In Praise of 3 Phenomenal Bonsai Tools (Okatsune Tool Sale Ends Tonight) & Another ‘Cedar’ Bonsai

Close up of a Red cedar bonsai forest. I’m going to assume that it’s what we call the Eastern red cedar, which is actually a juniper (Juniperus virginiana), though there are trees in other parts of the world that are commonly called Red cedar (none are Cedrus or true cedars). Our source, an online company that sells ‘bonsai’ seeds is no help with identification, nor with the owner of this forest. I must admit I enjoy trying to sort out the common name versus botanical name confusion when it comes to certain trees. The other day we featured a Northern white cedar, which … Continue reading In Praise of 3 Phenomenal Bonsai Tools (Okatsune Tool Sale Ends Tonight) & Another ‘Cedar’ Bonsai

The Finest Bonsai Deserves the Finest Turntable

Everything looks good on a Green T turntable and this luscious azalea in full flower is no exception. Here’s part of the caption that the folks at Green T wrote with this photo… “@bonsaiwarsaw loves azaleas! This variety of bonsai require lots of special care and dedication and we are glad that such a young innovative bonsai artist is trusting Green T to do his best!” I cropped the original photo to feature just the tree (apologies for the slight fuzz). The uncropped version is below. All the photos shown here are from Green Ts fb photos Just in case … Continue reading The Finest Bonsai Deserves the Finest Turntable

Okatsune Bonsai & Garden Tool Sale Ends Wednesday

A sampling of some of our Okatsune Bonsai and Garden shears. There are many more, including hedge shears, saws, sheaths, sharpening stones and etc Our 25% off Okatsune Tool Sale ends Wednesday, March 26th at 11:59pm Okatsune are the Mercedes of Bonsai and Garden Tools. Expensive? Not when you consider their quality. Worth if you can afford it? Absolutely. And, now with 25% off, they are well within reach. Okatsune Bypass Shears with Sheath. Forget about Felco. Okatsune Bypass Shears are in a league all to themselves. Okatsune Bonsai Shear. Even though there are several other bonsai shears that … Continue reading Okatsune Bonsai & Garden Tool Sale Ends Wednesday

Holiday Sale: The Party Is Almost Over

Stone Lantern’s Holiday Sale Ends Thursday December 16th Professional gardeners in Japan know that Okatsune Shears are simply the best production shears in the world. I use mine for bonsai and in the garden and have friends who use them for Ikebana (flower arranging) as well.

Short & Very Muscular

One very muscular Shimpaku juniper. From Reiner Vollmari’s photo gallery. Hiding the action This wonderfully powerful bonsai presents a bit of a mystery. The live wood that peaks out in the V at the top of the shari is quite well developed, as is the entire crown, and would require at least one or two large living veins to support all that life. The small living vein in the front, though quite striking against the massive deadwood, is completely unconvincing. This is not a complaint, I like this tree a lot. It is unique in its strength and its style. … Continue reading Short & Very Muscular

World Class Bonsai Shear

Many people don’t know about Okatsune tools. Those that do, love them, though many of those people don’t know that Okatsune makes a bonsai shear. I’ve been using mine for over ten years and I’ve never had to sharpen them. To be sure I use other shears (it’s good to work with all the tools we sell), but I always return to my Okatsunes. This is a good time These Okatsune shears are discounted (really double discounted) right now. So are over 250 other items. Here’s another Okatsune shear that I use all the time. It’s a wonder for heavier … Continue reading World Class Bonsai Shear

500,000 Cuts, All Beat Up & Still Cutting

These well worn Okatsune bypass shears belong to Greg McNally and Tune Faulkner of Fall Brook Tree Farm in Wheelock Vermont. Tune uses hers all year, but most intensively before the holidays when she makes wreaths. She makes thousands of cuts a day when she’s going strong and has been using the same shears for years. We came up with 500,000 cuts, but suspect it could easily be twice that. This photo and the next one are by Amy Palmer. Bonsai and other uses I use my Okatsunes (the 8″ ones, some people prefer the 7″) in my garden and … Continue reading 500,000 Cuts, All Beat Up & Still Cutting