Finally! Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees

Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees: The Life and Works of Dan Robinson – Bonsai Pioneer Thank you for your patience We’ve actually had the book for a couple weeks now, but a detail that needed to be worked out arose at the last minute. Now all is well and we are ready to ship. The Picasso of bonsai This is surely one of the most important (and beautiful) bonsai books ever published. Will Hiltz, author and photographer elevates the art of book making, and Dan Robinson, bonsai artist and master, elevates the art of collecting, growing and styling bonsai. Dan’s approach … Continue reading Finally! Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees

2011 Bonsai Calendars Have Arrived!

January 2011 (see below for the cover page) from our new 2011 Bonsai Calendar. My apologies for the fuzzy image. The real thing looks much better. Enjoy world class bonsai while you keep track of the date Some of your have been getting your calendars from us for at least ten years, maybe longer. Might as well keep the tradition going; or start a new one. With our bonsai calendar, you’ll stay inspired and you won’t suffer the horrible confusion of not knowing what year it is, let alone what month and day. Sorry, no Japanese garden calendars for 2011 … Continue reading 2011 Bonsai Calendars Have Arrived!

Mugos by Mother Nature & Georg Reinhard

The sculpted look. This Mugo pine by Georg Reinhard combines wildness and elegance with its flowing lines and almost perfectly shaped robust live growth. I particularly like the way the deadwood twists and turns all the way back down to soil and the jagged lightening bolt on the left. Though I know that some people take issue with highly sculpted deadwood, this is so well done that I can’t imagine even the most dogmatic proponents of the naturalistic look being too worked up about it. There are Mugos, and then there are Mugos… I don’t think we ever see Mugo … Continue reading Mugos by Mother Nature & Georg Reinhard

A Great Transformation, But Still…

Though there is something dramatic and wonderful about this tree, there are a couple things that I’m not sure about. Most disturbing is the messy background that distracts from the tree. It’s actually worse in the original (Bonsai Today issue 56), but Photoshop helped solve part of the problem. The other more subjective issue is the rock, particularly the upper part. Though it is quite strong, to me it’s just not that attractive (though the more I get used to it, the less it bothers me). The tree is great with its powerful aged trunk, the way it clings to … Continue reading A Great Transformation, But Still…

Spindle Tree Bonsai

This exquisite, small but strong, little Japanese spindle tree (Euonymus sieboldianus) is from Google images. Euonymus is a vast and varied genus with about 160 species. Some are suited for bonsai, though it’s not too often you see them used for bonsai. It spite of the fuzzy image, you can still get a pretty good idea of both the power and colorful beauty of this spindle tree. Though it’s a E. sieboldianus, just like the one above (at least that’s how the original in Bonsai Today 31 is labeled), the bark looks quite different; though with the poor quality image, … Continue reading Spindle Tree Bonsai

A Gallery of Two

A sweet little root-over-rock by Robert Steven. I can’t tell tell you what it is or its dimensions or really anything (except that I’d love to see it in my collection). I don’t even remember where I got the photo (or the one below). Robert Steven is a household name Over the last few years Robert Steven has become a household name throughout most of the world (wouldn’t that be something?). Actually, about 99.99% percent of the people in the world are blissfully ignorant of Robert’s existence. Too bad. Maybe someday bonsai will enjoy its place as an art worthy … Continue reading A Gallery of Two

Fall Color in Upstate New York

This strikingly colorful ginkgo with its thick, uniquely shaped and uncommonly well tapered trunk (for a ginkgo) is from facebook, courtesy of Bill Valavanis (International Bonsai). In fact, all three photos in this post are Bill’s. Looks like a pyracantha. The well-chosen blue pot contrasts with and amplifies the bright vermilion berries. A colorful piece of Bill’s nursery.

Black Pine Critique by Robert Steven

Robert Steven’s simulation of a Japanese black pine that was submitted by Tom Duong (see below for Tom’s original). Where’s yours? Email us a photo of your bonsai and we’ll submit it to Robert Steven for a critique. So far about ten people have dared and have learned something about their bonsai in the process. Now it’s your turn. Tom’s original photo that was submitted to Robert. Tom also submitted a back, left, right and top view. Even though Robert requested these, very few submissions have included them. While we are on the topic; when photographing bonsai it’s always a … Continue reading Black Pine Critique by Robert Steven

A Lost Treasure #6: Enchanted Lands

Enchanted lands, our fifth in a series of plantings (here for the previous one) from Toshio Kawamoto’s Sakei classic (long out of print). The tree are 3 five year old ezo spruce, 16 five to eight year old cryptomeria (6-8 inches tall), 7 three to eight year old satsuki azaleas and 3 three year old tsutsuji azaleas. The pot is a round unglazed tray, 28 inches (71cm) in diameter (you can’t really tell from the photo just how large the pot is). This diagram is designed to give you a little better idea of the layout and relationship of the … Continue reading A Lost Treasure #6: Enchanted Lands

The Magic Starts With An Idea

Finished. Most of Masahiko Kimura’s juniper masterpieces start and finish as one tree. Not so this one. The deadwood and each major branch all come from different places. How Kimura put all the pieces together is brilliant and novel. A few hints Rather than explain the whole process here, we’ll offer a few hints and leave the rest to your imagination (or, lacking that, you could get your hands on a copy of Bonsai Today issue 63 and see the whole process). Before. The pieces of the puzzle are gathered together. The deadwood after Kimura prepares it for the task … Continue reading The Magic Starts With An Idea