Wild Horses, Dramatic Bonsai, but No Snow!

That’s a tiny horse standing on a rock cliff. Which begs the question, do wild horses ever venture onto rocky cliffs, or do they avoid them? My guess is the later, but in this case it makes for a little more drama in an already dramatic and perfectly arranged scene by Li, Hung-Chien. The trees are Premna microphylla. The other day we featured a dramatic juniper bonsai by a Mr. Chiu Chung Cheng, a Taiwanese bonsai artist. It had been a while since we’d shown any bonsai from Taiwan and if you know Taiwanese bonsai, you know just how spectacular … Continue reading Wild Horses, Dramatic Bonsai, but No Snow!

Half Price Bonsai Today Sale Ends Tonight

We still have one of this rare collector’s Bonsai Today issue. Most other issues are still in stock, but like this one, many are down to one or two.* 50% off Bonsai Today Sale ends tonight at 11:59 EDT For years Bonsai Today was the premier English language bonsai magazine. Fortunately we still have a selection of back issues that feature how-to articles and world class bonsai from many of the world’s greatest bonsai masters (East and West). However, our selection is limited. Some issues are already gone and many others will be gone soon.* Our Bonsai Aesthetics and Okatsune … Continue reading Half Price Bonsai Today Sale Ends Tonight

Pots, Chops and a Spectacular Juniper Bonsai

This spectacular juniper belongs to Mr. Chiu Chung Cheng. I found it on Ryan Bell’s Japanese Bonsai Pots Blog. This will make three posts in a row that feature photos from Ryan Bell’s Japanese Bonsai Pots Blog. The last two were new Bark posts, this one is from our archives (December 2012). For a relative bonsai newcomer, I’m impressed with just how thoroughly Ryan Bell has jumped into the thick of the bonsai fray. I’m especially taken with his pot collection (many are for sale) and his recent (remember this is from 2012) photo journey through many of our bonsai … Continue reading Pots, Chops and a Spectacular Juniper Bonsai

Fukien Tea with Elephant & Other Wonders

That’s a lot of tree for a pot that size. But then that’s a commanding pot, at least in color and design. The pot and presumably the tree (Breynia officianalis) belong to Ruban Yu. This photo and the one just below are from The 11th Annual Shohin Pottery Competition, on Ryan Bell’s Japanese Bonsai Pots blog. Continuing from yesterday, here are a couple more trees from Ryan Bell’s Japanese Bonsai Pots blog. Both belong to Ruban Yu. The pots below also belong to Ruban and are from his website. Here’s what Ryan has to say about the two bonsai shown … Continue reading Fukien Tea with Elephant & Other Wonders

Shamelessly Stealing Bonsai Pots (Trees too)

I found this Kumquat on Ryan Bell’s Japanese Bonsai Pot blog. My apologies for the fuzzy photo. It’s cropped from a larger photo that originally came from Bonsai Tonight. The full photo and Ryan’s caption are below. It has been a while since we borrowed (shamelessly stoled*) from Ryan Bell’s Japanese Bonsai Pot blog. As you might expect, it’s a great photo source for some of the best bonsai pots in the world. We’ll offer a glimpse of a few here, with and without trees. If you’d like to enjoy a whole lot more, I suggest you pay Ryan a … Continue reading Shamelessly Stealing Bonsai Pots (Trees too)

Brilliant Bonsai Berries

Pyracanthas (aka Firethorns) are prolific when it comes to berries and this one is certainly no exception. It’s from a post we did in 2012. Just back from a way too short vacation and now it’s catch up time, so once again we’ll dig into our archives. This one is borrowed from last June. In just a few short months it will be fruit and berry season (sooner for some of you), so in anticipation here are three photos of Pyracanthas with berries and one in full flower. From the many to the few. It’s another Pyracantha. By Shohin … Continue reading Brilliant Bonsai Berries

The Maximum with the Minimum

Even though the crown is leaning back a bit, I’m going to call this side the front, given that it provides the best view of the trunk and the deadwood. The four photos of this tree are by Haruyosi, as are the tree and the pot. Still enjoying a short vacay, so we’ll show you another Haruyosi rerun (see yesterday). And while we’re at it, why not start at the beginning (March, 2014)? Our first of many Haruyosi posts. We don’t usually show four shots of the same bonsai, but I like this little tree a lot and the shots … Continue reading The Maximum with the Minimum

Some Sweet Little Trees by a Master Bonsai Potter

I’m going to guess that this is a crab apple. You might wonder why that shoot with large leaves, sticking up top, has been left untrimmed. I think Haruyosi is letting it grow to draw energy up and strengthen and perhaps raise the apex. Down the shore today (New Jersey) with countless trees to identify. Trees that wouldn’t stand a chance in the cold wilds of northern Vermont. So we’ll keep this short. Just some sweet little bonsai by our old favorite, Haruyosi. Haruyosi makes his own pots and often uses red glazes, which are fairly unusual. Here’s his caption … Continue reading Some Sweet Little Trees by a Master Bonsai Potter

An Astounding Japanese Beech Sitting Smack Dab…

What a great tree! What a great turntable! Both belong to Jean-Paul Polmans. His simple caption reads “I like the new turntable in my studio.” So this morning, while looking for that perfect photo of that perfect tree, on that famous social media time sump, up pops this astounding Japanese beech sitting smack dab on a Green T Turntable. How could I resist? Another Green T and another great bonsai. It’s a Holm oak that belongs to Raffaele Perilli. No caption needed. NEW Sales at Stone Lantern 40% off 100 gram rolls of Bonsai Aesthetics Wire 30% Bonsai … Continue reading An Astounding Japanese Beech Sitting Smack Dab…

Resetting the Spring & Other Wonderful Things You Can (& Can’t) Do with Pines

Japanese white pine from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai portfolio. Here’s Michael’s caption: “A Japanese White pine that was entered into the Taikan-ten. This was when I was a second-year apprentice.” Every time I visit Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai, I learn something new. If you want to enrich your understanding of bonsai, you could do a lot worse than reading and digesting everything Michael writes. His deep knowledge of bonsai combined with an unusual gift for our American English language will help guide you to the bonsai promised land. This time it’s Michael’s post from yesterday: Big Difference Between ‘Decandling’ … Continue reading Resetting the Spring & Other Wonderful Things You Can (& Can’t) Do with Pines