Back on His Feet – Isao Omachi Four Years Later

2015. Not only is Isao Omachi back on his feet, but it seems like he hasn’t missed a beat. This magnificent Shimpaku juniper is a pretty good example of what he’s been up to since the Tsunami (I don’t know who made the scroll, but it’s not so shabby either). I cropped the photo for a closer look at the tree and scroll. You can see the whole display below. It has been four years since the devastating Japanese Tsunami. Those of you who were following Bark, Bill Valavanis, Marco Invernizzi or others in our world bonsai community, remember Isao … Continue reading Back on His Feet – Isao Omachi Four Years Later

Laziness & Irresponsibility (or Even Willful Deception)

We’ve shown this brilliant bonsai before, but a planting this perfect deserves another shot. The photo is attributed, but to the photographer (Jonathan Singer) rather than the bonsai artist. We can use it anyway, because it’s easy to recognize as a rather famous root-on-rock planting that belongs to Masahiko Kimura (aka The Magician), a man who revolutionized the world of bonsai. The trees are Shimpaku junipers (with a what looks like a small azalea near the bottom). The photo originally appeared in Fine Bonsai, Art and Nature. If you spend anytime looking at bonsai on places like facebook or pinterest, … Continue reading Laziness & Irresponsibility (or Even Willful Deception)

A Sneak Preview of the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Album

We just got our advance copy of the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album. Like the last three, it’s better than the one that came before. This speaks volumes (unintended) for North American Bonsai. It also speaks loud and clear of the tireless effort that Bill Valavanis and friends put into the Exhibitions and the albums. Stay posted for the arrival of the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album. Meanwhile here’s a quick sneak preview of the cover and a couple shots from inside the album. This Itoigawa shimpaku juniper won the finest medium size bonsai award. It belongs … Continue reading A Sneak Preview of the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Album

Win Our $50 Japanese Red Pine Bonsai Contest & Wire All the Way Out to the Tips

A mystery tree and a little contest (below). This is the second time for this Japanese red pine, even though we still don’t know who the artist is. The photo turned up on Michael Bonsai back in 2012. I’m guessing it lives in Japan, but I’ve searched Japanese red pine bonsai high and low and can’t find it. The contest: the first person to email me valid information on this tree that is not from Bonsai Bark or Michael Bonsai with a link as proof, will win a 25.00 gift certificate to Stone Lantern. If you include the name of … Continue reading Win Our $50 Japanese Red Pine Bonsai Contest & Wire All the Way Out to the Tips

Michael’s Spring Watering Tips

This old collected Rocky Mountain juniper is from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai portfolio. What follows has been lifted word for word, photo for photo from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. We usually just borrow bits and pieces, so reprinting an entire borrowed post might be a first. If you don’t know Crataegus Bonsai (or even if you do), I strongly encourage you to visit and spend some time there. Michael’s depth and breath of bonsai wisdom and his ability to communicate what he knows (with a light touch and sense of humor) will enhance your bonsai experience. I guarantee it. Spring … Continue reading Michael’s Spring Watering Tips

It’s About the Flowers (& More than Just the Flowers)

Haruyosi is at it again. This time it’s a flowering Crab apple (Malus prunifolia) with a perfect little yellow pot. All the images in this post were borrowed from Haruyosi’s facebook photos. We can’t go too long without coming back to Haruyosi’s exquisite little trees. Once again it’s the delicate flowers that caught the eye. Crab apple and quince this time. Two of the very best when it comes to flowering trees and shrubs. However, when we’re talking about accomplished bonsai artists, it’s always about more than just the flowers. There’s the simple beauty of the little trees themselves (with … Continue reading It’s About the Flowers (& More than Just the Flowers)

Staying on Message: A Few More Tips on Defoliation

Here’s Juan Adrade’s English caption for this photo. “Partial defolation on one of the grandfather trees. Close to 100 yrs old.” Here’s his Spanish caption: “Defoliación de las ramas exteriores en uno de los tridentes del abuelo de mi maestro. Este arbol posiblemente se acerca a los 100 años.” Here’s our translation of the Spanish: “Defoliation of the exterior branches of one of my teacher’s Trident maples. This tree is probably about 100 years old.” You might notice the part about exterior branches in the Spanish. This would indicate that Juan is trying to redirect energy away from the outer … Continue reading Staying on Message: A Few More Tips on Defoliation

Defoliation & Energy Balancing for Strong Bonsai

This photo is the inspiration for starting a new series on defoliation. It’s a Ficus and as you can see it’s half defoliated. If you live in the tropics you can defoliate a tree like this any time of year. If you want to defoliate a Ficus or other tropical bonsai here in the north country, you need to wait until it’s pretty warm (let’s say until night temps are over 50F, 10C). If you defoliate too soon, cold nights could hamper recovery. Conversely you don’t want to wait too long into the summer as you want full recovery before … Continue reading Defoliation & Energy Balancing for Strong Bonsai

NEW Bonsai Book: Literati Style Penjing

Penjing Master Zhao Qingquan’s long awaited Literati Style Penjing, Chinese Bonsai Masterworks has arrived and is available at Stone Lantern. At a glance, we’ll give it five stars. Upon further examination, we’ll still give it five stars. I haven’t been this excited about a new bonsai book for a long time. The problem is, we have been writing copy for so long that we’ve exhausted all the superlatives; sometimes on books that don’t begin to measure up to this one. So, instead of saying much more, we’ll just borrow from the publisher: “Overview … the Japanese art of creating miniature … Continue reading NEW Bonsai Book: Literati Style Penjing

One Larch, Four Bonsai Pots (plus one)

One American larch, four pots (plus the original pot below). All this images in this post were borrowed from Boon Manakitivipart’s facebook feed (the image above is a composite that we put together). Boon is at it again. This time it’s our prized local larch (Larix laricina). Around here we call it Tamarack (the Algonquian name that means “wood used for snowshoes”). No matter what you call it, it is in my opinion, by far the best local wild species for bonsai. Bar none. Which pot do you prefer? If you are ambitious, you might tell us why. (NOTE: So … Continue reading One Larch, Four Bonsai Pots (plus one)