This is the first black pine I ever bought. I didn't know the first thing about how to train them. Later I found out it was too long and leggy to do anything with so I chopped it down to the first branch as shown in the other picture. It moved around from pot to pot without me really having any idea what to do with it. Now it is in that wooden training box you see. I am going to just let it grow and learn on it how to prune candles and hopefully I will learn enough to be able to work with confidence on other specimens I may get later on.

This is a Colorado Blue Spruce I bought at a ramshackle nursery with acres of trees. I picked it up for $20. I plan to grow it into a bunjin, but as with the black pines I am behind a learning curve as to how to pinch and prune buds. So while it grows I am going to have to familiarize myself with the growing characteristics of this tree also.

This is my first Shimpaku. I have searched every nursery within 50 miles of my house looking for them. Finally I found a bonsai nursery that has millions of trees. He had this one and another one I haven't yet started training yet. I think this tree has tons of potential but that lower limb on the right may have to come off. I will get some exerience either air layering it or tryiing to grow it as a cutting. Either way I think it needs to come off.

This is a Torulosa Juniper I picked up to play with. I read about how to develop a twisted trunk style in John Nakas books. So I planted this in the ground and let the roots recover for two years before cutting away half the trunk on one side. I then wrapped it securely with raffia and wired it as I was twisting the trunk. It will be a year or so to see how this turns out, but it is another learning experience.

This is a garden shrub we had leftover when we planted some in our back yard. I put it into a pot and let it alone for a year. Then I whacked it way down and this is what has sprouted from the pruning I did. It has a nice wide trunk and good nebari and might make a decent bonsai someday. One thing, it is a bleeder when it gets pruned.

This is the second Black Pine I own. I bought it after having read up on them. It has a more compact look to it and may provide me with something better to work with once I learn how to prune and shape them.

This is the brother of the cottoneaster I have in a bonsai pot. I bought them both at the same time and put one into a bonsai pot and am leaving this one it a training pot to see how large I can get it.

This is one of two Hinoki Cyrpess I have. This one has the most potential so I won't embarass myself by showing the other one.

This is the only San Jose Juniper I have ever seen in any nursery and to imagine I found it at a Wal Mart. I think it has interesting branching and if it will allow me to guide it I think it has lots of potential.

This is from a cutting of one of my wifes mini roses. She annually takes her prunings and propogates them for next seasons plantings. I confiscated this one because I saw CASCADE written all over it. It has been in that pot for a year now.