Kimura Playing with Bonsai

One of Masahiko Kimura’s famous juniper rock plantings at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. Here’s their caption… “Autumn Special Exhibition: Contemporary Bonsai Masters: Masahiko Kimura; Playing with Bonsai, the Origin of His Works” Today’s photos are from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. I don’t know who the photographer is, but the results are great, especially the one above with its soft texture and colors. But what really caught my eye is the way the foliage stands out from the rock and shadows in the background All the trees are the work of the world’s most famous Bonsai artist, Masahiko Kimura (The Magician). Here’s a quote from … Continue reading Kimura Playing with Bonsai

Before & After Bonsai with at Least Five Names

Suthin’s before and after Japanese five needle pine, aka Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora aka Pinus parvifolia). This is the only variety tree that I know of that has two common names in English and two botanical names. To further confuse the issue, in bonsai circles it is sometimes referred to as Goyomatsu (Japanese – Goyo = five needle, Matsu = pine) We never go too long without visiting our friend Suthin Sukosolvisit. If you’d like more, here’s a link to dozens of other Suthin posts we’ve featured over the years. Before. A tree in need of styling and a new pot Wanna learn … Continue reading Before & After Bonsai with at Least Five Names

Goyo Matsu, Japanese White Pine, Five Needle Pine, Peace Tree, Million Dollar Tree…

As you can see, this Japanese white pine has a strong, well-tapered trunk and nice balanced open branching. Most imported Japanese white pine bonsai have been grafted onto Black pine stock.* But this one was grown from seed. It was just wired (in this photo) by Michael Hagedorn (Crataegus Bonsai.) It belongs to a client of Micheal’s. Still on vacation, so it’s archives again. This one is from January 2013 with some value added. The Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora) is one of the world’s emblematic bonsai. In Japan, it and the Japanese black pine are the species most associated … Continue reading Goyo Matsu, Japanese White Pine, Five Needle Pine, Peace Tree, Million Dollar Tree…

Omiya & Tiny Assassins

Goyomatsu. Japanese white pine from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum’s gallery. The photos shown here are from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, with the exception of one unrelated photo (can you guess which one?). I took the easy path today and borrowed the content shown here from a post we did back in May 2012. Elegance. I’ve never been to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, but if the elegance of the display shown here is any indication, maybe I should start saving my yen. Assassins. Bonsai Mary (aka Mary Miller) has a good article on beneficial insects. There’s one … Continue reading Omiya & Tiny Assassins

Old Japanese Whites plus One

This distinctive Goyo-matsu (Japanese white pine) is from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. I don’t know if the split trunk was by the hand-of-man or the result of a natural occurrence. Either way, the twin trunk effect is wonderful. At the risk of stating the obvious, you might notice the similar movement and direction of the each trunk’s twists and turns. We’re digging back into our archives once again and we’re always looking for catchy titles, even when it’s a bit of a stretch. All the trees shown here are from two earlier Bark posts. The plus one in the … Continue reading Old Japanese Whites plus One

Weekly Wire: Bonsai Elegance, Yellow Flowers, Yang Ya & Tiny Assassins

Elegance. I’ve never been to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, but if the elegance of the display shown in this photo is any indication, maybe I should start saving my yen. Goyomatsu. Japanese white pine from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum’s gallery. Yellow flowers. You don’t see many bonsai with yellow flowers here in North America. Japan might be another story; Classic Bonsai of Japan features several and this one is from our 2012 Japanese bonsai calendar (sold out). I can’t read the Japanese, but it looks like a Winter hazel (Corylopsis spicata). More mellow yellow. Speaking of, I … Continue reading Weekly Wire: Bonsai Elegance, Yellow Flowers, Yang Ya & Tiny Assassins