hornbeam # 12

This is a European hornbeam, Carpinus betulus. It was collected in Germany by Wolfgang Kaeflein in 1994. I got it in 1996 as stump with no branches. When I brought it home the guy who was my assistant at that time said in all earnest 'this will never ever become a decent bonsai'. Well, just to prove him wrong I planted it into my growing field and let the top grow freely to thicken the ridiculously thin top. In April 2005 the big harvest started. It seemed impossible for a while to get this monster out of the ground. We (David and WP)ruined a neighbor's tree by attaching the band for the wrench. Finally it was mad much smaller and ended in this mica Pot. In April 2007 the next big design day came. And now in November 2009 it starts to look really good. I will now probably find a good final pot for it. Next spring it should be ready for the very first exhibit. A long way indeed. But worth it all. The hornbeam is slightly too large for my taste. But as centerpiece for a large garden or exhibit it would be great. The back side is almost as good as the front, as to be expected for a bonsai in the naturalistic style. This makes it a great centerpiece to walk around. Well, maybe I will donate it to the Botanical Garden Munich one day.