I just got one of those “3 years ago…” memory posts from Facebook that showed the summer work I did on a Ficus benjamina in 2016. It’s the same Benji I shared in this recent post. The difference in just three years is huge! Despite owning this tree for 22 years, this is what it looked like 3 years ago.
And this is what it looked like after three more years of refinement.
F. Benjamina in 2019 after defoliation
It’s not a world-class tree, but the ramification is really improving and it makes an incredible difference!
Now here’s what I want you to consider: 2016 is the same year I joined my local bonsai club, Northern Virginia Bonsai Society (NVBS). As a result, I was able to start making significant progress on this not-so-significant tree in a fairly short period of time — progress I was unable to achieve in the 19 years prior. The tree didn’t hit a magic age and start improving by itself. I started learning what I hadn’t learned practicing on my own.
If you haven’t done so already, find your local bonsai club and join up. Or if one doesn’t exist, find other enthusiasts in your area and start one. If you’re not sure what to do after that, let me know.
Bonsai Iterate 
Reblogged this on Wolf's Birding and Bonsai Blog.
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