Cuttings

Bonsai Mystery Solved

If your short term memory is still functioning, then you might remember this tree from yesterday. Or from March, 2014, when we first featured it. If you forgot it from four years ago, join the club. Here’s part of the caption from that 2014 post… “Carob Tree (Ceratonia silicua) by Salvador de Los Reyes from Spain. Owner, Manolo Vargas. Height: 90 cm. Added by Gustavo Celayes The mystery of yesterday’s unidentified tree was solved while I was looking for some more bonsai by Salvador de Los Reyes (yesterday’s artist). There it was, a Carob tree in a post from four years ago. Right here on … Continue reading Bonsai Mystery Solved

Four Before & After Bonsai

Before & after (antes y depues) Shimpaku juniper by Salvador de los Reyes. Four for the price of one. Still sorting our from vacation (no vacation goes unpunished) so it’s back to our archives (July, 2012). All four transformations are by Salvador de los Reyes. Two Big Specials End Sunday Night Koyo Tools 25% off list Bonsai Pot & Soil Special – A mystery tree before & afte. Salvador identifies most of his trees, but not this one (that I could find at least).   Sabina juniper   A bonsai rarity. Tamarix before & after. You see don’t many Tamarix bonsai and … Continue reading Four Before & After Bonsai

An Exceptional Bonsai – Before & After

Here’s an excellent example of a before and after with an already established tree. It just needed a talented bonsai artist and some free time to bring it back to its previous splendor. In this case the artist is Gabriel Romero Aguade. The tree is an impressively masterful Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis). Not that you don’t have eyes of your own, but I feel that some extra excitement is warranted with a tree like this. It resides at the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid. Here are Gabriel Romero Aguade’s comment (Spanish then English)… “Antes y después del Juniperus chinensis trabajado en el Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid. Si quieres … Continue reading An Exceptional Bonsai – Before & After

Back Savers – Suthin’s Shohin

Bonsai in hand. This little masterpice by Suthin Sukosolvisit looks like a Chinzan Azalea. But that’s just a guess. Suthin doesn’t say. Still recovering from vacation and a serious computer meltdown (fixed now by there’s chaos in its wake), so it’s back to our archives. This one originally appeared in August, 2009 (Bonsai Bark’s Pleistocene). Note: non of the links are still active, so this will be a linkless post. A first for us I’ve long been a fan of Suthin Sukosolvisit’s. Not just because of his shohin, but because he shows mastery across a range of bonsai sizes and styles. Still, shohin … Continue reading Back Savers – Suthin’s Shohin

When the Sun Gets Too Hot

Award winner at the 2012 U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition for the Finest Deciduous Bonsai. It’s a Japanese Maple by Suthin Sukolosovisit of Royal Bonsai. It has little to do with the topic of this post (except that Japanese maple leaves are prone to sunburn), but you might like to know that the 2012 U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition is out of print and the last two albums (2014 and 2016) are still available. Got home from vacation at 11:00pm last night after a six hour flight and an almost four hour drive back to Vermont, and now it’s catch up time, so  no new post today. However, because we … Continue reading When the Sun Gets Too Hot

Clip & Grow Bonsai – No Wire Necessary

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 many 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 Clip & Grow Bonsai – No Wire Necessary

Bonsai Art & the Art of Bonsai

The day has barely started and I’m already running out of superlatives. I guess spectacular will do in this case. It’s a Korean hornbeam (Carpinus turczaninowii) that belongs to Ian Stewartson. The photo is from Bonsai Art’s website. Delving into our archives, while sticking with our German theme (see yesterday). This one originally appeared March 2013. Bonsai Art magazine is very well named. As bonsai magazines go, it’s as beautiful and professional as they come. The problem, for most of us at least, is that it’s in German. But really, the photos and overall presentation are so good that maybe the … Continue reading Bonsai Art & the Art of Bonsai

A Bonsai First

I took the liberty of cropping this photo to better appreciate its strikingly powerful and expressive trunk. The tree is a Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) that belongs to Heinrich Hacker. The original photo is below. Today’s photos are all from Bonsai-Club Deutschland. If memory serves (a 50-50 proposition at best) it’s a first for us. Anyway, I’m very impressed and imagine that you too will be impressed NEW SPECIAL 25% off list prices on Koyo Bonsai Tools see below – The whole tree in all its splendor. In addition to its aforementioned trunk you might notice how dense the canopy is. BTW, its size is … Continue reading A Bonsai First

Michael Hagedorn’s Review of Bonsai Empire’s Advanced Course

Bjorn Bjorholm, course instructor and highly respected bonsai artist and teacher, busy doing something he enjoys The following was posted by Michael Hagedorn of Crataegus Bonsai.  We were going to do our own review here on Bark, but a major computer melt down followed by a long planned family vacation, has consumed almost all of our time. But not to worry, Michael Hagedorn knows more and writes better than almost everybody in our trade anyway, so you’re in good hands. – In Michael’s own words… “Once more we have an educational video from Bonsai Empire, using the talents of Bjorn Bjorholm. This is the longest of the three courses … Continue reading Michael Hagedorn’s Review of Bonsai Empire’s Advanced Course

Satsuki Flowers, Maple Leaves, a Tiny Lizard & Other Bonsai Wonders

It’s that time of year. Here’s David Benavente’s caption… Rhododendron indicum “Shin Nikko” hoy, en plena floración (today in full bloom). 45x55cm (18″ x 21.5″) It’s been a while since we’ve featured David Benavente and his Estudio de Bonsái. It’s in Galapagar, Spain. Just outside of Madrid. The photos are from David’s timeline BONSAI TOOL SPECIAL ENDS TONIGHT see below – It’s not only about the flowers. Close up of the lower trunk and nebari European olive (Olea europaea).  No caption with this one, but it speaks for itself Closeup   Lizard on a European olive. Is this the same tree? … Continue reading Satsuki Flowers, Maple Leaves, a Tiny Lizard & Other Bonsai Wonders