This is a close-up of one of the accents in the previous post. This is spring and it is beautiful. 
But we have a winter show and these flowers would be gone by then. We try to display accents that are seasonally correct. So, here comes the hint. Go shopping every year during the month of your bonsai show. That way you can pick something that looks nice that time of the year. Plant the accent at least a year before the show. That way it fills in and takes on a natural look before the show. This is especially important if you are making “mixed accent plants”. The accent plant above has the feeling of maturity. It does not look like it just was planted.
Bay Island Bonsai 