I bought this cypress from Walter Anderson nursery in San Diego for $19.99 on September 20, 2020. It is a variety of Monterey cypress, so I believe the current scientific name is Hesperocyparis macrocarpa, but the tree was labeled with the older genus name of ‘Cupressus’. I am pleased with its development in the 2 years and 4 months that I have been working with it.
The tree today.
The tree when purchased.
Wiring some initial movement into the trunk. I left the smaller branches alone to provide energy for the tree.
The tree from another perspective.
In the garden. Leaving it alone to thicken.
Spring growth.
Wire removed to prevent bark scarring.
Some needle browning during spring.
Branch selection and trunk styling in summer. I removed about half the foliage.
Cut-paste applied to wounds.
Lots of top-growth remaining.
Pruned some of the top-growth, wired major branches.
Slip-potted into a large terra-cotta container without working on the roots.
Branch-pruned. Some reverse taper at the base. I will leave the lowest branch to try to thicken the nebari although it may not be part of the final design.
Wired the major branches in spring, leaving most of the finer foliage to grow.
Some selective pruning.
Back to a bush.
Wired to separate the upper trunks.
Winter growth.
Heavy pruning of new growth.
Inside of tree exposed.
My future plans for this tree are to continue working on the main trunks as I let the foliage grow and then cut it back. I hope by leaving lots of foliage the lower trunk will thicken and a good nebari will form. Eventually I expect to develop the pads by clip and grow more than by wiring because the foliage is so fine.
beginBonsai 
This is what I love about bonsai, they teach us patience! Interesting specimen though…
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Yes, teaching me about patience and about enjoying the work at hand instead of focusing on the eventual goal. Especially in bonsai, where the goal may change to reflect new options the tree presents as it matures.
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