This pine was originally grown as a patio plant in my parents’ garden. When my mother had to move I acquired the pine which impressed me with its small needles. I moved it to a new pot and fed and watered it. I then discovered the small needles were the consequence of lack of watering. It grew and grew. 

After a few years I took the tree to a workshop were the demonstrator suggested reducing the foliage leaving two trunks coming from a fork about one third of the way up from the soil level. (Above photo)

This seemed a good idea at the time and over several years I wired it to bring the “trunks” together. However I was never really satisfied with it.

I had been thinking about creating a literate tree for some time but had nothing I thought suitable. With lock down I watched several videos on You Tube including one about literati trees.

Then when watering my trees I happened to look at the pine and it struck me that if I removed one “trunk” and changed the placement of some top branches I could create a literati pine.

The beginnings of my literati styled Pine

Having thought about it that was what I did. 

I think the tree now has potential as a nice literati. The top foliage is still too heavy and needs thinning but I feel it will be better to wait for the new needles and then assess how best to thin it out. I am very much in favour of a little by little approach so as not to stress the tree too much. I think I am now one to two years away from achieving the design I envisaged. If it works out I will post another picture in the future.”