Classic Flowering Bonsai of Japan

Japanese apricot (Latin-Prunus mume: Japanese-Ume). From Classic Bonsai of Japan (Nippon Bonsai Association). My apologies for cutting off the bottom of the pot; my scanner couldn’t quite fit the whole photo. Japan and flowering bonsai The Japanese have long revered flowering trees and flowering bonsai. So much so, that they often overlook what you might consider design flaws with flowering bonsai (though not the case with the photos shown here). The book: Classic Bonsai of Japan This grand old book remains the standard when it comes to Japanese bonsai before 1989. Though much has happened in the bonsai world since … Continue reading Classic Flowering Bonsai of Japan

The Praying Mantis

A while back I stumbled upon The Praying Mantis by Giacomo Pappalardo’s on facebook. Fortunately, he has a website, so you don’t have to befriend him to see what he’s up to. Wildly eccentric I think this yamadori (collected tree) is a pretty good example of the unique and wild end of the bonsai spectrum. A big part of the wonder of yamadori is they don’t necessarily conform to our more conventional notions of what a bonsai should look like. Yet no one would argue that the good ones aren’t really bonsai, no matter how eccentric. Somehow, when that blend … Continue reading The Praying Mantis

Revisiting a Powerful Mugo Pine & Contemplating Two Mysteries

The first mystery. Last time we featured this tree ( a few posts back) I found it on Carlos van der Vaart’s facebook photos (it’s also on his website’s gallery). This time it turned up on Mauro Stemberger’s website as a lead tree on ‘refinishing tips‘. So whose tree is it? Another mystery If you compare this latest iteration (above) with the earlier one (below), it’d easy to see how tree has been improved; the large hanging jin was pushed away from the trunk and twisted a little. The mystery here is; how was such a dramatic change accomplished with … Continue reading Revisiting a Powerful Mugo Pine & Contemplating Two Mysteries

There’s Something About Larches

Larches in training by Francois Jeker. Good stock helps Larches are easy to grow (especially if you live in the north), easy to train and they are naturally attractive trees. If you start with decent stock and you have some grasp of design and technique, you can end up with the kind of results you see above. Near limitless possibilities This is not to say each tree couldn’t have been styled differently as they certainly could have. Give the same potential bonsai to five different bonsai artists and you’ll end up with five different trees. Bonsai Aesthetics If you’d like … Continue reading There’s Something About Larches

The Evolution of a Honeysuckle

Morten Albek’s now famous shohin Boxleaf honeysuckle as it appeared in the 2010 Danish Bonsai Exhibition where it was part of Morten’s winning shohin display (see below). Morten is the author of Majesty in Miniature: Shohin Bonsai (Stone Lantern publishing) and creator of the Shohin-Bonsai Europe website. Here’s how it looked when it appeared on the cover of Bonsai Today issue 105 six years ago. Same pot, but if you compare this with it’s later incarnation above (disregarding that this photo’s is much sharper) you’ll see a tree is maturing in a very positive direction. Moten’s winning display. In case … Continue reading The Evolution of a Honeysuckle

Character, Strength & Boon’s Transplanting Tips

Though it has the raw look of yet to be refined tree, still, there’s a lot to like about this bonsai. Its massive nebari ads great strength, character and balance and the hollow in the trunk (sabamiki) provides a further touch of character and age that sets it apart from more ordinary bonsai. It belongs to Boon Manakitivipart, owner of Bonsai Boon (my mistake, see comments) and distinguished bonsai artist and teacher. Though Boon doesn’t say what it is, I’ll guess that it’s a California live oak of some sort (Quercus suber?). From a bonsai tip entitled WINTER CARE: REPOTTING, … Continue reading Character, Strength & Boon’s Transplanting Tips

Robert Steven & the Tao of Bonsai

Movement and stillness. Robert Steven’s skill, energy and enthusiasm have done much to move the art of bonsai forward. Even though there’s nowhere to go. These photos are from a facebook album that presents some samples of Robert Steven’s bonsai. A simple tree with its gnarled time-twisted trunk, leans into the darkness. Sentient trees in a ancient forest, a floating world. Robert Steven is a frequent contributor to Bonsai Bark. In addition to being an acclaimed bonsai artist and teacher, Robert is bonsai author, with two very notable books under his belt (Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation) … Continue reading Robert Steven & the Tao of Bonsai

Mugo Pines: A Well Kept Secret

This powerful, well groomed yet craggy Mugo pine jumps off the page. It would be exceptional even if it didn’t have that wild and strange piece of deadwood that doubles back on the trunk; a feature that makes this tree uniquely distinctive and even more wonderful than it would be anyway (though I might remove the straight stick at the end that goes behind the trunk). I might also take issue with the crown; it’s a touch too perfectly groomed and symmetrical for my taste, but still, this is an exceptional bonsai. Worthy of the finest collections anywhere. I found … Continue reading Mugo Pines: A Well Kept Secret

King Arthur’s Bonsai?

Juniper. From a series of photos entitled ‘King Arthur’ by Zino Rongo. A very sweet tree Though it’s unclear what the connection with the legendary King Arthur is, it is abundantly clear that this is a very sweet bonsai. It presents a strong feeling of balance and unity that isn’t always that easy to achieve, and the flowing lines of the shari are so well done that the wood appears naturally aged by time and the elements (it wasn’t). Even that slightly unsettling piece of deadwood that sticks up and points the opposite direction from the flow of the tree … Continue reading King Arthur’s Bonsai?

Plan Ahead for Our Next Big Contest

Simon Carr styled this little gem from scratch (see below) for an artofbonsai.org contest way back in 2005. It later appeared in Bonsai Today issue 103 in an article entitled ‘Instant Bonsai’ (I’d like to see what it looks like now). Bonsai from Scratch It’s time to get start thinking about your entry in our upcoming Bonsai from Scratch Contest. We’re going to make it worth your while with a $250 Stone Lantern gift certificate for the winner and other gifts for outstanding entries. Five easy steps to get you started 1. Find an untrained stock plant. Your choice of … Continue reading Plan Ahead for Our Next Big Contest