Before during and after Shimpaku juniper by Koji Hiramatsu

A great thing about Juniper bonsai is their abundance. Numerous species grow throughout the Northern Hemisphere, many of which are available at nurseries, garden centers, and of course at bonsai shops and nurseries

Of all the junipers, the Shimpaku with its beautiful dense foliage is the most prized. The only downside is they grow so slowly. However, you can speed up the process by grafting Shimpaku onto hardier juniper stock, like San Jose juniper, California juniper, Prostrata juniper or other thick trunked stock*

Before. Based on what you can see through the holes, it looks like there's a lot of action underneath the thick foliage canopy

Trimming the foliage back and discovering a trunk like this just might make your day

After. The flow of the crown to left balances the flow of the deadwood to the right, and the radical reduction in the foliage accentuates the power of the trunk 

. A closer look. A guy wire is an easy way to pull a branch down. If you use a Tie Pot, the knobs make it easier still (just below)

You can visit Koji Hiramatsu on Facebook

Tie Pots Are Available at Stone Lantern 

*Here's a link to a Bonsai Bark post on grafting Shimpaku onto California juniper