower branches much further down while you still can.

 

[Poink88]

Only half?

I said "...to less than half."

 

[GrimLore]

I would thin out the top and right side a little more allowing you to see some spaces between branches. I would do that while starting at the bottom wiring all the branches downward. I would leave be for a season or two before chopping to see what it does on its own... Otherwise for a first time on your own I think you did rather well

Grimmy

 

[Don Blackmond]

Its a good start.

I'm sure you know already, but you will always be fighting the natural tendency for upright growth since this is a pyramidal boxwood.

 

[RKatzin]

I was thinking this was a Graham Blandy columnar variety. I have a few I'm training into Live Oak style. I see alot of Live Oak style boxwood and they're all done after the southern live oak trees. We have a different live oak tree here called a Canyon Live Oak (Quercus crysolepis) and it grows a bit different than the spreading style of the southern trees. It is more upright, often with several trunks eminating from one large trunk. Sometimes an upright shrubby tree, but usually with long slender limbs. They rarely have a central trunk, but do sometimes form up into magnificent signular trees. Large ones are rare as they're very slow growing. Anyway, I'm thinking the Graham Blandy will make a good Canyon Live Oak style.

 

[RKatzin]

I tried to get some pics of our live oak. Not too good I'm sorry and I'll try to get some better. These were a quick shot and the light was not with me. The best shots are from the middle of the canyon looking up and not on the road looking down. In the upper left of the second there's a grove with a large old oak.