A Quieter Tree & a Smaller House

I’ve long appreciated the subtlety of Michael Hagedorn’s bonsai. Michael tends to avoid flash and overstatement, even in some of his crazy experimental stuff.* Here’s Michael’s caption for this understated bonsai… “Japanese Maple ‘Beni-Kawa’ with an unusual pot choice, an unglazed brown.” Here’s more in Michael’s own words (from his blog)… “The decision was to show off the reddish rose of the branches and trunks, to have that be the focus. Often a key tree color is balanced by the opposing color on the color wheel—in this case, the pot would have a green glaze. By NOT going that route … Continue reading A Quieter Tree & a Smaller House

When Can You Call It Bunjin?

Bunjin (aka Literati), a style you don’t see too much in the West. I think it’s difficult to do bunjin properly. It defies our tendency to fill up space. Adding rather than subtracting, where subtracting all the way down to bare bones seems to be one of the keys. There’s much more, but I’m not that versed in the topic, so we’ll leave it at that This is the third consecutive day of our virtual visit to Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. Today it’s some pines in Michael’s portfolio that caught my eye. Though it started unintentionally, there’s a progression based … Continue reading When Can You Call It Bunjin?

Be Smart – Don’t Water Your Bonsai by Schedule!

This illustration by Kyosuke Gun is from our Masters’ Series Juniper book (due back in print in 3 or 4 weeks). It is a perfect fit for this post that is borrowed from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai Continuing with Michael Hagedorn from yesterday, we’ll stick with watering tips. This one originally appeared here in June, 2009 Before the real summer heat hits, consider how you are watering your trees. Have you ever seen your trees grow through spring just fine, only to get fried leaves at the first onset of early summer? Ever wonder why that happens? Those trees just … Continue reading Be Smart – Don’t Water Your Bonsai by Schedule!

A Dramatic Juniper with a Slight List to the Left

This dramatic Juniper may be leaning just a tad too far to the left (or is it just me?) Either way, too far left or just right, to my eyes its almost unbalanced feel creates just enough tension to add interest Continuing with Luis Vallejo’s bonsai, here’s one from our archives (Novemeber, 2012). All the photos shown here are from Luis Vallejo’s Museo Bonsai de Alconbendas. I borrowed them from the Bonsai Center Sopelana in Spain’s Basque Country Continued below… THREE NEW SPECIALS 25% OFF BONSAI WIRE FOR 3 OR MORE ROLLS 35% OFF ROSHI BONSAI TOOLS 25% OFF BONSAI … Continue reading A Dramatic Juniper with a Slight List to the Left

A Bonsai Festival to Get Excited About – We Hope to See You There

Marc Noelanders posted this composition during last year’s Bonsai Namaste Convention in Pune India. I don’t know any details, but you might assume he and perhaps others put it together during the convention Continuing with yesterday’s post on the Mid Atlantic Bonsai Spring Festival (April 12th – 14th) and Marc Noelanders who is one of the headliners at the Festival. We’ll be there and we’re already laying the groundwork to offer items that you’ll never see on our website . We look forward to seeing you there Continued below… Meanwhile You Can Visit Stone Lantern for Our Current Site Wide Sale… … Continue reading A Bonsai Festival to Get Excited About – We Hope to See You There

Bonsai & Beyond (Maybe We Could All Use a Little Crazy)

Just a little unconventional? Here’s what Michael Hagedorn wrote about this planting… “One of our experiments years ago in a Seasonal class: A collected Vine Maple on an internal armature of nylon boards, wrapped with sphagnum moss and planted with Licorice Ferns…sounds like a dish on a menu…” Michael Hagedorn is an American bonsai artist, teacher, author and one of the great innovators in our world bonsai community. If Michael is, in his own words “a tad touched in the head,” then maybe we could all use a little crazy All the photos and quotes in this post are from Michael’s fb timeline 30% off Bonsai Book … Continue reading Bonsai & Beyond (Maybe We Could All Use a Little Crazy)

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Here’s what Michael Hagedorn wrote about this tree… “Another tree from my apprenticeship days, prep work for the Kokufu show. Always liked this tree. Although arguably junipers are best with more dynamic and energy, the quiet presence of this one had a charm of its own. All I did was clarify some of the padding and make minor adjustments throughout.” I cropped Michael’s original photo (see below) for an up close look at the the trunk with its beautifully contrasting shari and living veins “A trip down memory lane…” Lately Michael Hagedorn has been putting up trees from his Japan apprentice … Continue reading A Trip Down Memory Lane

A Mid Winter Spring Color Tease

Today we begin the long two day journey from sea and sun back to waist high snow and sub zero temps. So no time to put together anything new for you, though this one is old enough (June, 2015) where it will be new to most of you anyway. They are all Azaleas (Satsuki, I think) from the Omiya Bonsai Museum. One of our favorites. Enjoy. SITE WIDE SALE ENDS SOON 20% OFF EVERYTHING PLUS AN EXTRA 10% TO 20% OFF ROSHI TOOLS AN EXTRA 10% OFF BONSAI POTS 20% off Site Wide Sale YOU CAN ENJOY EXTRA DISCOUNTS IN … Continue reading A Mid Winter Spring Color Tease

Exceptional Before & After Bonsai

This has to be one of the most compelling bonsai I’ve seen in a while. It has that wild, not overly refined look and though the deadwood is prominent, it’s not dominated by deadwood like so many trees. But perhaps the best of all are are the brilliant living veins and the way they stand out against the deadwood Island hopping today, so to save precious time, we’re going to rerun a post on one of my favorite trees. This before and after is more about refinement than styling rough stock. Less daunting perhaps, but only someone skilled in the … Continue reading Exceptional Before & After Bonsai

Happy Root-Over-Rock Bonsai Holidays

Suthin’s “Happy Holidays to all” tree. It’s a Trident maple root-over-rock (root devouring rock). Staying close to home today, it’s our old friend Suthin Sukosolvisit offering some bonsai wizardry just in time for the New Year Bonsai Pot & Soil Specials End Tonight Friday, Dec 28th at 11:59pm EST Plus Two New Specials at Stone Lantern see below – Cropped for a closer look at how the trunk is slowly devouring the rock Suthin’s caption says simply… “New home” You might recognize this as the tree that won Best Bonsai at the 6th U.S. National. It’s a Japanese black pine Cropped for … Continue reading Happy Root-Over-Rock Bonsai Holidays