Hi guys,
I am a relative beginner to Bonsai and as well as having a couple of "ready made" bonsai from a garden centre, I also have three trees that are essentially raw material. I really don't know where to start with any of them and am looking for any tips or advice you could give me. The first is a boxwood (buxus sempervirens) which I guess is simplest of the three. I trimmed back a fair bit of the growth a couple of months ago and I'm happy to say that I have a lot of new growth of smaller, lighter coloured leaves (that I think should be visible in the pics attached). The second is a yew (taxus baccata semperaurea) with which I've done nothing. It splits into two trunks pretty much directly above the root ball and basically as soon as I got it home a couple of months ago the left trunk completely died off and was bare within a couple of days. If anyone can advise what to do with the dead trunk and with the tree in general that would be great. The third is an awesome willow that I won a few nights ago in a raffle. It looks like it has a good age to it and has a fair bit of new growth as well. I imagine I'll have to lose a lot of this growth, but if anyone can advise how much to lose and what to do with the tree that would be much appreciated. Would I also be able to replant the branches I prune and get more trees out of it? Thanks in advance for your advice!

I suggest you buy a book and find a local club to join. It very difficult from pictures like this to see all around the plants to know where branches are and what might be possible.

I do have a book and am a member of the National Bonsai Society in Southport, which is where I won the willow. Is not the point of this forum (and, specifically, the beginner section within the forum) to allow beginners to post pictures of their trees and get advice from other bonsai enthusiasts? I can't exactly bring all three trees on a train to the next meeting a month from now and ask for advice, and books rarely have the answer to all questions beginners have.

I am pleased to hear that you have joined a club, The best way to learn is hands on, so look at what you have and make your own mind up. Take one of your trees to get help, my point was that it is not possible to advise when it is not possible to get hands on the tree, to see inside and all around it. Pictures are only part of the story,
Geoff.

Ok. If anyone has any advice about the trees that would be much appreciated.

Styling advice at this stage is a bit early I would say.

Decide how big your bonsai should become. That will dictate the thickness of the trunk. realistic bonsai typically have a trunk that is 1/6 to 1/12 of the height of the tree. So a tree of 30cm tall, should have a trunk of 2,5-5cm thick to "work"

That being said, look at your plants: They are still very young. I would grown them out for a few years to get a bit of a trunk going. Only the weeping willow has a reasonable size. That is however a species I do not like for bonsai, so I cannot help you much there, except for telling you they just love water. Place the pot in a shallow tray with water. The plant should be able to empty the tray every day or so. You will see it starting to shoot like crazy.

I would add to that to spend a lot of time looking at trees. Go out and in the woods and look at them, particularly around cliff faces. Look at the bark, the trunk, the roots, and how they all fit together. Then look at each of your trees, and then ask yourself what each one wants to be.

Also, look at all of the pictures of bonsais here and other fora, same thoughts.

Then, get some more trees, then more trees, then get more stands in the yard to hold them. Then get a bigger yard. Then, since you have more space, get some more trees. Investigate the price of acreage in the area. Etc.