Coming Soon: Field Grown Bonsai Stock

One little man made hill that serves as landscaping and as a growing bed for future bonsai. Coming soon I’ve started digging some of my field grown stuff and putting them in plastic containers. Soon we’ll start photographing and putting some up for sale. Larches and some others More than half of what I’ve been growing are larches that have been collected here in northern Vermont. All have been pruned some. Some has been wired and a few have even been carved. Most are not bonsai pot ready, but all have good potential. Stone Lantern When they are ready, I’ll … Continue reading Coming Soon: Field Grown Bonsai Stock

$100 Bonsai Art Photo Contest

This photo was sent to us by a friend down under (I’ve lost his name, so if you happen to be him, or know him, please let me know just found him: it’s Richard Warner of New Zealand and the tree is a Southern birch) is an example of a bonsai related photo (this one might be a bit of a stretch, but close enough). Bonsai (or at least tree) related photo contest When this mystery photo came, it triggered the idea of a bonsai art photography contest. What we’re looking for are photos that include bonsai (or trees suggestive … Continue reading $100 Bonsai Art Photo Contest

Larch Master Lenz

One of Nick Lenz’ famous larches as it appears in Wikipedia. A little Nick Yesterday, we featured a couple of Candy Shirley’s bonsai that I believe had their start with Nick Lenz, so this seems like a good time to offer a little more Nick for your enjoyment. The same tree: different angle, different time. Photo is from Nick’s book, Bonsai from the Wild (now on special at Stone Lantern).

Over on Stone Lantern…

Our best sale yet? Our most popular book has been reduced. This doesn’t make any sense; why reduce something that is selling so well? It says over 200 items have been reduced and that’s true. Actually more like 250. Some quite steeply. And, if you order over $100, you’ll get those dreaded (just kidding) double discounts.

Perfect Just As It Is?

A daring presentation from Candy Shirley’s bonsai collection. Here’s an example of a rather intriguing bonsai and pot relationship. Your eye (if it behaves like mine) goes straight to the pot. Its mass is at least equal to the tree, it’s at the same elevation as the tree, and it’s just so strong and unusual. Do you think that the tree is a bit overwhelmed? What about its pincher shape? Would you have done it differently or is the whole presentation perfect just as it is? And another question while we are at it Is it just me, or has … Continue reading Perfect Just As It Is?

Flowering Bonsai #3

I’m not sure what this is and I apologize for the somewhat blurry image. Beyond that, it’s another example of a flowering bonsai that is designed to show off its flowers rather than its bonsai chops. In fact, without its flowers, it’s quite conventional with its commercial spiral S shape and funky nebari. I got it from the April page on our 2010 bonsai calendar. Aha! A little better. This satsuki azalea holds its own as a bonsai, with or without flowers (though the power of the ‘with’ is hard to deny). I borrowed the image from Classic Bonsai of … Continue reading Flowering Bonsai #3

More Flowering Bonsai

An informal upright English hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) from the cover of Bonsai Today issue 36 (only two copies available). When it comes to flowering trees, Japanese bonsai artists (and many others) often look at how the design of the tree shows off the flowers, rather than looking for how the tree conforms to classical bonsai styles. In other words, this tree, without it showy display of flowers is nothing special. With its flowers though, it lights up and becomes a thing of great beauty. This flowering azalea would stand as an excellent bonsai even without its flowers. With it showy … Continue reading More Flowering Bonsai

River Critiques: We Have Two Winners!

Way back on April 4th, we asked our readers to critique this planting (from Saikei and Art). Now, we have two winners. First place ($25 gift certificate to Stone Lantern): Donna Lynn. Second place ($15 gift certificate): Zack Clayton. (winners can contact wayne@stonelanten.com to find out how to get your prizes). Why we picked these two Lew’s charming planting is both compelling and flawed. For the contest, it’s the planting’s overly symmetrical nature that caught my attention (the two forests are almost exactly equal in mass; this contributes to a somewhat static rather than a more dynamic feel), so I … Continue reading River Critiques: We Have Two Winners!

Flowering Bonsai

This wildly colorful Satsuki Azalea is from a Flowering Bonsai Gallery in Bonsai Today issue 65. If you take a close look at the flowers, you’ll see that there are a number of different shades and patterns. Mother nature needed a little help from her friends to accomplish this kind of striking variation. For the best information on Satsuki Azaleas in print, check out Robert Callaham’s Satsuki Azaleas for Bonsai and Azalea Enthusiasts. Speaking of Bonsai Today We have finally decided to put up parts of our out-of-stock and now rare Bonsai Today collection of older long gone issues (except … Continue reading Flowering Bonsai

America’s Oldest Bonsai Collection

Two trees from one at The Larz Anderson Collection. I borrowed this image (and the others in this post) from Colin Lewis’ Bonsai Art website in the Larz Anderson section. Here’s what Colin (The Curator of the Collection) has to say about this photo: Known as “Mother and daughter,” these two trees were originally one, until a lower branch, with its own set of roots, became separated from the main trunk in 1969. In Colin’s own words “The Larz Anderson Collection at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Boston is the oldest collection of bonsai in the United States. … Continue reading America’s Oldest Bonsai Collection