Mugo Pines & Bonsai Pirates

This wild and wonderful mugo pine was posted by Sandro Segneri of the Bonsai Creativo School and Academy. Still too busy, so we’ll dip down into our archives again. Most of what you see here originally appeared here in February, 2010. The exceptions are the tree at the bottom (from a Feb, 2011 post) and comments added today. There are at least two things that come to mind when I look at the wild Mugo pine above. First, it represents a break with traditional bonsai styles, particularly traditional Japanese bonsai. It just doesn’t look like what bonsai looked like not … Continue reading Mugo Pines & Bonsai Pirates

Eccentric Bonsai?

The compressed quality (like a very large foot stepped on it) make for a somewhat unusual but natural looking bonsai. Then there’s that wonderful trunk. The image is from Joko Sulistianto’s facebook photos, as are all the images in this post. I don’t know who the tree belongs too (ditto on the others). Busy time of year and running behind so once again we’ll dig into our archives. This one is from April 2012. It was titled ‘Eccentric Bonsai: Pushing Invisible Boundaries.’ Way back in the recesses of time (2009 & 2010) we featured a whole series of posts titled … Continue reading Eccentric Bonsai?

Unusual Bonsai and a Human Tendency to Orthodoxy

This magnificent old yamadori Shimpaku, with its self framing deadwood just might be one of the most outrageously unusual bonsai you’ll ever ever see. It’s from Taisho-en in Japan. I originally found this image here. Today is catch up day after a hectic week, so once again it’s archive time. This one is from August 2014. It was titled ‘A Magnificent Affront to Bonsai Orthodoxy.’ Trees as unusual as the one above are often controversial. I think some of this controversy is a human tendency to orthodoxy. We get used to things a certain way and next thing you know … Continue reading Unusual Bonsai and a Human Tendency to Orthodoxy

Answers to Questions You Never Knew to Ask

This Rocky mountain juniper is from a post titled Juniper Live Veins and How They Move… on Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. I got a little busy after the Artisans Cup and the transition into the Holiday Season and forgot to visit Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai for a few weeks. Until this morning that is. And now I remember why I keep coming back. Since my last visit Michael has posted The Difference Between Plant Hardiness and Chilling… Seasonal Care for Cold Weather… and the post featured here, Juniper Live Veins and How They Move… Other stuff too, with lots of … Continue reading Answers to Questions You Never Knew to Ask

Lava Flow Bonsai

This simple and graceful old tree belongs to Ryan Neil (Bonsai Mirai). Here’s what Ryan’s caption says about it: “Lodgepole Pine. Pinus contorta latifolia. Collected in 2009 from a lava flow in the Cascade Mountains. Rapidly becoming one of Mirai’s favorites!” Interesting how the trunk looks kinda like a lava flow. I have no idea why Lodgepole pine bonsai are so rare, but they are. In the entire history of Bonsai Bark (almost seven years and several thousand bonsai) we have shown only three. Counting the three shown here (we’ve shown the one at the bottom before). Which is to … Continue reading Lava Flow Bonsai

Crazy Shimpaku Bonsai

One of several great Shimpaku junipers from a post by Bjorn Bjorholm. I picked this one in part because of the little curlycue jin (dead branch) hanging down. I’ve seen plenty of other intriguing jins, but this one is so distinctive and in a place so prominent that it comes close to stealing the show (in spite of the light background that diminishes its effect, and in spite of the many other wonders of this tree). We’re busy around here, but we’re still trying to post everyday. So, it’s the archives again. This one is from April 2014. I picked … Continue reading Crazy Shimpaku Bonsai

Brad Pitt, Bonsai Artist?

Brad Bjorn posing with an impressive (Stewartia?) bonsai. From an article in Architectural Digest titled “Meet the Brad Pitt of Bonsai.” We don’t usually feature photos of people. I almost always find people in bonsai photos distracting. Rather than ‘look at me with my beautiful bonsai,’ I prefer ‘look at this beautiful bonsai.’ However, occasionally photos of people with trees work. In this case, because the article is about Bjorn Bjorholm, “the tall, blond, all-American,” a couple photos of Bjorn with bonsai are appropriate and necessary. Otherwise how would you know? The article in question, ‘Meet the Brad Pitt of … Continue reading Brad Pitt, Bonsai Artist?

A Dose of Creative Bonsai Energy

I’m running out of superlatives. How about ‘somewhere north of magnificent.’ My only question is; could the pot be a little bigger? It’s a Ficus by Hsieh, Shun-Chin. This is one of our two busy seasons (the other is spring). Of the two, this is the most intense; everything comes to a head in just a few short weeks. Long story short, I’m swamped. One solution is to resurrect old posts from our vast archives. This one is from December, 2010. Though the Taiwanese aren’t alone, a large dose of creative bonsai energy seems to be emanating from that unique … Continue reading A Dose of Creative Bonsai Energy

Coffee, Bonsai & Something for the Season

Trident maple at the 2013 Taikan-ten Exhibition. There’s a lot going on with the tree; three major trunks and a baby one sticking out the back, a large mounding nebari and a whole lot of movement. I particularly like the trunk on the right that emerges from the base of the nebari (the base of the base). I borrowed the photo from Bjorn Bjorholm. The color seems a bit off, but you still get the drift. It’s a busy time when catching up seems even less likely than usual. One solution is to delve back into our archives. This one … Continue reading Coffee, Bonsai & Something for the Season

Robert’s Bonsai & Our Disclaimer

Premna is all Robert Steven says about this remarkable tree, but maybe that’s enough; it can tell its own story of a wild life with more than its fair share of abuse (like some people we might know). As you may have noticed, we feature Robert Steven’s bonsai more than any other artist, so maybe it’s time to issue a disclaimer. But before we do that, we’ll note that Robert is one of the most prolific and talented bonsai artists we know. Beyond that, he teaches bonsai to a depth seldom seen and he expresses boundless energy and enthusiasm in … Continue reading Robert’s Bonsai & Our Disclaimer