Kimura’s Bag of Tricks

Before and after Shimpaku Juniper by Masahiko Kimura. No wonder they call him the Magician. The tree’s height started at 15″ (38cm) and ended up at 28″ (71cm) Continuing the Magician thread from the last two days. Part of this post is from our archives (2011). The rest is from today. Bonsai are reduced in height all the time, but how many have you seen that are extended to almost twice their height? Granted, in this case about half of that increase comes from changing the planting angle, but how about the other half? NEW 20% OFF SITE WIDE SALE at STONE LANTERN SEE … Continue reading Kimura’s Bag of Tricks

Rebar, Turnbuckles, Stones & Wire for Shaping Bonsai

This is what you can do with a little daring and more than a little skill. The huge crack just up from the base of the trunk is intentional. Without it, there’s no way this old pine is surrendering to that first subtle bend and without the rebar and wooden peg there’s no way the second larger bend is holding. This photo and the before photo below are from David Benavente’s Estudio de Bonsai. We featured this one fairly recently (August of last year), but, because it shows techniques you might never see, I think it’s worth another look. Before. … Continue reading Rebar, Turnbuckles, Stones & Wire for Shaping Bonsai

Shaping Bonsai with Rebar, Turnbuckles, Stones, Wire – Everything but the Kitchen Sink

This is what you can do with a little daring and more than a little skill. The huge crack just up from the base of the trunk is intentional. Without it, there’s no way this old tree is surrendering that first subtle bend and without the rebar and wooden peg there’s no way the second larger bend is holding. This photo and the before photo below are from David Benavente’s Estudio de Bonsai. This post, which provides valuable tips on some relatively obscure bonsai techniques, is a mishmash from three previous posts. Before. What would you have done? … Continue reading Shaping Bonsai with Rebar, Turnbuckles, Stones, Wire – Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Rebar Fix

Contrast this with the before photo below to get a hit of what you can do with a piece of rebar, some nerve, and more than a little skill. All the photos in this post are of bonsai by David Benavente. I’m out of town and busy with things too numerous to mention, so I’m going to mine our archives once again. Apologies if you’ve already seen this one, but considering that it’s from over three years ago, my best guess is that most of you haven’t, and if you have, you’ve forgotten it by now. And just in case … Continue reading Rebar Fix

Bonsai Rebar & Other Wonders

Have you ever used rebar to shape a bonsai? Every time I see it done, I get inspired, but still haven’t tried it. Mario Komsta calls this photo ‘sylvestris fever,’ so I guess it must be a Scot’s pine. Mario Komsta All the photos in this post are from Mario Komsta’s photos on facebook. Some of them are unique and most are quite compelling. Here’s a few to whet your appetite. There are plenty more where these came from. Encore! We’ve featured Mario a couple time on Bonsai Bark and also in Bonsai Today magazine (issues 102 and 105, and … Continue reading Bonsai Rebar & Other Wonders

Bonsai With Rebar by David Benavente

Some serious sh-t stuff! Take a look at the before photo below to get a hit of what you can do with a piece of rebar, some nerve, and more than a little skill. All the photos in this post are of bonsai by David Benavente. Before rebar.