A Good Place to Visit (in the Winter)

The Bonsai Exhibit at the The Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens. Visit The Morikami (the essence of Japan in South Florida)… … but you might want to wait until winter. Once you get past the purple/pink background you might notice that this wild and sparse Rocky Mountain Juniper is reminiscent of the Ponderosa pines that you (and the Pine beetles) find by the millions in the Rockies (and the Sierras). It’s on display at The Morikami. It was styled by Ben Oki. Bonsai & Japanese arts & culture Since its opening in 1977, The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens (and … Continue reading A Good Place to Visit (in the Winter)

Ben Oki: An Old Master at Play

I could watch and listen to Ben Oki for a long time. In this one, you get to watch the old master wiring, and, as a bonus, hear a story about John Naka; another old master. FYI: John Naka was considered the dean of American bonsai. He died in 2004. Bonsai Today issue 93 features a special on Mr. Naka and you can enjoy his sketches in The John Naka Sketch Book (The National Bonsai Foundation). Two other noteworthy Naka books are: Bonsai Techniques one and two (Bonsai Institute of California).