Bark

Go Figure

Using figurines in tray plantings doesn’t necessarily qualify as eccentric; it’s common in Chinese (and other) penjing plantings. Perhaps it’s the type (you don’t see many moose in China) and especially the relative size of the figurine that makes this trident maple planting unusual. This photo is from an article by Randy Clark entitled ‘Bonsai & Figurines’ that originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 95. Randy Clark is the owner of the Bonsai Learning Center (note: that was 2009, Randy has moved on since then). We’re digging way back into the recesses of time for this one. It was originally … Continue reading Go Figure

No Adornment Necessary

A prize winning Satsuki azalea from Bonsai -Matsuda Seishoen displaying it power, balance and tranquility. Still stealing from the past. This post appeared back in April 2011 (now edited a bit from the original). It was titled Three Monster Satsuki Bonsai. It has been a while since we featured any Azaleas and even though Satsuki are renowned for their flowers and these aren’t flowering, still, they have enough muscle and character to show any time, with or without adornment. A rare and wonderful trunk The lower half of the trunk on this Satsuki azalea (above) is near perfection; thick and … Continue reading No Adornment Necessary

Suthin Again

Suthin’s site calls this an Eastern white cedar which happens to be one of several common names for Thuja occidentalis (Northern white cedar is another, though around here we just call them cedars). To further complicate the issue, it’s not a true cedar, but rather an arborvitae. No matter, it’s a great tree. I particularly like the way Suthin hasn’t tried to manicure the natural looking cedar foliage. Makes for a raw and rugged look that’s in keeping with the rest of the tree. Everybody loves Suthin. When I was peddling our books and tools and other wares at the … Continue reading Suthin Again

Just Say No

First, my apologies for the fuzziness. The photo (original below) is cropped and expanded because I wanted to show these delightful little trees up close. Looks like a juniper above, Pyracantha on the left and Trident maple on the right. All the photos in this post are from Shunga-ten and the Japanese Shohin-bonsai Association. They appear on Morten Albek’s Shohin Bonsai Europe blog in a recent post titled, ‘Say NO to RULES‘ that I think is worth a read. BTW: Morten is the author of our Shohin Bonsai, Majesty in Miniature (see below). A part of a larger display. Could … Continue reading Just Say No

…You Don’t See Bonsai Everyday, Yamadori or Othewise…

This wide-body old yamadori is the feature tree on Kevin Willson’s website. It looks like an English yew. That’s just a guess, though an educated(?) one, based on this and some other fading memories. You almost never see domestically grown bonsai that begin to approach the power and beauty of the best yamadori (trees collected in the wild). Carrying this a step further, you don’t see bonsai everyday, yamadori or otherwise, with the power and beauty of the trees shown here. The artist is Kevin Willson (we’ve featured him here on Bark and in Bonsai Today). Kevin’s website consists of … Continue reading …You Don’t See Bonsai Everyday, Yamadori or Othewise…

Before, During and After

After. A very unusual tree with three trunks merging into one thicker trunk (you can just see a small piece of the third trunk). You could say the reviled RT word (reverse taper) but who cares? By Juan Andrade. From facebook. Just couldn’t pass this one up. This Japanese white pine transformation is so unusual and the result so striking and unique, that… well, you can see for yourself. The artist, Juan Andrade is one of a whole host of young apprentices who are studying or have studied in Japan. At least one other bonsai by Juan has appeared on … Continue reading Before, During and After

Double Take: A Snapshot In Time

One of the famous old ’Chabo-hiba’Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa, Chabo-hiba) at Boston’s Arnold Arboretum. This one was dates back to 1787 and it looks like it’s still in the original pot. It’s been three weeks since we dug into our archives, so after putting up one post already this Sunday morning (our 20% to 25% off tool sale) I think it’s okay to take a small break. Besides, how many of you remember (or even saw) this post from two years ago? Snapshot in time The Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection (the first bonsai collection in North America that is still … Continue reading Double Take: A Snapshot In Time

Fall Tool Sale: 20%-25% Off All Tools

20% off for 1-4 tools – 25% off for 5 or more SALE INCLUDES Bonsai Tools, Gardening Tools, Ikebana Tools Includes Turntables, Soil Scoops, Sheaths, Sharpening Stones & Tool Rolls BRANDS INCLUDE Roshi, Koyo, Yoshi, Bonsai Aesthetics, Okatsune, Flexcut & others Sets count as one tool This sale won’t last long, so don’t wait  

Ceramic Art Disguised as Bonsai Pots

Deciding which one of Horst Heinzlreiter’s pots to show as the lead photo seems almost random, considering Horst is so prolific and all of his pots are worthy. The same goes for the six pots below. Numerous others as just as good, but you have to stop somewhere (for a whole slew of Horst’s pots, check out this facebook post). Sometimes it seems my function here is art curator (and sometimes art critic). I show you pictures of beautiful or unusual things (usually bonsai), make a few questionable comments and leave the rest to you. So here we go again, … Continue reading Ceramic Art Disguised as Bonsai Pots

NEW Bonsai Book

Finally! A new Tropical Bonsai book. By Pedro Morales, long-time professional bonsai grower, teacher and author. If you live in the tropics or sub-tropics (much of Florida and southern California are sub-tropical), then you can enjoy a whole range of trees that the rest of us can enjoy only if we own a greenhouse, or if we have enough light (natural or artificial or both) and other positive conditions for growing indoor plants (good air circulation and some humidity don’t hurt). The best way to do this is to keep your tropical trees outdoors when temperatures allow and bring them … Continue reading NEW Bonsai Book