An Exceptional Bonsai – Before & After

Here’s an excellent example of a before and after with an already established tree. It just needed a talented bonsai artist and some free time to bring it back to its previous splendor. In this case the artist is Gabriel Romero Aguade. The tree is an impressively masterful Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis). Not that you don’t have eyes of your own, but I feel that some extra excitement is warranted with a tree like this. It resides at the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid. Here are Gabriel Romero Aguade’s comment (Spanish then English)… “Antes y después del Juniperus chinensis trabajado en el Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid. Si quieres … Continue reading An Exceptional Bonsai – Before & After

North American Bonsai Excellence – The 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album Is Here!

Winner of the Finest Bonsai Masterpiece at the 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. It’s a Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga Mertensiana) that belongs to Eric Schikowski. The photo is by Joseph Noga as are all the photos in Exhibition Albums 2-5. Every two years we get a jolt of bonsai excitement when our copies of the latest U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album arrives. This time it’s the 5th Album, and it’s the best yet. This should come as no surprise, bonsai is still relatively new in North America (and much of the world) so steady improvement is to be expected. However, given … Continue reading North American Bonsai Excellence – The 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album Is Here!

Masterful Bonsai, Brilliant Pots & Glimpses of Monet & Van Gogh

One of three magnificent Junipers (Juniperus chinensis) that you can find on Ryan Bell’s Japanese Bonsai Pots website. Or, you can go straight to the source, Bonsai Sidiao master, Cheng Cheng Kung’s site. Yesterday, Ryan Bell offered a friendly heads up on a boneheaded mistake by yours truly. After wiping the egg off and correcting the mistake, I decided to visit Ryan’s Japanese Bonsai Pots to see what he’s been up to lately. As always, it was a click worth making. Especially for someone who enjoys brilliant ceramic art and equally brilliant bonsai. Continued below… Here’s something you might like … Continue reading Masterful Bonsai, Brilliant Pots & Glimpses of Monet & Van Gogh

Hiding in Plain Sight

This has got to be one of the most magnificent Chinese hackberry (Celtis sinensis) bonsai anywhere. Though the distinctive split trunk needs no comment, you might also notice the highly developed ramification (fine branching). The tree was donated to the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection by Ben Oki. We’ve featured it before, but it’s certainly worth another shot. Another dig into our archives. This time unintended… Today I decided it’s time to visit the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection. It’s one of North America’s premier collections and we haven’t featured it for a long time. I was delighted to see the Rim’s … Continue reading Hiding in Plain Sight

Wild & Wonderful Bonsai but No Rain in California

Wild! There’s so much going on with this delightfully crazy tree, that you could spend a long time looking at it and still see something new. It’s a Chinese juniper by Yang Hsui. Yesterday I flew from snowy Boston to sunny San Francisco. I mention this because we flew over the Sierra Nevada, California’s magnificent mountain range, which, in the winter always appears as an endless chain of white from north to south, as far as the eye can see. Only this time no white. Just dark green, brown and other earth colors. California and much of the west has … Continue reading Wild & Wonderful Bonsai but No Rain in California

More Bonsai from Scratch Winners

Mark Arpag’s Dwarf Hinoki cypress is the third place winner in our Bonsai from Scratch Contest. Mark’s prize is a $150 gift certificate to Stone Lantern. See below for before photo. Judges comments “Nice crown, I like the way wire is used at the top. Wire could be used on lower branches on the right to the same effect.” Excellent; some confusing foliage/branching between the trunks; also, subdivide low branch pad on the small trunk, it’s too large for the trunk size.” “Couldn’t tell what we have from looking at the stock. Nice outcome.” “Great overall flow. Could reduce … Continue reading More Bonsai from Scratch Winners

Wild and Wonderful Bonsai

Wild! There’s so much going on with this delightfully crazy tree, that you could spend a long time looking at it and still see something new. It’s a Chinese juniper by Yang Hsui. Taiwanese Bonsai The three bonsai shown here are all from the 2008 Taiwan Bonsai Creators Exhibition booklet which appears on Bonsai Shari Si-Diao, Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s website. Cheng is one Taiwan’s most famous, and most innovative, bonsai artists and teachers. This one is more wonderful than wild. But take a look at the size of the pot relative to the tree and particularly the trunk. Could the tree … Continue reading Wild and Wonderful Bonsai

Drawing Your Bonsai

A page from Bonsai Today issue 34 (all in stock Bonsai Today issues are currently 25% to 35% off). The artist (bonsai and sketch) is Yukio Karino (mistranslated last name?). You can do it! We’ve featured bonsai drawings way back in the early years of Bonsai Bark (2009). We still think it’s a good idea and suggest you try your hand at it. Contrary to the pervasive poverty mentality many of us have about these things, you can do it if you just take your time. The drawings (you can call them sketches if that helps) don’t have to be … Continue reading Drawing Your Bonsai