Companions for Lonely Bonsai

I borrowed this intriguing display from Bonsai Art magazine’s website (I guess you can tell). I like the tree a lot, but it’s the companion that really caught my eye. Companions, accents, shitakusa, kusamono… whatever you call them One thing I like about companion plants is that good ones can have dual functions: you can team them with bonsai to create dynamic displays, or, if they are good enough, they can be displayed alone. This mystery plant from our mystery book easily stands alone.   One companion plant keeps three bonsai and a suiseki company in this circular shohin display. … Continue reading Companions for Lonely Bonsai

Sixty Four Years of Bonsai in Sacramento

Coast live oak by Greg McDonald of the Sacramento Bonsai Club. If you want to see more detail, check out this larger image. California dreamin’ but no diggin’ Though I don’t know the history of the oak above, I imagine it was collected in the California Coast Range. California (and most of the West Coast) is blessed with some of the most spectacularly wild mountain ranges anywhere, and these ranges are covered with a multitude of collectable tree species. Enough to boggle even the most jaded tree lover’s mind. This is not to say that I think you should run … Continue reading Sixty Four Years of Bonsai in Sacramento