Chopping up Trees and Gathering Seeds

I included some pictures of the scheffleras that I chopped up from a single potted plant I bought at Walmart last year. For contrast, I included the single cutting that I took after chopping up the schefflera that survived. Noticed how tall and lanky it is in comparison.  

Example of drastic pruning Schefflera clump

Another example of drastic pruning Schefflera clump

About the chopping: a few years back I watched this YouTube video from John Geanangel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrwiBVpzolI
In the video, he demonstrates how to perform drastic pruning on azaleas and develop pre-bonsai subjects with a thick trunk. I felt a bit inspired and I did create a few azalea bonsai, which I've since allowed to wither away. I decided to try the same drastic pruning technique with these guys. Now I just have to grow them out. 

I stopped by Home Depot last night. I was looking specifically for cotoneaster, crape myrtle, Japanese pieris, and dwarf rhododendron. They didn't have any cotoneaster nor crape myrtle. They did have pieris, but none with interesting characteristics. They had some dwarf rhodies, slightly overpriced and not too interesting. I picked one up just the same. I'll be chopping up the poor little guy later. I looked over my blog, and it looks like I picked up some dwarf rhodies from Home Depot in July of 2015 for just under $10, which is the same price I just paid. Looking at the pictures I uploaded back then, looks like most of the interesting trunk movement was under the dirt. I included some 'after' pictures of my rhodies; I'll be sure to include some before and after pictures with the chopping.  
 
So back when I lived in my house on Dorothy street in Chula Vista, CA, the neighbor behind me had a Chinese elm tree in his back yard. Part of the tree grew into my side of the yard. Every fall, my backyard would be carpeted with a thick later of Chinese elm seeds. Then the leaves would fall shortly after, covering the seeds in a thin layer of leaves. The winter rain would then turn it all to a wet mulch. It was a mess! And every spring, I would end up with lots and lots of little Chinese elm seedlings in every nook and cranny. My issue back then wasn't how to propagate them; the issue was keeping the little buggers from taking over my backyard.

Chinese elms seeds arrived in the mail. There were no instructions included, but I think I can figure out how to propagate them. Aaron got me some guavas for the seeds. I've never had fresh guava; I didn't know they had so many seeds! I must have gotten over 100 seeds from one guava. The notes I read about planting guava seeds is to boil them for 5 minutes. All the youtube videos I've seen about growing guava seeds shows people just straight up planting them. I'm going to soak them in water until I plant them this weekend. So with that, I now have a weekend project; plant elm and guava seeds. Oh, and the chopping....

Anyways, I'll post a write up on the process and include some pictures over the weekend.