North American With An International Flavor

Subscribe and recieve two free back issues…. …if you mention Bonsai Bark International Bonsai, issue one, 2010. Inside you’ll find: Training Dwarf Japanese Five-Needle Pine Bonsai; Magic Moments, the Artistry of Kimura; Japanese Five-Needle Pine: Cultivation and Training; Foliage Size Reduction for Pines; A Little Magic with Shohin Bonsai; Suiseki & Bonsai; Pruning, Masterpiece Gallery; Shohin Bonsai Symposium 2; 10th Asia Pacific Bonsai & Suiseki Exhibition. One of the very best International Bonsai has long one of my favorite bonsai publications. It has been around since 1979 (no mean feat, especially if you are familiar with the deadline grind) and … Continue reading North American With An International Flavor

$25 Critique Contest

This photo is from Kiki Bonsai. Win a $25.00 gift certificate to Stone Lantern Send me (wayne@stonelantern.com) your written critique of the planting in this photo. Try to keep it to 100 words or less. I will pick the winning critique based upon two criteria: 1. Content. How insightful your observations are. 2. Clarity. How clearly and simply you express your observations. DO NOT PUT YOUR CRITIQUE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. Email it to me at wayne@stonelantern.com. Put ‘Critique’ in the subject line. You will become famous I will post the winning critique and perhaps one or two others that … Continue reading $25 Critique Contest

That Nasty Summer Heat Wave

Both photos in this post are courtesy of Randy Clark of the Bonsai Learning Center. More to come? We just received the article below from Randy Clark of the Bonsai Learning Center in North Carolina on how to deal with the extreme heat that much of the country has been experiencing this summer. I may be a little late for those of us in the Northeast (at least here in northern Vermont), but for those of you further south, there may be more to come. Summer in the Carolinas by Randy Clark The Southeastern US is suffering from the heat … Continue reading That Nasty Summer Heat Wave

Laying An Old Misconception To Rest

Flowering cherry (Prunus apetala) by Kyuzo Murata. From his book Four Seasons of Bonsai (sadly, long out of print). Misconception “in Japan, flowering bonsai, need to be displayed with only few flowers. It is considered bad taste to present a bonsai in full flowering.” (from a comment on facebook). Rules vs guidelines There are a host of misconceptions about bonsai. They often arise when we think there are fixed rules (there aren’t any in bonsai, except maybe in judged contests, and these are often fluid). There are however, plenty of useful guidelines. Pinching flowers One guideline that can be helpful, … Continue reading Laying An Old Misconception To Rest

Bonsai Events Calendar

Photo from Crespi Bonsai (see September 10) Just the beginning This is it. Our first calendar. If you have a bonsai event you’d like to see in our next calendar, send it to wayne@stonelantern.com, or put it in the comments below (don’t forget the links). We can’t guarantee we’ll publish them all, but we might. Sep 4-7: Bay Island Bonsai Workshop Sep 9-12: Bonsai and Suiseki Prague 2010, 13th National Exhibition Sep 10-12: International Bonsai’s North American Bonsai Symposium Sep 10-19: Crespi Bonsai 9th International Bonsai & Suiseki Meeting Sep 13: Ryan Neil Demonstration, The Bonsai Society of Upstate New … Continue reading Bonsai Events Calendar

Daisaku Nomoto: Before & After

Sierra juniper after restyling by Daisaku Nomoto. From Bonsai Tonight. Photos by Jonas Dupuich. Mr Nomoto visits Bay Island Bonsai Jonas Dupuich is featuring a great series of photos on Daisaku Nomoto’s visit to Bay Island Bonsai. I’m on a short vacation, so this is an easy way to offer you something good with a minimum of effort. Enjoy! Before.

More Cedars: From Our Friends Up North

Northern white cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) by Paul Chong of the Toronto Bonsai Society. Friend out west? Two of the three cedars in this post are by Paul Chong. Though there are several other notable cedars on the Toronto Bonsai Society’s website, Paul’s jumped out at me. And, incidentally, Toronto is actually west of Vermont, not north. Another of Paul’s powerful collected cedars. Only Mother Nature (with a little help from a deft hand here and there) could accomplish something this spectacular.

Coming Soon! Calendar of Bonsai Events

Promoting the art of bonsai Bonsai Bark exists for at least two purposes. 1. To promote the art of bonsai, and 2. to bring people to Stone Lantern. In keeping with number 1, we are going start offering a regular calendar of bonsai events. At this point, I am not sure how often (maybe bi-weekly or even weekly), or exactly what will be included (we may treat non-profit organization differently than for profit businesses). In any case, if you want to promote your event, email me (put bonsai calendar in the subject line) or include it in the comments below, … Continue reading Coming Soon! Calendar of Bonsai Events

Maximizing Flowers, Miniminzing Distractions

This cheerfully bright bougainvillea (borrowed from Bonsaimania; Bonsái del álbum de Virgie Bambilla) illustrates the principle that: when it comes to flowering bonsai, the tree should be designed and displayed in a way that, first and foremost, shows off the flowers. Success! Is there a problem? This post is in no way conceived to criticize anyone. I understand that most people who post on facebook (or wherever) aren’t necessarily interested presenting highly finished professional type photos. No problem. However, in bonsai display, there are times when the quality of the photo is critical. And for good reason; a well thought … Continue reading Maximizing Flowers, Miniminzing Distractions

Same Tree, Only Better

This is the same cedar that we featured three days ago, only much improved after being prepared for exhibition at the 2nd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. BTW: it won the ABS Award for the finest North American Species Bonsai. It’s no wonder eh? Photo courtesy of Bill Valavanis of International Bonsai. The artist is Marc Arpag of the Bonsai Society of Upstate New York. Our Site-Wide Summer Sale Ends Tomorrow Morning!