A Stately Elegance

This Japanese Stewartia (S. pseudocamellia) from Bonsai Today issue 68, is a study in color, harmony and balance. Its stands as a reminder of an earlier day in the evolution of bonsai, before chainsaws. Even before wire. Great pot too. This is another post in our or series of species specific bonsai, or genus specific in this case. The genus is called Stewartia. It consist of a dozen or so flowering small trees and shrubs. You don’t see that many Stewartia bonsai in the West, but if you go through old issues of Bonsai Today, you’ll see plenty that reside … Continue reading A Stately Elegance

Stewartia: Graceful, Elegant & Not Very Common

This slender delight is showing off its inner charm. It’s late winter and the new buds are swelling. Without the leaves you can better see the subtle beauty of the bark and the delicate fine branching. The nebari is quite strong (but still in keeping with the delicacy of the tree). Much of its size and strength comes from having two trunks. This provides a good tip for creating nebari: leave smaller second and third trunks, at least for a while, if a strong nebari and lower trunk is your objective. Photo is from Bonsai Today issue 6. George Buehler … Continue reading Stewartia: Graceful, Elegant & Not Very Common