Oleander Bonsai

I haven't posted a bonsai photo in awhile.  One of my retirement plans is to spend more time with my bonsai plants. They do not thrive well in neglect.

In late 2008, I got the idea to try and produce an oleander bonsai. My reasoning was that they grow pretty quickly and in no time I'd have something. Here in Texas, oleanders are evergreen, and have flowers from early spring into late summer. I took a cutting from one of the plants in my back yard and got it to root. Then I planted it in a small pot. Here's what it looked line in February 2009.

This was pretty much how it looked when I took the clipping. But there was some encouraging new growth near the base.

The whole plant looked kinda goofy and I wasn't really sure what I could do about it.

Flash forward to today. All of the original greenery gradually died and it only grew two new branches, the one above and another which also died.  But that little branch above, has now, finally, produced buds, and a flower. The first flower in 5 years!

It may not look like much but I'm pretty excited about it. The art of bonsai is pretty much an exercise  in patience. I've been patiently tending this thing for 5 years and finally my reward.