Bill’s Blazing Backyard Bonsai Brilliance

Bill Valavanis’ famous Full moon maple in all its glory I’ve been meaning to knock your socks off (do people still say that?) with these photos of Bill’s Brilliant back yard for a few days now, but wanted to get all the fact straight first. Turns out time isn’t on my side so far this week, so I’ll just put the photos up as I found them on Bill’s fb timeline. If you want more info, feel free to follow the link. Continued below… 30% off Tool Specials End Soon OKATSUNE BONSAI & GARDEN TOOLS KOYO BONSAI TOOLS – Here’s a note Bill … Continue reading Bill’s Blazing Backyard Bonsai Brilliance

Monster Trident Maple Bonsai in Full Fall Color

In addition to brilliant fall color, this monster Trident maple has almost everything you’d want in a bonsai, including a massive trunk, fluid natural looking nebari, good lines, a well-matched pot and healthy green moss. The artist is German Gomez. Leaving for quick vacation in three days and still have a million things to do, including putting up some new tools and voting. To save some time we’re going back in time. The photos shown here first appeared on Bark way back in 2010. I’ve changed most of the text. Though fall color is rapidly fading here in Vermont, I … Continue reading Monster Trident Maple Bonsai in Full Fall Color

Fall Color in February?

Japanese maple in full fall color. Though you can only see part of the base of the trunk, still, you can get a pretty good idea just how powerful this tree is; with or without leaves. This photo and all the photos in this post are from Luis Vallejo’s Bonsai Studio (Bonsai Estudio), at the Bonsai Museum Alcobendas. It’s sunny and about five Fahrenheit (-15 celsius) this morning. A little early to get our hopes up, but we can dream. Meanwhile here’s some color to fuel those dreams (fall color, but who’s choosy?). All the photos in this post are … Continue reading Fall Color in February?

More Bonsai Color & a Snake About to Strike

This is one of those azaleas that would look good even without the flowers. Speaking of the flowers, I suspect the photo has been shopped a bit as the color is a little too bright. You can find this and the other four photos shown here (along with a couple dozen others) at the Akademia Bonsai web gallery. We’ve been featuring a lot of color lately, especially Satsuki azaleas in bloom and the response has been very positive, so here are a couple more azaleas for your enjoyment and some fall color as well (apologies for those of you who … Continue reading More Bonsai Color & a Snake About to Strike

Capital Color

This Japanese Maple was donated to our National Bonsai and Penjing Museum by Ryutaro Azuma. It has been in training since 1906. The photo, like all but one of the photos in this post, is from Capital Bonsai. It has been at least a month since the colors peaked here in northern Vermont, but we can imagine that somewhere, where the climate is a little more relaxed, some lucky people can still look out and see trees all ablaze. Perhaps if you live in the D.C. area, where most of these photos are from (via the Capital Bonsai blog), you … Continue reading Capital Color

Fall Color & More Bonsai Events

I found this brilliant Rockspray Cotoneaster by searching fall bonsai color. Turns out that, though I must admit that I didn’t recognize it (this doesn’t bode well), it appeared right here on Bonsai Bark way back in 2009. Anyway, not only is it striking with it’s hundreds of multi-hued little leaves, but it just so happens that it’s belongs to Bill Valavanis who is hosting a big event this weekend (see below). Not to rush things, but for some of us fall has already insinuated its way into our thoughts and conversations (last night it was 36F here). Often these … Continue reading Fall Color & More Bonsai Events

Capital Bonsai

Changing color for over 100 years. Japanese Elm (Zelkova serratta), in training since 1896, donated by Yoshibumi Itoigawa. From Capital Bonsai, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum‘s new blog. Beautiful trees, beautiful blog Our friends at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum have a great new blog (Capital Bonsai) that we’re excited about. So far (two posts in) it features some of their world-class bonsai in their fall finest (Autumn Bonsai), and a story about Yugi Yoshimura and the Museum’s first bonsai that features some wonderful old photos. We’ve got a small taste here to whet your appetite; there’s plenty … Continue reading Capital Bonsai

Blazing Bonsai Gallery

The swirl of color and freakishly wild and wonderful form, belongs to Dan Robinson. It’s from Will Hiltz brilliant book (Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees) about Dan and his trees (this one is a Bald cypress, one of the handful a few deciduous conifers on this planet). It’s that time of year… This brilliant Boston ivy appears on the cover of Bonsai Today issue 68 and is part of a gorgeous autumn color gallery (Bonsai Today back issues are currently 70% off at Stone Lantern). A multi-hued Trident maple forest from the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum’s North American Collection. … Continue reading Blazing Bonsai Gallery

Another Trident: More Fall Color

This monster Trident maple has it all; massive trunk, fluid natural looking nebari (some maple nebari seem overdone), good lines, perfect pot, healthy green moss, everything (you might question the placement in the pot). The artist is German Gomez. They’re popping up everywhere A few days ago we featured a very impressive but unattributed tree that we found on facebook. Turns out that it belongs to German Gomez, of Medi Bonsai in Valencia, Spain (thanks to Pedro Paes), as does the tree featured here. When I first visited German’s website I was amazed that I hadn’t heard of him. But … Continue reading Another Trident: More Fall Color

Fall Color in Upstate New York

This strikingly colorful ginkgo with its thick, uniquely shaped and uncommonly well tapered trunk (for a ginkgo) is from facebook, courtesy of Bill Valavanis (International Bonsai). In fact, all three photos in this post are Bill’s. Looks like a pyracantha. The well-chosen blue pot contrasts with and amplifies the bright vermilion berries. A colorful piece of Bill’s nursery.