“The Most Complete & Understandable Bonsai…”

This has got to be one of the most magnificent Chinese hackberry (Celtis sinensis) bonsai anywhere. Though the distinctive split trunk needs no comment, you might also notice the highly developed ramification (fine branching). The tree was donated to the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection (now the Pacific Bonsai Museum) by Ben Oki. I know we just posted this last August, but I’m enjoying the tail end of a short vacation so rather than go to the trouble to work up a new post, it seems like a good time to remind you about Dave DeGroot’s Principles of Bonsai Design. BTW, … Continue reading “The Most Complete & Understandable Bonsai…”

Two Handed Bonsai

It’s not unusual to see a photo of someone holding a small bonsai in one hand. However, you almost never see a photo with someone holding a bonsai with two hands. Until now that is. This two handed approach gives the feeling that the tree (a rather spectacular Shimpaku juniper) is being offered. This photo and the others in this post are from Japan Shohin Bonsai. One of the problems with photographing bonsai is conveying size. The easiest and perhaps best way is to provide something familiar for contrast. It used to be fairly common to see bonsai with cigarette … Continue reading Two Handed Bonsai

Flowering Bonsai & some other Good News

This is the first and only Fuchsia bonsai we’ve shown. Until now, that is (see below). It’s from a post we did two years ago. We originally found it at Aus Bonsai. Tropical and semi-tropical flowering plants are common and abundant, though not all are suitable for bonsai. This has a lot to do with leaf size, as many have leaves that are too large for bonsai (you can reduce leaf size to some degree, but in most cases it’s best to start out with plants that have small leaves and short internodes). Two good warm climate flowering plants that … Continue reading Flowering Bonsai & some other Good News

Two Masterpiece Bonsai Forests & an Inspired Imitation

This famous masterpiece Hinoki forest is by Masahiko Kimura and is one of his favorites. The photo is by Morten Albek (author of Shohin Bonsai). It appears in The Magician: The Bonsai Art of Kimura 2. Though comparisons are often odious (and unfair, especially when it’s with Kimura), still, older trees make for more interesting forests. In this case, Kimura’s hinokis (above and at the bottom) are not only mature, but also expertly styled; each one in accord with its size and position in the forest. Another distinctive feature on the Kimura forest above is the use of deadwood. It … Continue reading Two Masterpiece Bonsai Forests & an Inspired Imitation

A Humble Bonsai Artist’s Ordinary House on an Ordinary Street, Somewhere…

Night shot out the back door of a humble bonsai artist’s ordinary house on an ordinary street, somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. There are lots of good bonsai blogs these days. I’ve got three or four favorites, but there’s one that keeps bringing me back. The photos are plentiful and very good (even exciting), with shots of some of the best bonsai in North America (and people having entirely too much fun). These alone are worth the price of admission (there isn’t a price, but if there were…). But it’s the writing and the value of the content that really … Continue reading A Humble Bonsai Artist’s Ordinary House on an Ordinary Street, Somewhere…

How Not to Fertilize Your Bonsai

Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii) just after trimming and wiring (the before photo is below). From our Masters’ Series Pine Book. Whenever Michael Hagedorn writes, I read. What follows is part of a post by Michael from his Crataegus Bonsai blog: “For fertilizing bonsai, we can make this one basic distinction: Begin fertilizing a young, unrefined tree when it begins growing early in the spring. Wait a bit with an older, refined tree—usually begin fertilizing when it’s just hardening off it’s spring growth… Quiz: If we were to fertilize everything the same, strongly, starting early in the year, what would … Continue reading How Not to Fertilize Your Bonsai

The Artisans Cup – Bonsai Past Present & Future

Look familiar? As an encouragement for you to visit the Artisans Cup website and see for yourself, we’ll break with our tradition and not identify the trees or their owners in this post. We just received a press release from Ryan Neil. It’s about the Artisans Cup, one of the most exciting and innovative bonsai events yet. Anywhere. But Ryan’s press release is not just about what has already happened, it’s also about the future of the Cup and of bonsai. But rather than me telling you about it, we’ll let Ryan speak for himself… “The Artisans Cup, the premier showcase of American bonsai that took place at … Continue reading The Artisans Cup – Bonsai Past Present & Future

Bonsai Microsculptures

A perfect yamadori bunjin with deadwood and a snake like living vein. Sweet pot too. This and the other photos shown here are from Ken To’s website. This post is borrowed from our archives (Sept 2013). It wasn’t the first time we’ve featured Ken To’s beautifully detailed little wire bonsai sculptures and won’t be the last. We have caught a little grief about posting these cause they aren’t real bonsai. But that’s just silly. Rather than going to the trouble of actually thinking and writing, here’s some text that I lifted from Katie Hosmer at My Modern Met. “To’s microsculptures … Continue reading Bonsai Microsculptures

Colorful Shots to Brighten up Your Mid-Winter

This photo was taken to emphasis the flowers, rather than the tree. If you were to take a photo of this tree when it’s not in flower, you’d take it a from a point a little lower to better show the powerful trunk and nebari. Sometimes photos just seem to appear on my desktop without any reference. This is the case here, so my apologies for failure to attribute this multi-hued Satsuki azalea to its rightful owner (best guess; Japanese owner). Today, it’s just a few colorful shots to brighten up your mid-winter experience. Got a strange old pot … Continue reading Colorful Shots to Brighten up Your Mid-Winter

High on the Bonsai & Penjing Pantheons

This remarkable planting belongs somewhere near the top of the Penjing pantheon. I’d love to have close-ups of this brilliant landscape by Kuanghua Hsiao, so we could see the details, but we’ll take what we can get. I found the photo here. Just two remarkable photos today. It’s not that often you see two bonsai by the same person, each so completely different from the other and each among the best you’ll see anywhere. Speaking of pantheons, this one has to be somewhere near the top of great deciduous bonsai. It was posted on facebook by the same Kuanghua Hsiao … Continue reading High on the Bonsai & Penjing Pantheons