Adding driftwood to a bonsai can add a great sense of age in a very small amount of time. There are a number of techniques that can be applied to add driftwood to a tree. The first and least effective is to create hollows in the wood and plant a small trees in them making a base for your bonsai forest.
The second and more effective is to attach a tree to the wood making it part of the tree itself. Wire can easily cut into a tree if left on it too long so the options you have are limited. Here are a few methods I find useful:
This first one is a cable tie. It is effective because it is done right at the top of the tree where it does not matter if it cuts in a bit as this can be rectified later by carving. We can leave this on for a long time and it should bind to the driftwood becoming part of the tree.
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This is a cut made on the side of the drifwood which holds the tree in place but also gives it room to expand outwards once the space is filled up.
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This is a hole made through the wood with the tree fitted through it. It is an easy way to hold it in place but the side cut is possibly better as this may have the ability to strangle the tree in years to come.
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