Two Maple Bonsai Looking “Kind of Good Today”

There are numerous plants in this world with red or reddish leaves, but very few can rival the sheer brilliance of this Deshojo Japanese maple. And just in case your eyes are completely drawn in by the intensity of the leaves, it might be worth pointing out the brilliance of the pot as well. Both of these rather impressive Japanese maples were posted on facebook today by Bill Valavanis. Here’s what Bill wrote about them… “Two of my maple bonsai looked kind of good today so I thought I’d share their beauty with friends. Deshojo Japanese maple and Shishigashira Japanese … Continue reading Two Maple Bonsai Looking “Kind of Good Today”

Mugo Pines – Achieving the Recognition They Deserve

This powerful old yamadori (collected from the wild) Mugo pine would be exceptional even if it didn’t have that piece of deadwood that doubles back on the trunk. With this feature it’s a tree you won’t easily forget. My one question has to do with balance. The long left side nebari provides an anchor, but is it enough to visually stabilize the strong lean to the right? I found this photo on Carlos van der Vaart’s timeline. All three bonsai photos shown here are from earlier Bark posts. However, most of the text was written this morning in front of … Continue reading Mugo Pines – Achieving the Recognition They Deserve

Refining a Masterpiece Japanese White Pine

Left side of a recently trimmed and wired masterpiece Zuisho Japanese white pine. The artist is Naoki Maeoka. This Zuisho Japanese white pine must be one of the most outstanding formal upright bonsai in the world. It’s perfect taper, perfect branching with just the right amount of open space between each branch, perfectly rounded apex, and so on, all attest to this view of near perfection. But then near perfection is the goal with formal upright bonsai. And Naoki Maeoka is a master when it comes to refining extraordinary bonsai. 20% off all Bonsai Wire Sale Ends Tonight at 11:59pm … Continue reading Refining a Masterpiece Japanese White Pine

It’s Taxus Time

This old Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) belongs to Mauro Stemberger. The color coordinated pot is by Petra Hahn (even the moss has reddish spots). I found the photo on The Art of Bonsai Project. Just for the fun of it, I searched our archives for the word Easter today. As you might suspect, all the posts with Cotoneaster came up. No surprise there. But so did several others, including this one (from December, 2015). My humble apologies… I didn’t realize that it’s tax time until after I dug up this old ‘Taxus’ post. Once I did realize, I couldn’t resist … Continue reading It’s Taxus Time

Two Tricks with Bonsai Wire & 3 Day Wire Special

Japanese white pine from our 2017 Bonsai Calendar (sorry, sold out). This tree has no doubt been repeatedly wired over years of development. In addition to sharing a couple useful tricks with bonsai wire, this post is to let you know that we have just begun a 3 day Bonsai Wire Sale. 20% off all of our wire (Bonsai Aesthetics wire, Yoshiaki wire, U.S. manufactured Copper wire). When you combine it with our extra 10% off orders 100.00 or more and Free Shipping on Continental U.S. orders 49.00 or more (but only if you select Free Shipping when you check … Continue reading Two Tricks with Bonsai Wire & 3 Day Wire Special

Principles of Bonsai Design – 2 Years & Going Strong

This magnificent old Chinese hackberry (Celtis sinensis) is a tree that I’ve had the honor of seeing up close and personal. It lives at the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Washington State. A not-to-miss experience if you’re ever out that way. Though the distinctive split trunk needs no comment, you might also notice the highly developed ramification (fine branching). The tree was donated to the Museum by Ben Oki. It has been almost two years now since we posted this glowing introduction to Dave DeGroot’s indispensable Principles of Bonsai Design. With the slow inexorable erosion of print media in this digital … Continue reading Principles of Bonsai Design – 2 Years & Going Strong

Tropical Bonsai, Not Exactly Your Common Houseplants

Tropical bonsai wasn’t exactly what came to mind when I first glimpsed this powerful tree. More like some old cold hardy conifer. But a second glance reveals the leaves. Could this be a Bucida spinosa (aka Black olive*)? Well, yes, it could be and I think it is, even the though the artist, Enrique Castano calls it a Terminalia molineti (if hacking through the thicket of plant names is your thing, you might enjoy doing a little research). It has been a while since we’ve featured tropical trees. This might have something to do with our bias for the cold … Continue reading Tropical Bonsai, Not Exactly Your Common Houseplants

Fine Branching Is Key to Superior Deciduous Bonsai

This now famous Japanese beech (Fagus crenata) received the coveted Kokufu prize at the 88th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition. Aside from its overall magnificence, this tree provides a perfect example of what great ramification looks like. The photo is from the World Bonsai Friendship Federation. Identification and other details were provided by Bill Valavanis. Ramification literally means branch development, or how branches grow. However, when it comes to the art of bonsai, it has come to mean branch development that displays a couple key features: taper and fine branching. These features are critical when it comes to developing quality deciduous (and … Continue reading Fine Branching Is Key to Superior Deciduous Bonsai

A Green T Bonsai Turntable Will Change the Way You Work on Your Bonsai

Another happy Green T owner. The smiling face belongs to David Quintana Mendiguren. The tree is a Scot’s pine and the beautiful turntable is of course, David’s Green T. A Green T Turntable will change the way you work on you bonsai and enhance the results… And you’ll enjoy the journey Our new shipment of Green T turntables has arrived, so I thought I might regale you with some beautiful Green T bonsai, a few happy Green T owners and some good news from Bonsai Master Kimura and his appretices. And by the way, we’ve got two models now. In … Continue reading A Green T Bonsai Turntable Will Change the Way You Work on Your Bonsai

Found Bonsai – Exceptional Trees from Humble Origins

Front left shot of a Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) that was collected in 2009 from an old hedge growing in West London. It belongs to Harry Harrington. The pot is by Victor Harris of Erin Pottery Most of the bonsai we feature start with aged, often highly developed (usually expensive) stock. From there to a show-worthy bonsai might require mostly refinement. In other cases more radical styling might be involved, but either way, when you start with superior stock, superior results are more likely. Conversely, most of Harry Harrington‘s (author of The Foundations of Bonsai) bonsai come from more humble origins… … Continue reading Found Bonsai – Exceptional Trees from Humble Origins