Satsuki & Other Bonsai, Doug Paul’s Doug Fir & Famous Bonsai Artist in Baggy Pants

Part of the large Satsuki (and maybe other Azaleas?) at the Kennett Collection. There’s no doubt this photo was taken in the spring (Satsuki means 5th month), but we just discovered it and the other shown here yesterday. We haven’t featured the Kennett Collection for a while now, though we did feature a Doug Paul tree that was at the Artisans Cup (see below). These photos (with the exception of the last one) are all from facebook. A different angle and a lot closer. More Satsuki. No label but no doubt it’s a root-over-rock Trident maple in fall … Continue reading Satsuki & Other Bonsai, Doug Paul’s Doug Fir & Famous Bonsai Artist in Baggy Pants

Americans Abroad

This beautifully flowing Sargent juniper(Juniperus chinensis var. Sargentii ‘Itoigawa’ – aka Itoigawa Shimpaku) belongs to Douglas Paul, the owner of The Kennett Collection (we’ve featured The Collection here on Bark). This and the other photos in this post are borrowed from Bill Valavanis’ Bonsai blog. Just in case you are not familiar with Kokufu ten, it’s a bonsai exhibition that takes place in Tokyo once a year and is widely considered the world’s most famous and prestigious bonsai event. 2015 was its 89th year, which I believe makes it the world’s oldest bonsai exhibition as well as the most famous. Simply … Continue reading Americans Abroad

Once in a Lifetime…

This looks good. The Kennett Collection is one of the most famous privately owned bonsai collections in North America. My guess is there will be some very good bonsai offered.

Bonsai in Brooklyn

Cork bark Chinese elm in full fall brilliance at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. You don’t see that many good Chinese elm bonsai. At least I don’t. I like this one a lot; its color, the heavy trunk with its corky bark, the handsome Tokoname pot. This photo and the others in this post are from the bonsai collection on the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens website. I think the quality of the Brooklyn Botanic bonsai collection has been improving for a while now. Still not a world class collection, but getting there. Speaking of world-class collections, I think the U.S. lags a … Continue reading Bonsai in Brooklyn

Born in the U.S.A. & A Couple Recent Immigrants

Picasso’s (aka Dan Robinson’s) now famous wild and wonderful Hinoki. It’s from Will Hiltz’ excellent book, Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees, about Dan’s life and work. It’s no longer available through Stone Lantern, but I think they might still have some at Dan’s Elandan Gardens. Here’s the original Bark post. It’s Independence Day (here in the USA at least)! To help you celebrate, why not enjoy a sampling of home-grown (and a couple recent immigrant) bonsai from previous Bark posts? But first, because many of our readers are not US Americans (and because some US Americans don’t know much about history … Continue reading Born in the U.S.A. & A Couple Recent Immigrants

Great Photos, Great Trees

Shimpaku with fan. The photo is from Kennett Bonsai’s Wall Photos on facebook. Photos that are worthy of the trees It’s always good to see well-photographed quality bonsai. Many photos (especially on facebook) are hastily shot, often with little consideration for things like background, lighting and other elements that go into quality photography. In this case the bonsai (from The Kennett Collection) are excellent, and clearly, some effort has gone into creating photos that are worthy of the trees. Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining about hastily shot photos. With facebook, spontaneity and informality are the nature of the … Continue reading Great Photos, Great Trees

Still the Best Bonsai Show

Not a prize winner, but still a mind stopper. Here’s what Bill Valavanis has to say about this remarkable quince: “An unusual cultivar of Japanese flowering quince. This is NOT the Toyo Nishiki cultivar, but rather ‘Takane Nishiki’. Beautiful flowers, unusual container, but I personally do not like the design of the bonsai, so enjoyed the blossoms.” Bill does Kokufu I don’t know why we didn’t feature this earlier; it’s one of the most interesting pieces of bonsai news I’ve seen for a while. It’s by Bill Valavanis, from his visit earlier this year to the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition in … Continue reading Still the Best Bonsai Show

American Kokufu (Old News but Good News)

Doug Paul’s Japanese hemlock (Tsuga diversifolia) was displayed at the 2010 Kokufu ten Exhibition in Japan. Kokufu is widely considered the preeminent bonsai exhibition in the world, and just being excepted to display a bonsai in Kokufu is considered a great honor. Borrowed from Bill The photos and most of the text in this post are borrowed from Bill Valavanis. In Bill’s words (from the Internet Bonsai Club): “The 84th Kokufu Bonsai Ten Exhibition opens tomorrow (February, 2010) in Japan and history is being made. I believe for the first time an American has a bonsai on display. “Doug Paul’s Japanese hemlock (Tsuga diversifolia) bonsai … Continue reading American Kokufu (Old News but Good News)