This would be a remarkable bonsai even without the flowers. This photo and the others in this post were taken by Bill Valavanis during his visit to the Shunka-En Bonsai Museum of Kunio Kobayashi. Mr. Kobayashi is known for his Satsuki azaleas and Japanese black pines too.
Renowned American bonsai artist, author, teacher, nurseryman, publisher, impresario, blogger and tireless traveler Bill Valavais is in the midst of a Satsuki azalea tour of Japan. Rather than trying to steal Bill’s thunder, we’ll just whet your appetite with a few photos from Kunio Kobayashi’s Shunka-En Bonsai Museum and encourage you to visit Bill’s excellent blog for the whole story.
BTW: Satsuki means ‘fifth month’ in Japanese.
This and the other photos in this post were taken by Bill Valavanis at Kunio Kobayashi’s Shunka-En Bonsai Museum.
Satsuki Azaleas for Bonsai and Azalea Enthusiasts. A remarkable book with extensive photos and information on Satsuki bonsai and Satsuki in general. Published by Stone Lantern Publishing.
While we’re at it, our sale – 50% off for 10 or more rolls of 100 gram Bonsai Aesthetic wire – ends tomorrow night (Sunday June 1st, at 11:59 pm EDT).