Bark

Now Back (It’s No Secret)

Bonsai Secrets by Peter Chan is back in print, new cover, excellent contents, and all. Perfect for beginning to intermediate enthusiasts Bonsai Secrets covers pretty much all of the ground you would expect in a beginner’s book, as well as some more advanced ground (well, advanced from the beginner’s point of view), like: creating good taper, field-growing techniques, rock planting, displaying and exhibiting, creating jin & shari, air-layering, wabi sabi in bonsai design and more. And the timing is perfect Beginner’s books have been dropping like the oak leaves that cover my front yard. Simon & Schuster is gone, Pocket … Continue reading Now Back (It’s No Secret)

Of Scrolls & Tokonomas

This tokonoma with its spectacular scroll, is from Daiza Iwasaki’s house in Japan. A more cropped version of this photo appears in Morten Albek’s book, Majesty in Miniature, Shohin Bonsai. The original completely uncropped photo is below. Bonsai display I don’t think too many people pay very close attention to bonsai display. I’m sure there are some who do, but judging from countless photos on facebook and elsewhere, display isn’t a major concern for most people (especially outside of Japan). Relationships Display is a lot about the relationship of the elements. Though I’m far from an expert on the subject, … Continue reading Of Scrolls & Tokonomas

Finally! Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees

Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees: The Life and Works of Dan Robinson – Bonsai Pioneer Thank you for your patience We’ve actually had the book for a couple weeks now, but a detail that needed to be worked out arose at the last minute. Now all is well and we are ready to ship. The Picasso of bonsai This is surely one of the most important (and beautiful) bonsai books ever published. Will Hiltz, author and photographer elevates the art of book making, and Dan Robinson, bonsai artist and master, elevates the art of collecting, growing and styling bonsai. Dan’s approach … Continue reading Finally! Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees

2011 Bonsai Calendars Have Arrived!

January 2011 (see below for the cover page) from our new 2011 Bonsai Calendar. My apologies for the fuzzy image. The real thing looks much better. Enjoy world class bonsai while you keep track of the date Some of your have been getting your calendars from us for at least ten years, maybe longer. Might as well keep the tradition going; or start a new one. With our bonsai calendar, you’ll stay inspired and you won’t suffer the horrible confusion of not knowing what year it is, let alone what month and day. Sorry, no Japanese garden calendars for 2011 … Continue reading 2011 Bonsai Calendars Have Arrived!

Tool Sale Last Day

This set of carving tools from China has been extremely popular. It’s a good idea to be careful with Chinese tools as so many are inferior (especially scissors and to some degree other cutting tools). However, we are fortunate in that regard; Robert Steven goes to the factory and rejects tools that don’t meet his standards. This has worked quite well for us, especially with these carving tools; so far we’ve sold over 100 sets with not one complaint. All tools (and some other stuff) 30% to 40% off The tool and related other stuff includes turntables, cut paste, grafting … Continue reading Tool Sale Last Day

NEW BOOK! Gnarly Branches Arriving Any Day!

It’s somewhere in the northeast and getting closer by the minute. Any day now, any minute now, Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees will come rolling in. I’ll stake my reputation I’ve seen most of the photos and much of the text, and I will stake my reputation (whatever it is) on this being one of the most inspirational and exciting bonsai books ever published. 30% – 40% off Book Sale It’s a good time to order. Books, tools, bonsai wire, turntables and more on sale now.

Make Your Own Scroll

New book. How to Make Handmade Wall Scrolls by Jonathan Maples. A good scroll can go a long way… … in enhancing any bonsai display. Though most of us have developed some bonsai appreciation and some skills (rudimentary, at least), few of us have bothered to learn much about bonsai display; both the various pieces (mostly stands, scrolls, companion plants & suiseki) and the overall aesthetics of a display. Your chance How to Make Handmade Wall Scrolls will afford you the opportunity to learn about an important display feature, and beyond that, how-to instructions for making your own. From the … Continue reading Make Your Own Scroll

A Brilliant New Book!

Houses and Gardens of Kyoto. In this case, you can tell a book by its cover. This is one of the two or three most beautiful Japanese gardens we’ve ever seen. And it’s not just about Japanese gardens. The houses (actually houses and other types of buildings) present some of the most perfect artistry and craftsmanship anywhere and the gardens are every bit as good. Best of all, the photos are original (well, almost all of them) If you’ve spent much time with garden books from Japan, you may have noticed that most of them feature many of the same … Continue reading A Brilliant New Book!

Penjing Book: All Good Things Must End & Tying Up a Loose End on a Robert Steven Critique

An old favorite is almost gone. Only 3 or 4 left Thought we’d give you a fair warning in case you’ve been meaning to procure your own copy. It’s a the only Penjing book in English and, in my opinion, belongs in that elite group we call classics. Tying up a loose end A while back, Robert Steven asked me to post an original picture that he used for a second critique of an Atlas cedar (the photo for the first critique was posted). Given that most people probably don’t bother to read comments on old posts, I thought more … Continue reading Penjing Book: All Good Things Must End & Tying Up a Loose End on a Robert Steven Critique