Winter has now arrived and we are witnessing the fall of the last leaves.

This Korean hornbeam  was imported this year from the Franchi Bonsai company. As with all deciduous trees in the centre, I clean the plant when it loses its leaves.

After removing the last dry leaves, I noticed that a simple pruning would not have been enough to tidy up the foliage. The branches are too long and intertwined with each other, so it will be necessary to reposition them with wire.

The preparatory phase is always the same: eliminating dry twigs and a rough thinning. The work ahead of me is mainly wiring with aluminium and positioning all the branches.

It is not a question of reinterpreting the plant, since this bonsai already has a defined structure and its own personality. It is above all a meticulous and long work of tying and opening up the vegetation.

Starting with the largest gauge, I begin to wire the entire branch, taking care of the finer and more peripheral branches. The same care must be taken when wiring the branches. The movements of broadleaf trees, which are quite different from conifers in general, have softer, more delicate shapes with their tips pointing upwards.

The work is long but in the end I am very satisfied.

The hornbeam in autumn

Before working on it:

Front

Left side

Back

Right side

Branching before pruning and wiring

After shaping:

Front

Left side

Back

Right side

Details

the odd couple!