Rim Shots, New and Improved 9/28/14

This striking formal uprignt Hinoki Cypress is the feature tree on the Pacific Rim’s new website (new to me at least). At a glance it brings to mind the Sierra’s towering Giant Sequoias. A great choice for a west coast bonsai site.

First, a disclaimer. I’ve never been to the Pacific Rim Bonsai Museum. We’ve featured it several time here on Bark and have extolled its virtues based on bits and pieces we have been able to pick up on its historically woefully inadequate website and elsewhere.

Now, at first glance at least, the ‘woefully inadequate’ piece has changed with the Rim’s new and improved website. I say at first glance because, though the new site is much better and much more attractive too, it still isn’t nearly all it could be. BTW, I don’t fault Dave DeGroot the Rim’s curator. His job is taking care of the bonsai collection not designing websites.

My biggest complaint is that there are no live links on the five bonsai that come up when you go to the gallery. The small photos of these quality trees invite you to click and enjoy full size (or at least larger) photos, but no such luck. It turns out that there are a few larger bonsai photos on the site, but finding them happens more by accident than intent.

My other complaint is that I could find no mention of Dave DeGroot, even on the about us link. Dave is a well known bonsai artist, teacher and author and most certainly a big reason why the collection is so healthy and beautiful. I don’t know if you’d say indispensable (there are others that might be able to pull off the job) but close enough.

Still, it is heartening to see and enjoy their new improved website. It’s a big step in the right direction.

This is what comes up when visit the online gallery. Alas, there are no live links to larger photos.

 

Here’s a larger photo of one of the gallery trees that I stumbled upon somewhat by accident (on the resources page). I blew it up further to fit our format without sacrificing too much sharpness.

 

A cropped piece of the Rim’s homepage.

“When I go home at the end of the day, I do bonsai. It’s my hobby,” said De Groot, who still gets a kick out of seeing delighted visitors. “There aren’t too many jobs where you get 100 percent positive feedback.” From the Federal Way Mirror newspaper.

 

Better tools make for better bonsai. Our Big Roshi Bonsai Tool Sale ends tonight (Sunday, September 28th) at 11:59pm EDT. Don’t miss this great opportunity to improve your tool collection. Up to 30% off our already discounted prices.