The Ultimate Bonsai Gift – Beauty, Power & Ergonomic Design

Heavy Duty Masters Shears designed by Robert Steven of the highest quality stainless steel each in its own in Bamboo Box These beautiful Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Bonsai Shears were designed by Robert Steven and produced to create a handsome and superior ergonomic tool for the connoisseur of the finest tools for the best bonsai results. Every curve and detail on this powerful tool ensures comfort and durability as well as artistic beauty. To see it is to be delighted and to hold it and use it is to be doubly delighted. The material used is highest quality 5Cr1MoV steel processed to hardness … Continue reading The Ultimate Bonsai Gift – Beauty, Power & Ergonomic Design

A Quick Study in Deadwood

It’s all about the deadwood (and the crown). Deadwood is sometimes overplayed, especially on Shimpaku. But even though the deadwood is dominant on this tree, the powerful and well constructed crown offers a good sense of balance. All three photos in this post are from Marco Invernizzi’s website. I’m still on vacation, so we’ll make no pretense of in-depth analysis of deadwood this morning (not that we ever do much in-depth analysis of anything). Just three photos of Shimpaku from Marco Invernizzi’s website with a few quick comments and a little word from our sponsor. Marco Invernizzi studied extensively with … Continue reading A Quick Study in Deadwood

Gifts for Bonsai Lovers

Fine Bonsai. The vividly photographed Japanese maple with its outrageous nebari, luminous leaves and tunnel that allows you to see into its midsection, is from the uniquely powerful and soulful new gallery book, Fine Bonsai, Art and Nature (cover photo below). This tree resides at the Shunka-en Bonsai Museum in Tokyo. No artist’s name is mentioned. Commercialism? No! (well maybe just a little) I hope that you’ve noticed that we keep a safe distance from too much shameless commercialism here on Bonsai Bark (our newsletter is another story). However, it’s that time of year, when lots of goods and money … Continue reading Gifts for Bonsai Lovers

NEW High Carbon Steel Bonsai Shears & FREE Fertilizer

3 NEW Stone Lantern high carbon steel bonsai shears. With this set, you’ll have almost all of your bonsai pruning tasks covered; from the very tip of the apex all the way down to the lowest roots. If you don’t need the set, you can buy them individually. They’ll cut your bonsai and your costs We are very high on our new bonsai tools. So high in fact, that we’ve decided to brand them with our Stone Lantern name. They look good, feel good, cut like butter and, perhaps best of all, the prices won’t bust your budget. Far from … Continue reading NEW High Carbon Steel Bonsai Shears & FREE Fertilizer

Pushing the Limits

This wild and gnarly yamadori (collected bonsai) exhibits some classical flaws. Two of the most obvious are the long straight taperless section of mid-trunk and the cluttered roots around the base. However, that’s the way this tree grew and those flaws tell part of the story of its struggles to survive and thrive in an inhospitable environment. Without them, the story might not be so interesting. Classical vs Eccentric There have always been classical bonsai (ones that conform to accepted norms of an earlier time) and there have always been more eccentric bonsai that push classical forms and norms into … Continue reading Pushing the Limits

Our Summer Sale Ends Thursday Morning

Our Okatsune bonsai shear. This is my favorite bonsai shear. In fact, I think it’s the best bonsai shear in the world (short of individually hand made $500 and up Japanese shears). New shipment of tools from Japan due in next week We are running out of many of our tools, but a new supply is due in next week. Order now and take advantage of our Site Wide Summer Sale, and as soon as they arrive, yours will be on its way. I’ve seen most of the photos and much of the text, and I will stake my reputation … Continue reading Our Summer Sale Ends Thursday Morning

Near Perfect in Every Regard…

We get so used to looking at exception bonsai that sometimes we stop really looking. For me, this bunjin style Japanese while pine (seven tree clump) on a slab, is near perfect in every regard. If you just look for a while, free from ideas about what it is or should be, then it has the power to transport you to someplace natural and free. From the cover of Bonsai Today issue 25. I doubt if these shears have the same power to transport you as the bonsai above, but they will help you style your own trees. Now on … Continue reading Near Perfect in Every Regard…

Satsuki Art Blooms at the National Museum

The sky blue pot is the perfect compliment to the light pink flowers on this powerful Satsuki Azalea that resides at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington DC. There are a multitude of cultivars in the Satsuki group of azaleas. This one is a ‘Nikko.’ It was donated to the museum by Masayuki Nakamura. As you read this… … one of the best and most breathtaking exhibits of blooming satsuki azaleas is taking place at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. It has already started (May 29th) but don’t despair, it runs until June 13th. Even if you … Continue reading Satsuki Art Blooms at the National Museum

Azalea Tips #2: The Language of Ramification

This old Satsuki azalea, with its massive trunk and wild display of mixed up flowers, is from our Satuski Azalea book by Robert Z. Callaham (Stone Lantern Publishing). Ramification Ramification just means branching. More specifically in bonsai (and other places) it is sometimes used to mean branch development or branch refining. The language of ramification Pruning Pruning is a commonly used word that is loosely applied to mean any removal of all or parts of branches. More specifically it means removing branches rather than shortening branches, but this distinction is lost on many people. Thinning Thinning means removing unwanted branches … Continue reading Azalea Tips #2: The Language of Ramification

Ichiban #2: Research & Development

Before you make a decision on what might be one of your most important bonsai investments yet, you can do a little research by checking out Marco Invernizzi’s Ichiban site. In addition to being one of the most accomplished and influential Western bonsai artists, Marco is the designer of the Ichiban.