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Bonsai Development
Here we give you advice and examples on how to care for and develop your bonsai
Pound Shop Material to Bonsai
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Not all bonsai needs to be expensive. My introduction to bonsai was when I bought cheap £10 bonsai from a Christmas fair. It died! The next Christmas I bought a Christmas tree from the Pound Shop. I decided to see if I could make it into a bonsai.
![Bonsai 01-small.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2beb12_0aac796a028f46fb8f09e467cb9446a3~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_448,h_624,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Bonsai%2001-small.jpg)
Above is the Pound Shop Christmas Tree, December 2016
![Bonsai 02-small.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2beb12_ab49978a2e8e4bfab5a74f6c4a560ebc~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_110,h_88,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Bonsai%2002-small.jpg)
The roots were trimmed, the branches wired and the tree was transplanted into a bonsai pot.
![Bonsai 03-small.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2beb12_2f45536c6055439fb0c8456ad609b254~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_110,h_148,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Bonsai%2003-small.jpg)
August 2017. I was still learning how to wire a tree and you can see I was not very good or neat, but it was my first attempt. I joined NBS and began to learn from the other members about the correct way to wire.
![Bonsai 04-small.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2beb12_6024c8298ee447239f2cfd1638f9c346~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_109,h_109,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Bonsai%2004-small.jpg)
July 2018. More wire, tighter bends in the branches trying to create a windswept design.​ At least the tree was still alive.
![Bonsai 05-small.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2beb12_78f88826f88b4e0e9fc95a435a5276cb~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_113,h_121,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Bonsai%2005-small.jpg)
May 2018. Spring needles appearing.
![Bonsai 06-small.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2beb12_6edce222ca48463d854866ace548209d~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_111,h_78,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Bonsai%2006-small.png)
December 2018. I entered my tree into the NBS Christmas themed monthly competition complete with miniature lights. It didn't win of course, but I like my first attempt at creating a bonsai from the Pound Shop.
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