Bark

A Walk on the Wild Side

A wonderfully convoluted Sabina juniper after a little taming by Gabriel Romero Aguadé. If you look at the before photo below, you can see that Gabriel did quite a bit to tame what started out as tree with a world of potential but also with a crazily unruly crown and a  trunk with poor taper. It’s not too hard to see how the crown was brought under control (some very detailed labor and some time for new growth to fill in). But the taper is a bit more mystifying; not much has changed, but somehow it looks much better. BTW, … Continue reading A Walk on the Wild Side

Weekly Wire: Back On His Feet, Nature’s Deadwood & Keeping Things Up to Date

Remember Isao Omachi? Isao’s house and bonsai nursery were swept away in the tsunami. That’s the tough news. The good news is that hundreds, maybe thousands of people in our international bonsai community donated to help Isao and his family get back on thier feet. As a result of this effort (and Isao’s and his family’s determination) Isao is back doing what he loves. This is our good fortune; Isao is one of the featured bonsai artists at the Mid Atlantic Bonsai Societies 2012 Spring Festival.  This sweet colorful bonsai is from Isao facebook page. It looks like a Japanese … Continue reading Weekly Wire: Back On His Feet, Nature’s Deadwood & Keeping Things Up to Date

Bringing the Magic Up To Date

After. From a demo by Masahiko Kimura at the 11 ASPAC. (Asia Pacific Bonsai & Suiseki Convention) in Takamatsu Japan. It helps to start with great stock. It also helps to be Masahiko Kimura. Photo by Jonas Dupuich (Bonsai Tonight). Still magic after all these years Just in case might think that the not-so-old Master has lost his touch. It does help to start with great stock, but taking that great stock to the next level requires vision and a deft touch. Especially when the next level is accomplish in a single demonstration. Japanese demos and Western demos The photos … Continue reading Bringing the Magic Up To Date

Cliff Dwellers & NEW Bonsai Tools

Nature does it just right. This breathtaking photo is by Mario Komsta. No need to try to collect this beauty, it’s perfect right where it is. These attractive Bonsai Aesthetics tools are every bit as good as their Japanese counterparts and they are more affordable. For example, your price on this set of 3 is only 14.95. Each one is also offered individually. Bonsai Aesthetics is owned by Robert Steven. Robert, one of world’s foremost bonsai artists, personally stands behind every one of his tools. NEW tools at Stone Lantern We’ve been bringing new bonsai and garden tools from Japan … Continue reading Cliff Dwellers & NEW Bonsai Tools

Weekly Wire: Bonsai Train, Deadwood in Deadwood, Russian Bonsai & More

Vive bonsai! Ever wonder why European bonsai events are so well attended? Thanks to Rosade Bonsai for this great photo.   Deadwood in Deadwood. If you’re ever near Deadwood South Dakota, visit Andy Smith at Golden Arrow Bonsai. Andy is known for his yamadori bonsai (bonsai collected from the wild) among other things. I consider Andy to one of a small handful of genuine collectors; people that collect with deep knowledge and respect and, as a result, a very high success rate. If you can’t make it to Deadwood, you can at least enjoy Andy’s excellent DVDs.   Tony Tickle. … Continue reading Weekly Wire: Bonsai Train, Deadwood in Deadwood, Russian Bonsai & More

Kokufu & the Upcoming 2012 U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition

This Shishigashira Japanese maple was a 2012 Kokufu award winner. A few things stand out about this remarkable tree: the shape, with most of the action on one side is somewhat unusual for a Japanese maple; the wonderful nebari with its smooth spread and the way it stabilizes the top of the tree; and the undulating movement of the branching (from primary branches all the way out to the tips of the twigs). Best in show All the photos in this post are from Bill Valavanis’ 2012 KOKUFU BONSAI EXHIBITION REPORT which appears on the Internet Bonsai Club. You might … Continue reading Kokufu & the Upcoming 2012 U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition

An Old Philistine Takes a Second Look at Some Remarkable Trees

This well-known Sageretia planting is by Dr Wu Yee-sun. It appears in The Chinese Art of Bonsai & Potted Landscapes. An Aha! moment Sometimes you might pass over a tree or planting because it’s not dramatic enough to catch your attention. Or maybe it just seems strange at first glance. In some cases, if you’re lucky, a question mark might pull you back for a second look. That’s what happened to me with two or three of the trees in this post; they were easy to overlook, but when I did take a close look, an Aha! moment dawned. Whatever … Continue reading An Old Philistine Takes a Second Look at Some Remarkable Trees

Weeky Wire: World Bonsai Day, Free Bonsai Wire, Kokufu, Boon’s Tips & Much More

Who could ask for more? It wasn’t too long ago we led off a Weekly Wire with a Gedemerta Bonsaibali tree. Now, we’ve gone and done it again. I’m guessing you can see why. Aside from the wildly expressive deadwood, the well-aged textured beauty of the bark, the trunk’s powerful base and perfect taper, the tree’s radiant health, the near perfect play between balance and movement; the photo is also very well done. Who could ask for more?   FREE! FREE WIRE, SCISSORS, TOOL CLEANING BLOCKS & CUT PASTE WHEN YOU ORDER FROM STONE LANTERN… …but only if you enter … Continue reading Weeky Wire: World Bonsai Day, Free Bonsai Wire, Kokufu, Boon’s Tips & Much More

FREE! Bonsai Wire, Scissors & Other Good Stuff

These most excellent all purpose scissors/shears are amazingly good for the price, though in this case, the price doesn’t matter because we are giving them away. FREE items when you order from Stone Lantern Just be sure to put FREE ITEMS in the comments box (see Rules below) We just had a major website trauma that effectively took us offline for almost a full day. To celebrate being back online and to reward you for your patience and understanding, we’re going to give some stuff away. All you have to do is place an order and put in the comments … Continue reading FREE! Bonsai Wire, Scissors & Other Good Stuff

BIB Tonight, BABA Last Night

I wonder where this little Japanese black pine came from originally. My guess is that it was imported from Japan. I’ll also guess that, though it looks like a Yamadori (collected from the wild), it was actually grown for bonsai. I could be wrong on both counts, but there’s one count I’m pretty sure of; this is an excellent little tree, with it’s strong base, aged bark, compact twisted shape, small bright needles and complimentary pot. BIB then BABA I should have posted BIB before BABA (see last post). Confused? Okay, here’s how it goes: There are two (at least) … Continue reading BIB Tonight, BABA Last Night