Paying Another Visit to Super Mario, Plus One

Here’s a tree by Mario Komsta that we missed. With this exception and a reminder about Free Shipping and our current Book Sale, the rest of the post is the same as yesterday. Not so sure about the background color, but I really like the sparse simplicity and naturalness of this tree. This photo and the others shown here are from Mario Komsta’s facebook photos. It’s Monday morning, I overslept and now I’m running behind, so we’ll make this post almost purely visual (trusting that you can live without my comments just this once). All the photos shown here … Continue reading Paying Another Visit to Super Mario, Plus One

Paying Another Visit to Super Mario

Not so sure about the background color, but I really like the sparse simplicity and naturalness of this tree. This photo and the others shown here are from Mario Komsta’s facebook photos. It’s Monday morning, I overslept and now I’m running behind, so we’ll make this post almost purely visual (trusting that you can live without my comments just this once). All the photos shown here are from Mario Komsta’s facebook photos and as far as I know, all the trees belong to Mario. This is not the first time we’ve featured Mario’s trees (more like the tenth time) but … Continue reading Paying Another Visit to Super Mario

Komsta Bonsai

Calligraphy anyone? I don’t know if calligraphy was on Mario Komsta’s mind when he styled this remarkable tree. I do know that there was a time when bonsai that looked like calligraphy was popular and that many scholars agree that bonsai was, in part at least, inspired by the calligraphy of the old Chinese masters (this is especially true of bunjin style bonsai). Of course you could say that nature created the long calligraphic stroke that helps make this tree so unique, but we don’t know what Mario removed or otherwise changed to enhance the effect. We’ve been featuring the … Continue reading Komsta Bonsai

Mario’s Almost Bonsai

The third to last photo in a long sequence by Mario Komsta. Mario’s comment on this photo is ‘almost bonsai.’ Pretty good for an ‘almost.’ From a facebook album by Mario. From freshly dug to ‘almost bonsai’ The photos here present a sampling of a step-by-step series on a very creative (and skillful) bonsai transformation by Mario Komsta. We’ve featured Mario’s bonsai several times on Bonsai Bark, and for good reason. To my eye, Mario is one of the West’s elite young bonsai artists. You might even say that Mario is one of the elite bonsai artists, period. You can … Continue reading Mario’s Almost Bonsai

Mario & the Art of Bonsai

Bonsai calligraphy. Look familiar? We posted this wildly eccentric masterpiece right here on Bonsai Bark about a year ago. Maybe we’ll post it again next year. It belongs to Mario Komsta. Mario Komsta If you don’t know Mario’s bonsai, you’re in for a treat. If you do know Mario’s bonsai, you’re still in for a treat (exceptional bonsai bear repeated viewing). We’ve featured Mario’s trees several times now, and I suspect we’ll feature them again. The Art of Bonsai Project Without a doubt, the Art of Bonsai Project is one of the true quality bonsai spots on the web. Just … Continue reading Mario & the Art of Bonsai

Better Now? Revisiting Mario’s Famous Hornbeam

The latest incarnation of Mario Komsta’s extraordinary and now somewhat famous Hornbeam. Balance Is the balance better now (comparing the photo above with the earlier photo immediately below)? Does the elongated first branch (left) help to counter balance the slight rightward lean of the apex? The base of the trunk The base of the trunk appears stronger in the earlier photo below. Is it just the photo, or does the extended branching and the new pot diminish the power of the base? Ramification No matter what our thoughts about balance and the base of the trunk, the impeccable patience and … Continue reading Better Now? Revisiting Mario’s Famous Hornbeam

Super Mario

Hornbeam (Soro in Japanese) by Mario Komsta. Mario Komsta is his name Once upon a time, when I was the publisher/editor of Bonsai Today, we featured an article by a rising young European bonsai star (issue 102 – we also featured him in issue 105). His name was Mario Jano. Or so we thought. Turns out, we were wrong (for the whole story see Bonsai Today issue 104 page 53). His name was, and remains Mario Komsta, and judging by the photos here (there’s more on his site) he’s a bonsai star that has fully risen. Japanese winterberrry (Umemodoki). Another … Continue reading Super Mario

Feed Your Bonsai for Health & Beauty

Lush summer foliage and impressive deadwood on an old Shimpaku juniper.The lush foliage is the result of timely feeding.* The photo is from our Masters Series Juniper book. I know the tree is from Japan, but don’t know who the artist or owner is. For some of you lucky ones, it’s already spring. For most of the rest of us, it’s time* to start enriching the soil with slow release fertilizers. This post is one of our archival favorites (July, 2015). Nothing has changed since then, except our lower fertilizer prices. Many, if not most people underfeed their bonsai. There are … Continue reading Feed Your Bonsai for Health & Beauty

It’s all about Yew

This impressive old tree with its melted wax deadwood and cinnamon bark is yet another dramatic Yew. So dramatic that it’s easy to miss it’s unusual companion. The tree and the little piece of deadwood belong to Mauro Stemberger. The pot is Tokoname. When we originally posted these photos (December, 2012) many of us were just beginning to appreciate Yew for bonsai. Since then they have been pushing their way into our consciousness with a vigor worthy of their robust nature. Anyway, and bad puns aside, I know that I’ve praised yew before. Still, at the risk of repeating myself, I’m a big fan. For landscaping and for bonsai. Continued below… … Continue reading It’s all about Yew

Fertilize Your Bonsai for Health & Beauty

Lush summer foliage and impressive deadwood on an old Shimpaku juniper.The lush foliage is the result of timely feeding. The photo is from our Masters Series Juniper book. I know the tree is from Japan, but don’t know who the artist is. Time for a reminder from one of our archival favorites (July, 2015). Nothing has changed since then, except our new lower fertilizer prices. Many, if not most people underfeed their bonsai. There are many reasons why ample fertilizing is critical to developing healthy and beautiful bonsai… 1. It’s up to you. Most bonsai soils don’t contain nutrients. This … Continue reading Fertilize Your Bonsai for Health & Beauty