Piece of Cake (Let Them Eat Bonsai?)

This is not a real bonsai! It’s a Cake. Cake pot, cake soil, cake trunk, cake leaves, cake berries. The story behind the cake “I had a birthday recently and my husband ordered the most extraordinary cake. Sharon Berke, an artist and baker in Boston, Mass., made the cake you see in the picture. I’m a bonsai novice, but I believe it is meant to be a cotoneaster. Every bit of the cake was edible, with the exception of the wires used to make the branches. Even the tray was edible. It was a great surprise. Some of your readers … Continue reading Piece of Cake (Let Them Eat Bonsai?)

Current Sale: Only One Day Left

Monday is a new day We are going to change our sale on Monday, so don’t wait if you like this one. Next one Our next sale will be 25% off tools, magazines and kenzans (flower pins). We’ll continue the extra 10% off for orders over $100.

A Simple & Instructive Little Quiz

Which branches would you remove? I’ll look for your answers in the comments below. BTW: this quiz originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 21. But don’t go running to look it up before you answer!

Thinking Inside the Box

This radically tilted Prunus mume (Flowering Japanese apricot) is by Chiharu Imai. It’s from Bonsai Today issue 56. After. Mr. Imai saw something when he put it in the box, and this is it. Before the big tilt and some well executed artistry that included removing the strange second trunk that runs up to the first branch.

Bonsai Segment on CBS Sunday Morning

This Sunday, April 18th, 2010 We just received this email from Johann Klodzen, Executive Director, National Bonsai Foundation “As many of you know, Rita Braver, a correspondent for the CBS News Sunday Morning program, has been working on a segment for that show on bonsai and the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the bonsai collection of Felix Laughlin, President of the National Bonsai Foundation. We have just learned from Rita that this piece is on the schedule for the upcoming broadcast of that program on Sunday – April 18. Please check your local television listing for the exact time … Continue reading Bonsai Segment on CBS Sunday Morning

Still Speaking of François Jeker

Okay. More François. After all, he’s coming to the U.S., so why not? And, he just sent us these images and I like them and thought you might like them too. For more check out our previous posts, here and here. A message from Mr. Jeker Bonjour, Ci-joint le résultat du dernier stage sur la maturation des arbres. Il s’agit pour la plupart d’arbres qui avaient été travaillés lors de mes stages ces deux dernières années et qui ont fait l’objet d’un nouveautravail de maturation sur deux jours : interventions sur le nebari, la silhouette, la ramification et le bois … Continue reading Still Speaking of François Jeker

2nd Chance: Win a Free Gift Certificate

A River in India, by Lew Buller. From his book, Saikei and Art: Minature Landscapes. Now on special at Stone Lantern. Win a $25.00 (or $15.00) gift certificate Send us a written critique of the planting above and you just might win. Even if you don’t, you can share your observations with our readers. Note: Do not put your entry in comments below. Instead email yours to wayne@stonelantern.com; after we have received them all we will post them for judging. For more info, check out our original post.

A Lost Treasure #5: Land of Paradise

Land of Paradise, our forth in a series of plantings from Toshio Kawamoto’s Saikei classic. The trees are seven 5 to 7-year-old rock cotoneasters (4″ – 7″ tall) and seven somewhat shorter 3-year-old satsuki azaleas. Though you can’t really tell in the photo, the pot (Tokoname) is very large (48″ x 16″ – 122cm x 41cm). Side view diagram.

Speaking of François Jeker

It’s a little fuzzy (enlarged a tad too much), but you can still see the time consuming detail in François Jeker’s carving. It’s especially noteworthy because the tree is a yew (taxus), a genus known for the hardness of its wood. From the cover of Bonsai Today issue 103. Continued This post is a continuation of the day before yesterday’s post about François appearing at Rosade Bonsai Studio on May 15th. Borrowed from François‘ website. I’m not sure what it is, but I know I like the pot, the tree and the creative presentation. Also from François’ website.

A Wild & Wonderful Larch

Inspiration for your bonsai. This photo is from Bonsaimania. It’s on facebook in a gallery called “Inspirations to your Bonsai: (translated from Spanish). If anyone has any clues, I’d like to know where this photo was taken. Bonsaimania gallery (in English) Here’s what Bonsaimania has to say about their gallery in English: “These trees are real and they can be found in nature. They are on this album because they are models that should inspire us to create our bonsai. If you want to propose a tree in nature that will inspire us, send me a message through my Facebook … Continue reading A Wild & Wonderful Larch