There’s Bunjin and Then There’s…

Recognize this planting? It was posted day before yesterday, though now there has been some changes. Andy Rutledge did the digital pruning and repotting to enhance its bunjin-ness, though I’m not so sure he’d say it quite that way (here’s what he did say about it: Even with a very few, but vital adjustments (mostly reduction), the pines begin to take on the bunjin quality). Wabi Sabi Our previous post elicited one of our best discussions yet. Thanks in large part to Andy Rutledge‘s comments. Here’s a quote from Andy that goes to the heart of the matter: “Bunjin is … Continue reading There’s Bunjin and Then There’s…

Moving Out of the Bonsai Mainstream with a Deft and Delicate Touch

Would you call this a Bunjin style bonsai? Whatever you call it, you don’t see too many bonsai that look like this. Even most bunjin are not quite like this; most are conifers and most don’t have such a meandering array of multiple trunks, especially multiple crossing trunks. And then there’s the leaf size (is this a Sumac?). I’ve long had a soft spot for the type of bonsai shown here. The uncontrived elegance that shows no concern for our current interest in muscular trunks, wide nebaris, carved wood… even most bunjin bonsai don’t quite go where these trees seem … Continue reading Moving Out of the Bonsai Mainstream with a Deft and Delicate Touch

In Search of the Elusive Kingsville

This Dwarf Kingsville boxwood planting by Boon Manakitivipart was the winner of the Certre Award at the 2010 U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. However, this is not the photo that appears in the Exhibition Album. Rather, it’s a cropped version of a photo that appears on Boon’s website. There’s a story behind this tree, but you’ll need the 2010 Exhibition Album if you’d like to read it. The first two photos in this post are the best I could do after a web search for photos of Dwarf Kingsville boxwoods. The reason for this dearth is that true Dwarf Kingsvilles grow … Continue reading In Search of the Elusive Kingsville

Spring Versus Fall: A Grafting Lesson

A few stills captured from Capital Bonsai’s video on grafting that features Ryan Neil. Capital Bonsai (the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum‘s excellent blog) is at it again. This time it’s an outstanding video on grafting featuring Ryan Neil of International Bonsai Mirai. Fall versus spring grafting. Here’s what Ryan has to say about fall versus spring grafting (loosely paraphrased): Grafting in the fall is more successful than in the spring if you can provide winter protection from freezing. If you graft in spring you have to protect from sun and wind. In the fall you have to protect from … Continue reading Spring Versus Fall: A Grafting Lesson

Three Bonsai: Artists Unknown

On fire. If you look closely, you can see a little reddish hue in the trunk, pot and even the soil. Does this mean this fiery thread leaf Japanese maple was color enhanced? My guess is, yes, it was. Unnecessarily so. If it were slightly less blazing, this would still be a beautiful bonsai. In fact, even if the foliage were green, the age and movement in the nebari, trunk and the rest of the tree, would be enough to qualify this tree as beautiful. The pot is excellent too, though it’s difficult to tell if it’s round or oval. … Continue reading Three Bonsai: Artists Unknown

NEW Book: Keshiki Bonsai – Or Is It?

Not all Keshiki look so much like what we call bonsai. Photo from Keshiki Bonsai. Keshiki Bonsai, The Easy, Modern Way to Create Miniature Landscapes by Kenji Kobayashi Here’s some of what whoever wrote the copy on the inside cover has to say about Keshiki Bonsai: In this dazzling book, Kenji Kobayashi – the modern master who invented keshiki bonsai – presents projects that range from utterly simple domes of emerald – green moss to subtle combinations of small trees, perennials, and stones. The materials are basic and easy to find, and each project can be interpreted to suit your … Continue reading NEW Book: Keshiki Bonsai – Or Is It?

Revisting An Irreverant Bonsai Monk

A piece of the cover of Post-Dated: The Schooling of an Irreverent Bonsai Monk by Michael Hagedorn. Over four years later and still the best bonsai read What follows is a review of Post-Dated: The Schooling of an Irreverent Bonsai Monk that I wrote for Bonsai Bark in February 2009 (we still offer Post-Dated and a whole range of other excellent bonsai books at Stone Lantern). I first read Post-Dated at 30,000 feet; Boston to SFO. By coincidence, the man sitting next to me was reading Thoreau’s Walden, a book usually confined to students and scholars. He was well past … Continue reading Revisting An Irreverant Bonsai Monk

Luminous Fruit

Is this a persimmon with exotically shaped fruit? Aside from the luminous fruit, beautiful antique looking little pot and distinctively twisted trunk, it’s also hard not to notice the spots on the leaves. No matter, I still love it. Katsumi Komiya. I found these images by Katsumi Komiya on facebook. I’m traveling right now, so I can’t verify this, but I believe Mr. Komiya appears in an old Bonsai Today issue. I’ll check out my back issues when I get home and let you know. If you’ve ever tried to grow fruiting bonsai, you know that getting such perfectly healthy, … Continue reading Luminous Fruit

Getting It Right This Time

Is it just me, or does this spectacular tree feel like it’s just barely clinging to the pot? My eye keeps returning the highest point on the right where the trunk and soil meet and questioning whether it will hold. I guess that tension is one of the many things that distinguishes this remarkable bonsai. Getting things right the first time is better, but… Two days ago I posted some trees I found at Bonsai Center Sopelana and titled the post ‘Bonsai from the Basque Country.’ Had I paid more attention I would have noticed that the trees are from … Continue reading Getting It Right This Time

Bonsai from the Basque Country

Rather than focus on the more obvious features on this magnificent two headed pine, it might be interesting to take a look at the low foliage that reaches down and touches in front of the base of the trunk. Though you might be tempted to remove it and show better show the base of the trunk and the line to the right, still, I think it serves to help bring the eye back to the tree’s balance point, rather than jumping back and forth between the two very strong competing halves of the tree. Another way of approaching this is, … Continue reading Bonsai from the Basque Country