World Bonsai Day

Today Is a Good Day to Hug a Bonsai… or even a Local Bonsai Friend

You may have already seen this magnificent landscape Penjing. Here on Bark, on Bill Valavanis’ blog or any number of other places. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist (or a bonsai master) to figure out why it’s so popular. All the photos in this post were borrowed from Bill Valavanis Bonsai Blog. Today is the big day. World Bonsai Day, a celebration of the art of bonsai that originated with the World Bonsai Friendship Federation. World Bonsai Day is held annually on the second Saturday of each May (you can check out yesterday’s Bark post for some background). … Continue reading Today Is a Good Day to Hug a Bonsai… or even a Local Bonsai Friend

Help Us Celebrate World Bonsai Day (Shop at Stone Lantern!)

Brian Donnelly’s entry in the 2013 World Bonsai Friendship Federation’s photo contest. Brian lives in Canada. I know Canada is big country but the WBFF don’t say where. However, I did find this video of him teaching bonsai in French, so I’m guessing he lives somewhere in PQ. As you can see, the tree is a Bougainvillea and a very good one at that. Okay, the Shop at Stone Lantern part of the title is somewhat tongue in cheek. But only somewhat. After all, Bonsai Bark and Stone Lantern wouldn’t happen without your support. So, on behalf of our staff, … Continue reading Help Us Celebrate World Bonsai Day (Shop at Stone Lantern!)

A Solution to a Nonexistent Problem

If you pitch your tent in the Naturalistic Bonsai camp, then it’s probably too late to suggest you avert your eyes. So… as long as you are looking at this remarkable tree, I’ll just comment on how the static perfectly groomed crown seems to contrast with the swirling movement in the perfectly groomed deadwood. Something like that. The artist is Minoru Akiyama, who is one of the headliners at this year’s Mid Atlantic (scroll down a little for more info). It’s that time of year. You can tell because every other post these days features a few big bonsai events … Continue reading A Solution to a Nonexistent Problem