It’s Kokufu Time!

It’s Kokufu time! I borrowed this Root-Over-Rock Trident Maple and rest of the bonsai shown here from Bill Valavanis. They represent a very small sampling of the photos Bill has taken so far at the ongoing 92nd Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition. Today is my last full day of vacation, so we’ll make this short and sweet. Five Kokufu photos borrowed from Bill Valavanis. As always Bill’s tireless efforts to keep us clued in to the world of bonsai are appreciated. As is his trained eye. Stay posted, we’ll show you some more when we get home, including some prize winners. Meanwhile a visit to … Continue reading It’s Kokufu Time!

Old Bonsai Bones

We Borrowed this Hackberry from a 2017 Kokufu post on Bill Valavanis Bonsai blog. As soon as I return from vacation later this week, we’ll show you some photos from this year’s Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition, which just begun yesterday. Meanwhile, we’ll stimulate your interest with a few photos from last year’s exhibition (borrowed from Bill Valavanis’ excellent bonsai blog) Continued below… Bill offer the varieties on some of the trees, but not this one. I could guess Japanese maple, but my track record isn’t that great. Meanwhile you might appreciate the powerful nebari and the exquisite fine branching. One advantage of winter … Continue reading Old Bonsai Bones

Bonsai Elegance from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum

I’ve never been to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, but if the elegance of the display shown in this photo is any indication, maybe I should start saving my yen. Continuing our Omiya Bonsai Art Museum theme and still on vacation so we’ll also continue borrowing from our archives (with a little value added today). The three photos shown here were part of a post that appeared in May, 2012. Japanese five needle pine (Goyomatsu) from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum’s gallery. Japanese five needle pines are also called Japanese white pine. The Latin is Pinus parviflora, or sometimes Pinus … Continue reading Bonsai Elegance from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum

Ume Flowering Bonsai with Sabamaki & Uro

An old Ume from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. Aside from the flowers, buds and aged bark, you might notice the hollowed out trunk (sabamiki). And if you look closely you can also see several uro (small hollows that are left on deciduous trees where branches have rotted and fallen off… though bonsai uro may well be man made). Still on vacation, so once again we’ll dig into the deep riches of our archives (while continuing with our Omiya Bonsai Art Museum theme). This one is from July 2012 (with a little present tense editing). Ume have several names: Prunus mume (or just Mume), … Continue reading Ume Flowering Bonsai with Sabamaki & Uro

Dramatic Multi-Trunk Bonsai – Koyo Japanese Tools

Three robust Shimpaku junipers on a stupendous rock. From the Omiya Bonsai Museum via Bonsai Empire. Continuing our Omiya Bonsai Art Museum theme (with the rock planting above; the rest of the photos are from various other places). I’m in the middle of a two week vacation, so it’s back to our archives. This post (with a few minor changes today) originally appeared here in August 2015. That’s Ryan Neil’s hand posing for a professional photo with a one of the largest single rock, root-on-rock plantings you’ll ever see. Here’s his caption: “In the studio today with @hornbecker shooting for the Artisans … Continue reading Dramatic Multi-Trunk Bonsai – Koyo Japanese Tools

Koji’s Little Trees

I love this little tree. It may not be Koji Hiramatsu’s best effort (you can judge for yourself from the three little pines shown here, or you can visit Koji – see below), but there’s something about that gnarled little trunk that I like Returning to small trees in Japan, it’s three of Koji Hiramatsu’s pines today. BONSAI AESTHETICS WIRE SPECIAL 500 GRAM ROLLS ONLY 8.95 100 GRAM ROLLS ONLY 3.45 – HAVE YOU TRIED OUR ROSHI TOOLS? Roshi Bonsai Tools are manufactured to the highest standards and are famous for precision, durability, beauty and reasonable prices Spring is on its way a good … Continue reading Koji’s Little Trees

Directional Deadwood

A bit of a jumble up top, but still a very compelling tree. It belongs to Nicola Kitora Crivelli. Looks like a Shimpaku juniper. Taking a little vacation, so we’ll dip into our archives. The photos shown here are from a July 2015 post. I’ve rewritten the text due to changes in perspective that happen over time. Going down? This one is a Southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis). It belong to Greg Brenden. The photo is from the 2010 2nd U.S. National Exhibition Album (out of print but we still have the 4th and 5th). 4th & 5th U.S. … Continue reading Directional Deadwood

Spring Is Coming! Only About Twelve Weeks Until Our Bonsai Awaken

The new growth on some Spruce is often a brilliant yellow. Almost like yellow flowers. In this case the spruce is an Ezo (Picea jezoensis). This one resides at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum as do the other trees in this post. Continuing with trees from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, this time with a touch of spring, which will one day come. Even here in Northern Vermont the snow will melt and the ground will thaw. Meanwhile, we can dream For a lot of people, Satsuki azaleas are all about the flowers, so it doesn’t matter that you can’t see the trunk … Continue reading Spring Is Coming! Only About Twelve Weeks Until Our Bonsai Awaken

Brilliance at the Omiya Bonsai Museum

This photo was taken indoors at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Saitama Japan. The same tree photographed outside is just below I’ve been thinking about a series on the Omiya Bonsai Museum. Brilliant red or reddish Japanese maples seem like a good place to start. All the images shown here are from the Museum’s facebook photos. Varieties are not listed. HAVE YOU TRIED OUR ROSHI TOOLS? Roshi Bonsai Tools are manufactured to the highest standards and are famous for precision, durability, beauty and reasonable prices Spring is on its way a good time to upgrade your tool selection – Another maple, … Continue reading Brilliance at the Omiya Bonsai Museum

Three More Remarkable Yamadori

Colorado spruce from Ryan Neil’s Bonsai Mirai. This one is more about bark than deadwood. Normally bark that covers deadwood is stripped to reveal the deadwood, but in this case it makes sense to leave it. Continuing with Ryan Neil’s bonsai, today it’s three more remarkable yamadori (bonsai collected from the wild). The photos and some of the text are from our archives (April, 2016) Nice pot. Ryan usually provides great close-ups and this one is no exception. Bonsai Aesthetics Wire SPECIal Kilo rolls Only 15.75 500 gram rolls Only 8.95 100 gram rolls only 3.45 – Rocky mountain juniper with some … Continue reading Three More Remarkable Yamadori