Living Landscapes in Miniature

This planting from Toshio Kawamoto’s Saikei classic is quite similar to the planting on the cover (below): same trees (cryptomeria), same (or nearly the same) pot and somewhat similar rocky ravine separating two tree and moss covered areas. The main difference is that this one shows a deep ravine. The rocks that define it represent tall vertical cliffs. It has been about a year since we feature Toshio Kawamoto’s plantings from his long out-of-print classic Saikei, Living Landscapes in Miniature. Given just how popular these posts have been, I think it’s time for another go. A long time ago (January, … Continue reading Living Landscapes in Miniature

Enter & Win, Imagine & Create, Visit Stone Lantern & Save

Goshin by John Yoshio Naka. This famous tree resides at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington DC. Photos will never do it justice. It is huge (about 1 meter tall – just over 3 feet) and is so dramatic in person that it almost seems to vibrate with power. Goshin is featured in Timeless Trees by Peter and Mary Bloomer. It also appears on the cover of Bonsai Today issue 93, an issue that features a tribute to the life and works of John Naka (The John Naka Sketchbook is on sale here). Enter & win Or at … Continue reading Enter & Win, Imagine & Create, Visit Stone Lantern & Save

Dragon Tail & Other Random Shots

Dragon Tail. Wood sculpting by Mother Nature and Father Time. Photo by John Palmer. John is the blissfully retired founder of Stone Lantern and Bonsai Today. Have you visited Stone Lantern lately? On March 13th of this year, we started seriously lowering prices on our website. We’ve pretty much lowered everything at this point: bonsai books (other books too), bonsai tools and other tools, fertilizers, bonsai soils, the works. So, if you haven’t visited for a while, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. A great shot of a convoluted old pine trunk. My apologies to the owner, but I’ve lost … Continue reading Dragon Tail & Other Random Shots

Rare Out-of-Print Bonsai Todays

We just put this one, along with thirteen other rare out-of-print issues of Bonsai Today, up on our site. That makes twenty eight total. Most have been out of print for years and are quite rare. We only have a few copies of each (anywhere from one to five), so don’t wait. BTW: the wisteria on the cover is a good example of what we discussed in our last post. Where do they come from? We buy back old out-of-print copies of Bonsai Today whenever we get a chance. Then they sit around on our shelves for a few months … Continue reading Rare Out-of-Print Bonsai Todays

It’s About the Flowers

Bonsai Mike’s shohin pyracantha (firethorn). Ordinary bonsai conventions don’t necessarily apply The Japanese (and others) tend to design flowering bonsai to show off the flowers. Other considerations, like taper and branch placement, often take a back seat. So much so that many flowering trees are displayed only when flowering (and fruiting). They pass the rest of their time tucked away in some corner of the nursery. A lot to like Even though it breaks one of the primary conventions of bonsai (the first two branches are next to each other) the bonsai above is so sweet that you could show … Continue reading It’s About the Flowers

Only Four More Days

Books, Tools, Fertilizer, Bonsai Today, Wire, Kenzans, Netuske & more. Sale ends the last day of September This is Stone Lantern’s biggest and most comprehensive sale. Almost every single item offered is discounted and some of the discounts are outrageous (Bonsai from the Wild and some other books marked down from $29.95 to $9.95). When you factor in the double discounts for volume, many of the prices are below wholesale. Not a bad deal at all. Next? Our next sale will be 30% off all tools plus 10% off orders of $100 or more. As always, other individual items will … Continue reading Only Four More Days

Tool Sale & Warehouse Closed Next Week

Another photo I found on a folder on my desk. I think it’s from Bonsaimania. They specialize in these kinds of shots. If you know for sure where it came from, please let me know. I’m never completely comfortable with putting up unattributed photos, yet they do seem to show up. I’ll have to be more diligent with my photo record keeping in the future. Tool sale started today Stone Lantern is offering 35% off all tools with an additional 10% off for orders over $100. Plenty of non-tool items are also discounted. Warehouse closed from July 5th thru July … Continue reading Tool Sale & Warehouse Closed Next Week

A Sweet New Book & One More Day

A piece of a spread from Cherry Blossoms of Kyoto, a sweet and sensuous new book by Kodansha. Our most popular and successful sale to date… …is about to end. Somewhere around 9am Eastern Daylight Time (U.S.) Monday morning (June 28th), we will pull the plug on our long running, ever accelerating sale. This means, that until Monday morning, you can take advantage of some of the sweetest discounts we’ve ever offered. If you like cherry blossoms (who doesn’t?) and Japanese gardens, then you’ll like this dazzling (and affordable) new book.

Only Two More Days!

Our most popular and successful sale to date… …is about to end. Somewhere around 9am Eastern Daylight Time (U.S.) Monday morning (June 28th), we will pull the plug on our long running, ever accelerating sale. This means, that until Monday morning, you can take advantage of some of the sweetest discounts we’ve ever offered.

More Rare Old Bonsai Todays

We just put up some more rare old out-of-print issues of Bonsai Today, including a first edition issue number 1 that sold as soon as it went up and one issue number 8 that is still available as of 10am Eastern time. At some point today, we’ll be putting up some more. Coming and going We’ve been putting out the word that we are interested in purchasing rare old issues of Bonsai Today and we’ve received some responses. Anyone else out there want to pare down? Let me know: wayne@stonelantern.com Only 3 more days Our biggest and most popular sale … Continue reading More Rare Old Bonsai Todays