Even if you’re one of those curmudgeons who complains about the overly sculpted look of some Japanese bonsai, you’ve got to admit that this powerhouse Shimpaku approaches perfection. That trunk draws your eye like few trunks anywhere, with its single living vein, mysterious hollow at its base and the spidery fingers and hole at the [...]
These simple tips on trimming and pinching are from an extensive article entitled ‘How to Train Coniferous Bonsai’ from Bonsai Today issue 42. Stay posted for more tips from this article. Books on the subject Two of the best books on training conifers are part of our Masters’ Series: Growing and Styling Juniper Bonsai, and [...]
All you need to get started is a good sharp grafting knife and willingness to experiment. An easy way to add a branch The simple technique shown here allows you to keep the roots of the scion until it takes; an obvious advantage. The scion, aka the branch to be, will remain in its pot [...]
This rafia wrapped Japanese white pine is the result of an unconventional (amazing might also apply) transformation by Masahiko Kimura. The original article appears in Bonsai Today issue 43. This photo also appears in our Pine book. Approx. height 37″ (94cm). Up to his old tricks The range and dept of Masahiko Kimura’s mastery knows [...]
Carl Morrow sent us this digitalized revision (and two others, see below) of a juniper that was originally submitted to our ‘Fearless Bonsai Warrior‘ program, by John Romano. This is the second critique of John’s juniper that has been submitted to Bonsai Bark (here’s the other). Carl’s turn with John’s Juniper The photos and text [...]
A set up like this will come in handy if you live out west right now. Back here in the northeast, we’ve barely had to uncoil ours so far this summer. This image is from our Juniper book. I never miss Michael Hagedorn’s posts on Crataegus Bonsai. He’s always got something useful to say and [...]
In this series of photos (from our Juniper book), Hideki Nakayatsu turns a needle juniper on its side to work on the apical jin (jin can be either a dead branch or a dead top of the trunk). He is using is a draw knife to carve natural looking grooves in the wood. Though there [...]
Here’s another shot of the man and the tree. Both are very impressive in their own way, though neither provided much mystery, at least for those of you who responded. BTW: here’s where we borrowed this photo and the photo that appears in contest #4. The winner… … is John Callaway. John wasn’t the only [...]
This illustration by Kyosuke Gun is from our Masters’ Series Juniper book. It is a perfect fit for this post that is borrowed from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. Before the real summer heat hits, consider how you are watering your trees. Have you ever seen your trees grow through spring just fine, only to get [...]
This drawing is from our Masters’ Series book; Junipers, Growing & Styling Juniper Bonsai. What is Green Workshop? Green Workshop is a series for beginners and others who are interested in some of the basics of bonsai care and training. Green Workshop originated in Bonsai Today magazine and will be continued with regular postings on [...]
