Having tried to conquer this form of plant growth a long while ago I have ventured out into the unknown with it again. This time with a little help from a few native varieties from down under I am giving it another go.
Banksia ericifolia is a species of woody shrub of the Proteaceae family native to Australia (thanks wikipedia). I first happened upon this particular native while hiking around the Hawksberry river near Sydney. It was with my usual partner in bushwalking crime at the time that we spotted these quite impressive beauties. Unware as to to the name of the plant I soon found it out on our return into the civilised world. The name has stuck with me since and I could not pass up the opportunity to experiement on this little fella.
Some places of interest for the bonsai native: