Juniper - Where to next???

HI all;
Hope you can help?
I've had this juniper now for 2yrs. re-potted it again this year, and it has a very vigorous roots system. This year its been fed lots. I'm a little stumped as to where to take the styling! I took a third branch, which was just after the middle virtical branch off last year, hoping that the extra light would help...... i'm possibly need to think a little more radically. Thats why i come to you guys and gals for help! please......

Hopefully you can help.
Current prefered front:

current back:


Also during its growth this year, i seem to be experiencing bobbling......... take a look at the next photo. Is this something to be worried about???


Thanks for taking a look,
Bryan

Hi Bryan, I'm not sure what "bobbling" means, but I think your juniper is "making berries (fruit)". Your tree looks very healthy. I don't know how to do "virtuals" yet, but you might consider jinning the lowest (first) branch and running a strip of shari for interest in the trunk. This would hopefully make your tree look older. Then you might decide to jin another higher branch. This tree has good potential for a literati style tree. It would also be good to let roots show at the base. This will enhance the look of age as well. The pebbles are pretty, but the scale looks like "river rocks". What image are your trying to portray?
It looks like you have many options for front. I like the second picture. Another option is planting your tree in the ground to thicken it up and produce a bigger tree. Good luck and don't be afraid to learn with this tree. Mistakes can happen but we learn from our "oops"! Enjoy! Salut, Todd

Todd Ellis wrote:
>I'm not sure what "bobbling" means, but I think your juniper is "making berries (fruit)".
>would also be good to let roots show at the base.
>The pebbles are pretty, but the scale looks like "river rocks". What image are your trying to portray?

Thanks Todd for you input. Here are a couple of things to the questions/notes you wrote above.

1) The 'bobbling' has only seemed to happen this year. Its the new growth. Instead of fresh green shoots/needles they seem to be deformed lumps. Easy to remove, but they just seem to be a bit strange.
2) I'm working on the roots. Selective trimming during repotting, to make sure that the surface roots thicken up before exposing them a little.
3) the pebbles........ this made me laugh a little. Its actually Pink Cat Litter. I use rain water to as much as possible to water my trees, and the cat litter seems to have turned a little green (possibly algae?) not sure if thats good or bad. I'm in the process of growing up some moss. Might make it look a little more appealing to the eye.
Bonsai is a waiting game, and i see so many amazing trees posted in the forums..... no easy fix!
As you say, trial and hopefully not too much error

I've sketched down on paper the lines of the trunk, i've planned maybe whip a pencil out and sketch down a few image variations, see what i can come up with.

Cheers Bryan

I'm not a wizard with virtuals, either. But the tree has too much foliage, and is too "rounded." I'd like to see a few sharper turns off the trun, by pulling the top down to the right (and cutting away much of it to get rid of the pom-pom, and pulling down that right-hand branch (and maybe the small left hand branch, too. That will help add "age" to the tree. Then pinch away all of that foliage mounded on the tops of the branches.

I also think that the tree has better potential for a literati. Also looks to me like your tree is forming berries. I wouldnt get too stressed about it.