My goal was to make a Shohin (bonsai under 8") rock and water feature elm grove set on a marble tray.

First I chose attractive placement of the rocks then cemented them to each other and to the marble penjang water tray. I placed them to look like a creek bed with some rock outcroppAfter the quick cement had dried I washed everything to remove and cement and glue residue, after which I placed and wired down the root balls of each of the three trees before filling in with bonsai soil to make an attractive grove of trees in the hills along a creek with rock outcrop pings scattered throughout. The trees were great bonsai stock and required no further wiring, as they all had great shapes. I then mossed up the hills and potions of the rock before placing some mondo grass as an accent planting.

I did all of that in 1.5 hr long workshop at the California Shohin (<8" bonsai trees) biannual gathering. I was amazed at how good it turned out in just an hour and a half.

Over the last two years I practiced "clip and grow" bonsai methodology and the canopy of all three trees gained great branch structure and ramification.

I entered this penjang in the spring bonsai exhibition in San Francisco where many people found it to be an "enchanting elm grove along a creek".

Very nice, Joe! Love what you have created!!!

Here's what it looks like now that it's been trimmed and cleaned up and leafed out.

Many wishes of zen gardening moments to all.

It is truly Zen! It's one of those plantings that you can continuously look at and escape into another world.

Oh yes, I agree!!!

That's amazing! Well done!! TY for sharing it!