More Kokufu Bonsai, but Still Just Scratching the Surface

Full cascade Shimpaku (Juniperus chinensis Sargentii) at this year’s Kokufu Exhibition. I like the meandering play of the deadwood with the living vein. Something that works especially well with Shimpaku bonsai. This and the other photos in this post are courtesy of Bill Valavanis We’ve got some more of Bill Valavanis’ photos from this year’s Kokufu Exhibition. We’ll just scratch the surface and encourage you to visit Bill’s blog for more great shots Here’s a quote from Bill about the omnipresent Masahiko Kimura (The Magician) and his influence on Kokufu… “I saw Mr. Kimura and asked him how many bonsai … Continue reading More Kokufu Bonsai, but Still Just Scratching the Surface

From Wild to Wild – Another Before & After Bonsai

After. This distinctive European spruce, aka Norway spruce (Picea abies) was collected in Switzerland in 1993. It’s now 25cm (10″) high and around 100 years old. The strikingly naturalistic pot (by Mateusz Grobeiny) and those little plants (succulents?) growing around the trunk and flowing down side of the pot add a strong natural touch. So natural that you might imagine stumbling upon the whole planting while hiking in the Alps. The artist and owner of the tree is Walter Pall. You can view the before and after together if you scroll down. Too much going on here today, so we’ll … Continue reading From Wild to Wild – Another Before & After Bonsai

Brilliant Bavarian Backyard Bonsai Garden

Harmut Muenchebach’s brilliant Bavarian backyard bonsai garden. It wouldn’t be hard to indulge in a little envy here, but better to just enjoy. Just stumbled upon these brilliant photos of Hartmut Muenchenbach’s magical Bavarian backyard bonsai garden. They’re from a post on Walter Pall’s timeline titled Jennifer Price at Hartmut Muenchenbach’s. The only other text says This is in Bavaria, Germany. 3 DAYS ONLY 40% off 2 or more 500 gram Bonsai Aesthetic Wire only 8.70 per roll and just in case you’re new to this, 8.70 a roll is so very low this special ends Wednesday night at 11:59pm EDT … Continue reading Brilliant Bavarian Backyard Bonsai Garden

Bonsai Wizardry in Portland (again)

Looking up from below. This is a cropped version of a photo taken by Greg Brenden at the opening of American Bonsai Mirai exhibit at the Wieden & Kennedy gallery in Portland Oregon. Greg’s uncropped photo is below. Another Bonsai Mirai groundbreaking public event. Greg Brenden attended the opening of American Bonsai Mirai– Wieden & Kennedy gallery in Portland Oregon and posted these photos. I’ve done a little cropping to bring the trees a little closer. Greg’s original photos are below (plus one from Ryan Neil that gives a unique view of the exhibit). Greg Brenden’s uncropped original. I like … Continue reading Bonsai Wizardry in Portland (again)

Picasso’s Bonsai Garden

The natural look (or who needs manicured bonsai?). This photo captures two things I love about Eladan Gardens. The first is the rugged uncontrived look that characterizes Dan Robinson’s bonsai, and the second is the perfect setting. The tree is a Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis). Earlier this month I finally visited Dan and Diane Robinson’s magnificent Elandan Gardens. It was a quick visit and all I had to shoot with was my cell. So the photos aren’t nearly as good as most of the borrowed Elandan photos from previous posts. But some shots are unique and hopefully capture something of … Continue reading Picasso’s Bonsai Garden

Walking Through Row after Row of Mind Bending Bonsai while Holding on to Your Socks

We don’t have any photos yet from the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, so we’ll harken back to the very first Exhibition (way back in 2008) and show you Jim Gremel’s magnificent cascading Sargent’s juniper that just happened to be the first grand prize (National Award Masterpiece) winner, in what is now becoming a long chain of U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition winners. I got back late last night from the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester (I left early due to previous commitment). No one except a designated professional is photographing the trees on display, so nothing to show … Continue reading Walking Through Row after Row of Mind Bending Bonsai while Holding on to Your Socks

No Mean Feat

This remarkable Satsuki azalea with its bright profusion of flowers belongs to Teunis Jan Klein. It’s not very often you see a cascade with such a long reach (both vertically and horizontally). What’s more remarkable is the mass of flowers around the tip, which is almost as strong as the crown. That much strength so far from the base is no mean feat. This photo and the other photos in this post are from Hans Van Meer’s blog. It was taken at the 7th Het Westen Bonsai Show in Delft, Netherlands. All the photos in this post have been borrowed … Continue reading No Mean Feat

Lost & Found

Shadow dance. Here’s one that we didn’t show on our now vanished post (see below). The tree was on display at the Noelanders Trophy Exhibition and the image is courtesy Crataegus Bonsai, as are all the images in this post. I don’t know who the artist is. One more time. A week or so ago I accidentally deleted a post on the Noelander Trophy Exhibit. I had borrowed the images from Crataegus Bonsai, so I thought I’d go through and post some again, including one that was posted before. Speaking of Crataegus Bonsai, I just finished studying wiring with Mr. … Continue reading Lost & Found

Paying a Visit to an Old Friend

There’s something about a beautiful bonsai in flower. If you let your eyes linger for a few moments, you’ll notice how the seemingly perfectly placed flowers enhance the power of the tree rather than overwhelm it. It’s a bougainvillea by Robert Steven. All this photos in this post are from Robert’s facebook gallery. Always a pleasure It has been a while since we’ve featured the bonsai of Robert Steven. In addition to being one of the foremost bonsai artists and teachers on this fierce and lovely planet, Robert is also a friend. Not in the ordinary sense of buddies you … Continue reading Paying a Visit to an Old Friend

Explore the World of Bonsai, Humidity & Heat, Columbus Is Still in Ohio & A Very Large Bonsai Tree

This photo is from Explore the World of Bonsai, a special feature offered on the National Bonsai Foundation website. Check it out, it’s well worth a look, especially for those of us still becoming acquainted with the art of bonsai (that pretty much covers us all). Giant bonsai in a very large box. This turned up on Ruddy Valentino d’Augusto’s facebook page. It’s titled Amazing Bonsai Garden. I’ve seen other gargantuan bonsai, but this one may be the most impressive yet. This fluid Japanese maple is one of a whole series of great trees featured on Yoshimoto Ishizuka’s … Continue reading Explore the World of Bonsai, Humidity & Heat, Columbus Is Still in Ohio & A Very Large Bonsai Tree