Sometimes things just have to be simplified – drastically!

This Hawthorn was recently brought to one of my workshops for advice. At the moment it has no clearly defined shape or direction.

It has so many trunks emerging from the same point which is now a swollen area just above the tree’s nebari of exposed rampant roots. The trunks themselves have little taper or movement and do not relate to one another to create a nice plausible image.

After some deliberation and discussion I pruned away everything I didn’t think we needed. The foliage masses on the two trunks I kept now relate to one another. There is taper, movement and direction in this composition. I think the tree now has a certain charm about it which was lacking before.

The next time the tree is repotted we will tidy up and improve the appearance of the exposed roots. Rather than viewing this tree as a perhaps awkward twin trunk bonsai I see us arranging it in a pot so that it gives the impression of a landscape as if the two trunks are growing on an exposed rock.