Bonsai Bark Weekly Wire #3 10/17/11

This photo of Kobayashi Nursery comes from Soh-Ju-En Satsuki Bonsai. I assume it’s Kunio Kobayashi*** (he’s won awards for Satsuki bonsai), but my research team (that’s me) is a little over-worked right now and is having trouble finding time, so we’ll have to leave it at that.

***Thanks to Marc (see comments below) we now know that this photo is of Kobayashi Sangyo Satsuki Bonsai Nursery and is not Kunio Kobayashi’s.

 

Do your tools look like this? If not, then here’s a hot tip on how you can make it happen: visit Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s most excellent website (he’s one of best) and then go to his Simple Sharpening Tools Method. I won’t say Mr. Cheng is on the cutting edge of tool care (that would be too easy), but I will say that it just might revolutionize your approach to the business of keeping your tools sharp.

 

Craig Coussins’ bonsai collection is up for sale. Craig is the author of Bonsai Master Class, Bonsai School, Totally Bonsai and other now out-of-print books (in the US at least). Craig has been an important teacher and friend to many in our bonsai world for 40 years.

The BCI Grand Bonsai Tour Japan is coming up soon (Nov 17-27).

 

Hinoki Cypress at the Chicago Botanic Garden Permanent Collection. Featured on the Midwest Bonsai Society website. In addition to a wealth of other useful information, they have an excellent regional calendar. Not to mention (to mention) one of the best designed bonsai sites on the web

The Phoenix Bonsai Society is hosting a Ben Oki workshop Nov 12-13 & Kathy Shaner Dec 3-4.

You don’t have to live in one of their 19 member countries to enjoy The European Bonsai Association website.

Here’s a site that that you might find useful. It features a few bonsai blogs (including this one).

 

Nothing new under the sun? How about this brand new wiring technique by Mr. Ken Fujiwara? It’s from the latest post on Peter Tea’s blog, Journey of a Bonsai Apprentice at Aichi-en, Japan.

Wabi Sabi by Dan Barton. One of a whole bunch of great pots (and other stuff) on Dan’s website.

 

Foliage clean up by Michael Hagedorn. Has Michael finally gone off the deep end?

Twit bonsai? Going even further off the deep end, here’s how you can use Twitter to grow bonsai.

Speaking of Kobayashi (top of this page), we found this photo of his book cover on Bonsai Network Japan. Is anyone out their familiar with this book?

 

Stone Lantern (that’s us) recently purchased Haskill Creek Publishing from our friend and colleague Dennis Howke. It has been a pleasure working with Dennis the last couple years, and, the good news is, he’ll still be in the picture – he’s working on magically transforming all six titles into eBook format for us. We’ll keep you posted as the process unfolds. Meanwhile, we do plan on bringing the two out-of-print titles back soon.