Random Shots & Gnarly Branches

This powerful Japanese white pine with its lush canopy that’s shaped like something you’d see on a deciduous tree, makes little attempt to appear like a pine in nature. Still, it’s hard to deny how the power of its trunk and the rich beauty of its canopy complement each other. I found it here. It looks like it’s part of a Japanese bonsai nursery, but I couldn’t find any verification. Still on vacation and still working. But just enough to edit (or eliminate) dated information and resize the images on this post from July 2012*. This wild looking Hornbeam … Continue reading Random Shots & Gnarly Branches

Revisiting a Great Shohin Display & More

This Shohin display is from Suthin Sukosolvisit’s Bonsai Gallery. Every National Bonsai Exhibition has featured at least one these by Suthin. This year I challenged myself to pick out Suthin’s display as I walked into the Shohin section of the Exhibition. It was easy. Taking nothing away from some other wonderful displays, still, Suthin’s caught my attention from across the room. Leaving for short vacation today and pressed for time so we’ll dip back into our archives. This one originally appeared just over a year ago, right after the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. Before any winners were announced. Though … Continue reading Revisiting a Great Shohin Display & More

An American Classic

Michael Levin’s ‘Hatanaka’ Prostrata juniper, 2014 June 2015. Even though the foliage hasn’t filled out yet, this shot clearly shows the structure (the bones) of the tree and seems like a good place to start. Here’s what Michael Levin, owner of Bonsai West and long time bonsai enthusiast, artist and entrepreneur wrote about this spectacular tree… “The Juniper as you know was originally styled by Mrs Hatanaka of Anaheim California and is a true american classic started from a cutting in the 1950’s, I purchased it in the mid 1980’s . I’ve tended it for 30 years and most recently … Continue reading An American Classic

Clipping and Growing

This massive Trident maple most likely started in a field somewhere and was allowed to grow quite tall (the fastest way to thicken the trunk) before it was cut back. This first cut was the beginning of clip and grow styling (see below). The owner/artist of this outstanding bonsai is German Gomez. Most large Trident maples (and some other deciduous trees) are started in the field and developed using the clip and grow technique. The result is usually a heavy trunked tree with gentle curves, often in a more or less S shape. You can see this basic shape in … Continue reading Clipping and Growing

Monsters

Halloween? The show was in October (last year). At first glance you might just see the tree and the cobwebs and miss the hands clutching (persenting?) the sculpted wooden pot. This photo and the one just below are from Robert Steven’s 2014 International Bonsai Art & Culture Biennale. Apropos of nothing… When I moved east from the left coast I was surprised to see what a big deal Halloween is out here. Almost like the Christmas, Hanukkah & other shortest-days-of-the-year-Holidays, only different with garden witches, ghosts and the rest. A full month or more before the actual day. Strange… … Continue reading Monsters

Satsuki & Other Bonsai, Doug Paul’s Doug Fir & Famous Bonsai Artist in Baggy Pants

Part of the large Satsuki (and maybe other Azaleas?) at the Kennett Collection. There’s no doubt this photo was taken in the spring (Satsuki means 5th month), but we just discovered it and the other shown here yesterday. We haven’t featured the Kennett Collection for a while now, though we did feature a Doug Paul tree that was at the Artisans Cup (see below). These photos (with the exception of the last one) are all from facebook. A different angle and a lot closer. More Satsuki. No label but no doubt it’s a root-over-rock Trident maple in fall … Continue reading Satsuki & Other Bonsai, Doug Paul’s Doug Fir & Famous Bonsai Artist in Baggy Pants

Brilliant Bonsai Color Combinations

You don’t see that many bright yellow pots. The glaze is expensive and hard to come by and the brilliance of the color can be overwhelming. But in this case the little tree holds its own. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a better choice of pots to set off the the richly hued Trident maple leaves. Yesterday one of the trees we featured was by Haruyosi, when reminded me how much I like his seemingly endless collection of Shohin bonsai. This post originally appeared November 2014. I think you could spend a lifetime browsing bonsai images and never find another bonsai … Continue reading Brilliant Bonsai Color Combinations

Savage Bonsai Beauty

One of the many excellent trees at the just completed 2015 Heathrow Bonsai Show. Heathrow is in the U.K (I just read somewhere that many Americans don’t know what the U.K. is. I’m not sure if I should be embarrassed or just resigned; though I’m pretty sure this doesn’t apply any of you). Photo by Ann White All the photos in this post are from the 2015 Heathrow Bonsai Show. Some are by Harry Harrington and some are by Ann White. Neither identify the varieties or the owners. This is par at bonsai shows and based on my experience at … Continue reading Savage Bonsai Beauty

A Perfectly Understated Example of Trunk & Nebari Development

In addition a one of the most perfectly developed crowns you’ll ever see, with its amazing profusion of tiny leaves; this Zelkova provides an excellent example of trunk and surface root (nebari) development. Neither are overstated; providing a welcome relief from overdeveloped trunk taper and nebari that you sometimes see (especially on maples*). But then, you might expect perfection from this tree, it’s from the Grand Master Saburo Kato’s collection (Mr Kato is the author of the famous book, Forest, Rock Planting & Ezo Spruce Bonsai). Off to the big city today (Burlington Vermont) and no time to put together … Continue reading A Perfectly Understated Example of Trunk & Nebari Development

Tireless Bonsai Warrior

There’s so much that could be said about this wildly expressive tree, but I’ll leave that to Robert Steven. Here’s what Robert wrote: “Premna microphylla (small leaves) grafted on Premna serratifolia stump to obtain better foliage proportion and ramification structure… Combining different line characters into one integrated design in bonsai is a big challenge to obtain good harmony….If there is anything “disturbing” you, mean I succeed to evoke you… LOL smile emoticon.” It has been a while since we featured Robert Steven’s bonsai. If you are new to bonsai, you may not know Robert. In addition to being one of … Continue reading Tireless Bonsai Warrior