This remarkable photo is titled Geijutsu Works, Kobayashi’s Garden. I take this to mean that it’s from Kunio Kobayashi’s famous book, Bonsai (see below). Though my guessing is often suspect, I’m pretty sure this distinguished tree is an Ume (Japanese flowering apricot). This is based in part on its remarkable deadwood (if you’re not in a big rush, stop for moment and take a close look). You seldom see deadwood on deciduous trees, with Ume being an exception. This, coupled with the fact that it looks like an Ume, cinches it.
Murata, Kato, Kobayashi, Kimura
This isn’t the first time we’ve featured Kunio Kobayshi here, and it most likely won’t be the last time either (he also has a whole chapter in our Juniper book titled Reshaping a Prize Shimpaku). I think it would be safe to include him in a pantheon of pioneering Japanese bonsai masters that might read something like this: Kyuzo Murata, Saburo Kato, Kunio Kobayashi, Masahiko Kimura. You could probably add a name or two, but I don’t think you’d subtract.
If you’d like to learn more about Mr. Kobayashi we have an earlier post here and one more here. Here’s Michael Bonsai (all the photos in this post, except the last one are via Michael).
Great trees, but it’s the stump that really gets me. Is that a Sumac sitting on it?
You can no doubt identify some of the bonsai in Mr. Kobayashi’s garden, but can you identify the car?
Nice flowers. Is it another Ume? If so, you might call this one Ume with wet stepping stones.
Kunio Kobayashi’s book. Photographed and produce by Geijutsu Works.