Cuttings

Be There! This Weekend’s Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo Is Waiting for You

This pitch perfect ‘natural touch’ naked slab forest and the other photos seen here are part of a package designed to whet your appetite for this weekend’s Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo in Kannapolis, North Carolina. If you are anywhere near North Carolina this weekend, one of North America’s premeir bonsai shows, the Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo, is waiting for you. Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo While we’re at, here’s another great bonsai event… SITE WIDE SALE 20% – 25% off EVERYTHING* plus FREE Shipping on U. S. orders 50.00 or more      

Colorful Bonsai to Brighten these Sun-Short Days

This Satsuki azalea photo was taken to emphasis the flowers, rather than the tree. If you were to take a photo of this tree when it’s not in flower, you’d take it a from a point a little lower to better show the powerful trunk and nebari. Here’s a little bonsai color to brighten up these sun-short days. Including four shots from our New 2017 Japanese Calendars… …NEW 2017 Bonsai & Japanese Garden Calendars Now double discounted at Stone Lantern with our 20% to 25% Site Wide Sale This lovely Satsuki Azalea is from our New 2017 Bonsai Calendar   … Continue reading Colorful Bonsai to Brighten these Sun-Short Days

Bonsai Monarch

Full cascade Japanese black pine (Pinus thumbergii). Japanese for Black pine is Kuromatsu (kuro is black and matsu is pine). Busy trying to keep up with the much-stronger-than-anticipated results of our 20% off Site Wide Sale, so once again we’ll call up a favorite from our archives.  Japanese black pines are sometimes referred to a the king of bonsai. This may be in part due to their natural strength; they tend to have powerful trunks and thick lush foliage. Rugged bark doesn’t hurt either. King or not, the best of the black pines are undeniably among the most powerful bonsai … Continue reading Bonsai Monarch

Itty-Bitty Bonsai

This tiny Shimpaku juniper belongs to Yoshiyuki Kawada. We’ve long loved (and featured) Haruyosi’s tiny trees and pots. Yesterday I stumbled upon another Japanese mame* bonsai artist who also makes their own pots. His name is Yoshiyuki Kawada, and though I’m just becoming familiar with his trees and pots, so far I’m impressed. *Mame means bean and is sometimes used for tiny bonsai Continued below… Our Site Wide Sale is still rolling along 20% off orders 1.00 to 99.99* 25% off orders 100.00+* FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00+   This tiny Shimpaku has a very powerful feel for such … Continue reading Itty-Bitty Bonsai

Eccentric or Just Twisted?

Doing the Twist. This tree belongs to Mauro Stemberger (Italian Bonsai Dream). Mauro has one of the most dramatic bonsai collections in the West, and though this one certainly qualifies, is there a line between dramatic and eccentric? Two of the trees in this post are naturally twisted and the other two were twisted by the hands of man. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble telling which is which. Site Wide Sale 20% to 25% off Everything* Including our large selection of Roshi & other Bonsai tools   Even though there’s something unnatural about many of the twisted by-the-hands-of-man … Continue reading Eccentric or Just Twisted?

Great Trees, Great Shots

Sweet Yamadori Shimpaku. Originally from Japan (see text just below). The uncropped original is below. I just discovered a site that features near perfect photos of exceptional Bonsai. In this line of work, that’s a welcome combination. Their name is Bonsai Baison and their tag line is, “We Are the Best Quality Bonsai Importer from Japan” You can visit them on facebook and on their website. Our 2017 BONSAI CALENDARS ARE HERE! and it’s a great time to get yours with our… …20% to 25% off SITE WIDE SALE     Another sweet Shimpaku. Like the photo above, I cropped … Continue reading Great Trees, Great Shots

Bonsai Dreaming (on Such a Winter’s Day)

I’m guessing that this is a Mugo pine that was originally collected in the mountains of central Europe (the Alps?). It belongs to Mauro Stemberger, a long time favorite here on Bark. Gearing up for the big push (the whole year condenses to next three or four weeks), so we won’t spend too much time here. Just enough to brighten up your day (on this cold grey and snowy winter’s day) with three of our favorite Mauro Stemberger bonsai from his Italian Bonsai Dream website . And to remind you about Stone Lantern and our Site Wide Sale. Continued below… We … Continue reading Bonsai Dreaming (on Such a Winter’s Day)

Giving Thanks for Great Bonsai & Much More

This tree won First prize for the Finest Bonsai at the 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. It’s a Mountain Hemlock,(Tsuga mertensiana) that belongs to Eric Schikowski. Photo courtesy of Bill Valavanis. It’s Thanksgiving today (U.S. American Thanksgiving that is, our friends just north of here celebrated theirs last month). I should be getting dressed and out the door, but before I go we’ll take a quick dip back into our archives. This one is from September. It was the first of many posts that were inspired by our 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. Seems appropriate to the occasion. Just home … Continue reading Giving Thanks for Great Bonsai & Much More

When Was the Last Time You Saw a Trunk with so much Power and Character?

This has to be one of the most compelling bonsai I’ve seen in a while. It has that wild, not overly refined look and ‘just so’ deadwood (it’s not dominated by deadwood like so many trees). But the real deal is the trunk. When was the last time you saw a trunk with so much power and character? Hopelessly behind schedule with Thanksgiving and other family and friend obligations looming, not to mention my other job (Stone Lantern) and its daily demands… So to save precious time, we’re going to rerun a post on one of my all time favorite … Continue reading When Was the Last Time You Saw a Trunk with so much Power and Character?

Brilliant Spring Color on a Snowy Winter Morning

Good snowy morning to you. Thought I’d remind you that spring is just around the corner (ha!) by showing you three Satsuki azaleas from our New 2017 Bonsai Calendar. There’s a lot more where these came from. Twenty six specimen quality Japanese bonsai to be exact. SITE WIDE SALE Everything at Stone Lantern now 20% to 25% off* Including our 2017 Calendars time to get a jump on December madness     20% to 25% off Site Wide Sale Bonsai Books make great gifts for any bonsai lover (including yourself) and now all books and everything* else are 20% to … Continue reading Brilliant Spring Color on a Snowy Winter Morning