If you are a new bonsai artist and you wondered how Todd Schlafer pulled off his stunning Rocky Mountain Juniper transformation for the Columbus Bonsai Society last fall, you may have noticed the importance of wiring the branches to control their placement. Wiring is a fundamental skill in bonsai which I have touched on a handful of times in past articles which can really only be learned by hands-on practice. If you would like to start on the path of learning how to wire branches and turns to accelerate and improve the styling of your bonsai, enjoy Rob's wiring 101 lecture from the February CBS Meeting which I have just posted on the new CBS Youtube Channel. You may find it useful to watch this video with some sample branches in front of you to practice wiring. Or if you are working on wiring a tree, start wiring and then watch this lecture after you have been going a while. I make these suggestions because once you have some hands-on practice, a lot of what Rob is talking about will make more sense.
Many thanks to Rob Hoffman of Yume-en Bonsai for everything he does for the Columbus Bonsai Society, including providing this lecture and allowing us to share it! Find Rob's nursery in Marysville, Ohio.
