Larches ARE Coming to Rochester! Change of Plans

Retraction! Our larches will at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition this coming weekend (see below). And we will offer a whole range of other goods for your bonsai, including our brand New Tie Pots (we haven’t had a new product that we’ve been this excited about since we introduced our now famous Roshi tools six years ago). You can see them (and purchase them) in real time and space at the Exhibition, or on our website Bill Valavanis just called and told me not to worry and that we should bring our larches. In his words, give them good strong spray and … Continue reading Larches ARE Coming to Rochester! Change of Plans

Change of Plans – Larches ARE Coming to the 6th National Bonsai Exhibit

Retraction! Our larches will at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition this coming weekend (see below). And we will offer a whole range of other goods for your bonsai, including our brand New Tie Pots (we haven’t had a new product that we’ve been this excited about since we introduced our now famous Roshi tools six years ago). You can see them (and purchase them) in real time and space at the Exhibition, or on our website   Bill Valavanis just called and told me not to worry and that we should bring our larches. In his words, give them good strong spray … Continue reading Change of Plans – Larches ARE Coming to the 6th National Bonsai Exhibit

American Bonsai – The Kennett Collection

Fantastic tree! It belongs to Doug Paul (Mr. Kennett Collection). This photo is from the famous Kokufu Exhibition in Tokyo. It’s a great honor to have a tree accepted to Kokufu; only a handful of North Americans have had that honor Continuing with our lead up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, today we’ve got a few photos from Doug Paul’s Kennett Collection, no doubt one of the foremost bonsai collections in North America. The collection – with the exception of any trees Doug keeps in Japan -resides in Kennett Square PA. Our Warehouse will be open this week, but Ric will … Continue reading American Bonsai – The Kennett Collection

The Bonsai Wagon Is On Its Way!

One of several bonsai recently posted by Bonsai Mirai. No varieties were given for any of the trees shown here (on social media*), but we do know that they belong to Ryan Neil. If you’d like to know more about these trees and you have time, you can sort through the Mirai website. Even if you don’t find all the ones shown here, you’ll see many of the very best American yamadori (collected from the wild) trees. *Bonsai Mirai’s fb timeline Continuing with our lead up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition…. If this post looks familiar, it’s  because we originally posted it six weeks ago. … Continue reading The Bonsai Wagon Is On Its Way!

American Bonsai Hero & the 6th U.S. National

This bonsai could be yours! Bill Valavanis with an Alberta spruce that will be auctioned (just the tree) at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Continuing with our lead up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition….  We almost never lead a post with photo of a person, yet this is the 2nd time for Bill’s visage at the top of a post (the first was when he was inducted into the Bonsai Hall of Fame). If anyone deserves it, it’s Bill, our Bonsai star for this moment and similar moments (there are other bonsai heros to be sure, including all the good people who work tirelessly with Bill … Continue reading American Bonsai Hero & the 6th U.S. National

Eisei-en & Bjorn’s Big Bonsai Weekend

I found this Shimpaku rock planting in a vast array of Bjorn Bjorholm’s online photos. I couldn’t find any text with the photo, so it’s hard to tell if it’s a root-over-rock (if it is, the root must be on the other side) or a on root-on-rock. No matter, it’s great tree Continuing with our North American bonsai series in our lead up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition…  Though our goal is encourage you to visit the 6th U.S.,  we’d be remiss if we passed on Bjorn Bjorholm’s Eisei-en grand opening Here’s a quote from Bjorn about his new nursery and the … Continue reading Eisei-en & Bjorn’s Big Bonsai Weekend

Valentin’s Bonsai Behemoth

  This is what can happen to an old bonsai behemoth in the hands of the right artist. In this case the hands belong to Valentín Cruz. The tree is a yamadori (collected from the wild) Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) Continuing with North American bonsai in our lead up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition… It wasn’t long ago I stumbled upon the bonsai of Valentín Cruz, a remarkably skilled young bonsai artist who lives and practices his art in Northern California. Valentín is a student of Jim Gremel, a highly respected bonsai artist and ceramicist, and the proprietor of Deer Meadow Bonsai … Continue reading Valentin’s Bonsai Behemoth

Bonsai Boon and His Twenty Super Students

Boon Manakitivipart’s Itoigawa Sargent Juniper that won the Finest Medium Size Bonsai award at the 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. From a September, 2016 Bark post Continuing with North American bonsai in our lead up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition… The more I look at the tree above, the more I like it. But rather than go into specifics, I’ll just relate a quick story…. While I was admiring the tree at the 5th U.S. National, Boon walked by. I said something like ‘great tree, but only one?’  His reply was… “Yes, but twenty of my students have trees here.” … Continue reading Bonsai Boon and His Twenty Super Students

NEW Bonsai T-Shirts & the 6th U.S. National

Our neighbor Sophie modeling our Brand NEW all cotton Stone Lantern T-shirt. And no, Sophie is not a professional model. Just a friend (and local police officer). You can order your T-shirt online for 20.00 plus a very modest shipping charge or save the shipping charge and pick one up at the upcoming 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Continuing with our lead up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition (Rochester, NY, September 8th & 9th – it’s not too late to make your plans)… This time it’s our new T-Shirt that will accompany us to the show along with a wide range of bonsai … Continue reading NEW Bonsai T-Shirts & the 6th U.S. National

A Juniper Orchid Bonsai – Michael’s Ingenious Before & After

Michael Hagedorn’s ingenious Juniper orchid. Here’s part of what Michael wrote about this unlikely creation… “Some of you might remember a quirky Shore Pine that we put on a post in 2017, calling it the first Pine Orchid in the yard. Yesterday this juniper was styled, and it hangs on the neighboring post that supports the shade cloth structure (thank you Bobby Curttright). The juniper is a bit of a Frankenstein” Continuing with American bonsai leading up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition (Rochester, NY, September 8th & 9th – it’s not too late to make your plans)… today it’s … Continue reading A Juniper Orchid Bonsai – Michael’s Ingenious Before & After