Full Attack Mode

Aggression. Everything is moving to the left. The deadwood, which is so dominant appears to be in full attack mode, while the crown and living branches provide some contrast (speaking of contrasts, you might notice the piece of wood pushing a piece of the trunk up and the wire pulling another piece down). Whether you like this tree or not, my guess is you’ll remember it. I found these photos here. Due to the language I don’t know much beyond that. Feel free to do your own research (you could start with the face below). The long needles and … Continue reading Full Attack Mode

Digging & Field Growing Bonsai in the Early Fall

This sumptuous Satsuki is from Bill Valavanis’ 2014 Japan Satsuki tour. Though I don’t know for sure, based on the massive trunk it’s easy to imagine that it was originally field grown. Early fall is good times to dig and transplant. For me, it’s mostly native larch (some cedar and spruce too) from a friend’s land here in northern Vermont. However, unless you live in the frozen north or blazing tropics, Satsuki azaleas just might work for you. This post (from 2009) is taken from one of many field growing posts we’ve done over the years. I have edited (italics) … Continue reading Digging & Field Growing Bonsai in the Early Fall

Clip-and-Grow – Back to Bonsai Basics

You can see the large scar from the first cut on this powerful old Chinese elm (Ulmus parviflora). If you follow the trunk up a ways, you can see the change of direction where the second cut took place, though you can’t see a scar from this view. This tree appears in the 1st U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album.* It was started from a large collected tree in China. The owner/artist is Melvyn Goldstein. The fuzzy image is due to enlarging to fit our newer format. It’s full tilt spring around here now. Digging and potting season in all its … Continue reading Clip-and-Grow – Back to Bonsai Basics

Time and the Ravages of Nature

This after photo by Juan Andrade is a very good example of a field grown bonsai that is grown and styled to look like a yamadori (bonsai collected frm the wild). Though this is a very sweet little tree that might at a glance fool someone, still, there is something about true yamadori that is impossible (almost impossible?) to mimic. Even in the hands of someone as skilled as Juan (and whoever originally grew and styled this tree). This post picks up on Field Grown Bonsai that Look Like Yamadori from last week. Here’s the before photo. You don’t have … Continue reading Time and the Ravages of Nature

Field Grown Bonsai that Look Like Yamadori

After. This sweet little Shimpaku and the one below were posted on facebook by Bjorn Bjorholm. The before photos for both trees are at the bottom of the post. Before I make another mistake and look foolish in the process, here’s my disclaimer for this post: I don’t know for a fact the origin of the bonsai shown here. Much of what I have to say below is simply conjecture. Lately I’ve been noticing field grown bonsai stock that look like yamadori (bonsai stock collected from the wild). More accurately, the best look almost like yamadori. I believe that’s the … Continue reading Field Grown Bonsai that Look Like Yamadori

Bonsai No Satori

From the cover of Bonsai No Satori, Chase and Solita Rosade’s new newsletter. Send us your news We are happy to post bonsai news from around the world. We get around sixteen thousand visits a month from pretty much everywhere. Some of these just might be interested in what you are doing. Send your info to: wayne@stonelantern.com Our news (mostly larches) I’m still digging larches (Larix laricina) and a few Northern white cedars (Thuja occidentalis). A friend of mine has a swampy area on his land that is full of larches. Nothing too old (the swamp was cleared about fifteen … Continue reading Bonsai No Satori

Nothing Compares to Shin-Boku

Shin-Boku Nursery from the air. You can’t tell, but almost every one of the plants in this photo are specimen quality Japanese garden trees. Some are ten or fifteen feet tall, others are potential bonsai. All are old and range from excellent to amazing. Doug doesn’t mince his words Here’s what Doug Roth, the publisher and editor of the Journal of Japanese Gardening has to say: “Shin-Boku Nursery is the finest Japanese garden tree nursery in North America.” Ditto! Yesterday I visited Baker Valley Nursery (see below) for the forth or fifth time. Both Shin-Boku and Baker Valley are owned … Continue reading Nothing Compares to Shin-Boku

Coming Soon: Field Grown Bonsai Stock

One little man made hill that serves as landscaping and as a growing bed for future bonsai. Coming soon I’ve started digging some of my field grown stuff and putting them in plastic containers. Soon we’ll start photographing and putting some up for sale. Larches and some others More than half of what I’ve been growing are larches that have been collected here in northern Vermont. All have been pruned some. Some has been wired and a few have even been carved. Most are not bonsai pot ready, but all have good potential. Stone Lantern When they are ready, I’ll … Continue reading Coming Soon: Field Grown Bonsai Stock