English Elm

This English Elm has been sat in my garden for many years I can’t remember where it came from or when, all I can think is that it is one of the trees I have collected.

The tree in December 2015
Tree in February 2021

I have not been able to decide how to style this tree, this is because of the two lumps indicated by the arrows in the picture above. These were caused by two small trunks dying off, this was probably caused by Dutch elm decease.

I would like to bring the soil level up to make this feature part of the flare of the  trunk, unfortunately this would leave too much trunk below soil level for the depth of the pot. Another idea was to thread graft two cuttings through and regrow the trunks.

I have been slowly building up the branch structure as you can see in the above, I am still not sure what I am going to do with it.

The tree is now 25 x 19 cm wide

Nature as inspiration

If you are seeking more inspiration from nature for your bonsai, or just enjoy looking at trees I have a of suggestion for you.

Ancient Tree Inventory

Check out the Ancient Tree Inventory. Run by the Woodland Trust, it uses a mapping system for the oldest and most important trees in the UK. They rely on public to capture and submit data to maintain the database, so you can get involved.