Straight Up & Tightly Bunched

You don’t see that many Ginkgos bonsai and when you do, they’re usually not this good. A couple things that stand out are the brilliance of the new leaves and how that brilliance is reinforced by the green moss, the green pot and even the barely perceptible little green buds on the trunk. And then there’s the perfect little trunk that looks a bit like a termite mound. I borrowed the photo from Bill Valavanis’ blog, Welcome to My Bonsai World. Getting a late start today, so we’ll take the easy way out. This one originally appeared in June, 2015 … Continue reading Straight Up & Tightly Bunched

250 Million Year Old Bonsai?

This is the same tree we showed yesterday. Same pot too. Just a few months earlier. I borrowed the photo from Bill Valavanis’ blog, Welcome to My Bonsai World. You don’t see that many Ginkgo bonsai. My guess is that this is because they are limited in terms of what you can do with them. For the most part the branches grow more or less straight up and tightly bunched and trunks typically lack movement and grace; staying more or less short and squat as they age. Still, once you accept that Ginkgos are unique and unlike most other bonsai, you might … Continue reading 250 Million Year Old Bonsai?

Bonsai You Just Can’t Resist

It’s not just the color. Once the vivid yellow leaves grab you, you might notice there’s a lot going on here. This Ginkgo, like all the other bonsai shown here, belongs to Bill Valavanis. Good Ginkgos aren’t all that common. They have strange shapes and don’t conform to bonsai conventions. The branches tend to grow straight up and the trunks usually lack movement and grace. But sometimes, in spite of all this (or because of all this) you’ll find a Ginkgo that you just can’t resist. Like the one above. All the photos shown here were posted by Bill Valavanis … Continue reading Bonsai You Just Can’t Resist

Episode 2 of the Ginkgo Story

I’m not so sure about the apex or the way it’s so crowded in this photo, but I like the tree anyway. Especially that gnarly old trunk. It’s a Chi Chi, a small leaf Ginkgo cultivar. As you can see, it’s from Lakeshore Bonsai (Toronto area). Here’s Lakeshore’s caption: “Ginkgo biloba ‘chi-chi’, 7 years in development from imported raw material. Probably started as an air layer in Japan.” All of the sudden we’re interested in Ginkgo bonsai. I don’t have any, but if I find a good one… I borrowed the following from an ofBonsai article by Heather Hartman: “It … Continue reading Episode 2 of the Ginkgo Story

Straight Up & Tightly Bunched

Is this one of the best Ginkgo bonsai photos you’ve ever seen? A couple things that stand out for me (in addition to the overall quality of the tree and the photo) are the brilliance of the new leaves and how that brilliance is reinforced by the green moss, the green pot and even the little green buds all over the trunk. I borrowed the photo from Bill Valavanis’ blog, Welcome to My Bonsai World. You don’t see that many Ginkgo bonsai. My guess is that this is because they are limited in terms of what you can do with them. … Continue reading Straight Up & Tightly Bunched

A Beautiful New Bonsai Book

Ginkgo. A close up of the cover tree from the new Crespi Bonsai Museum gallery book. We only occasionally devote a whole post to advertising and then only when we think what we are selling is newsworthy or warrants some special attention. It has been a long time since we’ve seen such an exceptional new bonsai book. Quality photography, materials and production combine with fifty blue chip bonsai that have been shot over time and from different perspectives in a way that makes for a thoroughly enjoyable bonsai experience. This excellent new book allows you a taste of the world … Continue reading A Beautiful New Bonsai Book

Fall Color in Upstate New York

This strikingly colorful ginkgo with its thick, uniquely shaped and uncommonly well tapered trunk (for a ginkgo) is from facebook, courtesy of Bill Valavanis (International Bonsai). In fact, all three photos in this post are Bill’s. Looks like a pyracantha. The well-chosen blue pot contrasts with and amplifies the bright vermilion berries. A colorful piece of Bill’s nursery.

Masters’ Gallery: Ginkgo Biloba

This remarkable broom style Ginkgo is from Classic Bonsai of Japan (Nippon Bonsai Association). 50 years old, 33 inches (82cm). Not all that common Ginkgo bonsai are not all that common. This may be because of the problems that the branching presents. Can you think of another type of tree (that is used for bonsai) whose branches just grow up? Let alone all tightly bunched together. A couple more; this time from the West You may not consider these next two Ginkgos to be masterpieces, but I think they both have qualities that set them apart.