i'm involved in an alternative to bonsai,
Ueki no Te Ire , or giant bonsai, in sculpting a scots pine into a Japanese style form. Here's what I've achieved after about eleven years so far:
The objective here is the branch over gate form, or
Monkan Shitate, with that lower branch.
One thing I've learned in the process is that the scots pine doesn't respond to this type of treatment as does, say, the
japanese Black Pine, in that it's a much larger
tree. Therefore, I'm contending with a heavier branch characteristic which may not develop into as graceful a form as would a smaller species.
Before
spring, I'll trim off the stubs left from this year's work. There's still some way to go yet.