Azalea Tips #3: A Little Timely Trimming

Azalea flowers from the cover of Satsuki Azaleas for Bonsai & Azalea Entusiasts. Satsuki shears are used to shape azaleas after the spring bloom and before the new buds set in the late summer/early fall. Not only does this technique keep azaleas in shape, it can also increase next years flower crop (be careful though, sometimes too many flowers can stress a bonsai – see below). All three drawings in this post are from Bonsai Today issue 1. Thinning overly vigorous and dense growth. This helps open up the tree and forces energy into weaker zones. In this illustration the … Continue reading Azalea Tips #3: A Little Timely Trimming

We Have a Winner!

Ferry Freriks’ stout-trunked little Honeysuckle takes the grand prize in a down to the wire contest for a $100 gift certificate from Stone Lantern. Congrats Ferry! Oh so close Altogether 41 people (including me) submitted their choices. The total count for the first three finishers (see below for photos of the other two) were: Ferry’s Honeysuckle 84. John Romano’s Erodium 80. Brian and Jill’s (no last name) Serissa 80. Next time When I started this contest it didn’t occur that it would be so close. Next time I’ll divide the prize among the first three finishers. Meanwhile, John and Brian … Continue reading We Have a Winner!

Masters’ Bonsai Gallery: Let’s Rock!

This group of Needle junipers on a large rock by Norboru Kaneko won first prize at Sakufu-ten #12. It originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 24 (long out of print). It also appears in our Bonsai Today Masters’ Series Juniper book (still in print). Root-on-rock vs root-over-rock The bonsai shown in this post are all root-on-rock, which means that the roots are growing in soil that is in pockets in the rock. Root-over-rock is where the rock sits in soil in a pot and the roots are trained to grow down over the rock and into the soil. We’ll do … Continue reading Masters’ Bonsai Gallery: Let’s Rock!

You Be the Judge: Only Two More Days

Vote Now and Get a Free $5.00 Gift Certificate It’s so easy, but don’t wait, tomorrow (Sunday Feb 7) is your last day to vote. (For how to vote, check our post entitled You Be the Judge (& We’ll Grease Your Palm) from Feb 2nd. And BTW We’ve got a Site Wide Sale (10% to 40% off everything) over on Stone Lantern.

Eccentric Bonsai: Fearless Master Kimura Again

Though it’s not as powerful as many other Kimura trees (see below), nor is it considered one of his classics, still, I can’t say enough about this tree, so I won’t say much except I apologize that it is a little cramped on the left side and that it’s a Yew and it’s from The Bonsai Art of Kimura (out of print though occasionally the ‘let’s reprint’ thought flits around). There are eccentric bonsai and then… … there are eccentric bonsai. That is, some trees we feature are just eccentric. Others are masterpieces that are also eccentric (unusual in some … Continue reading Eccentric Bonsai: Fearless Master Kimura Again

You Be the Judge (& We’ll Grease Your Palm)

Judge our $100 Unique Bonsai Contest and receive a $5.00 gift certificate Become a bonsai judge and receive a $5.00 gift certificate to Stone Lantern. The basics The 11 bonsai below (placed roughly in the order we received them) have been entered in our $100 Unique Bonsai Contest. The winner will be determined when 25 judges have sent in their decisions, or by March 31st (whichever comes first). Anyone can judge (see below if you entered a bonsai in the contest), but only one time per person.

Excuse Me While I Wipe the Egg Off My Face

Here’s a little note that I just received from Bill Valavanis I was just looking at your new tool and am wondering something. A few years ago in Japan I got a new tool which looks exactly like yours, but it’s for air layering. It has two sets of parallel blades, I can’t tell if yours has one pair or two. So I was just wondering if yours is actually an air layering tool or bark removal tool. And here’s my somewhat red-in-the-face reply Hi Bill. I think you are on to something and now I feel a little slow … Continue reading Excuse Me While I Wipe the Egg Off My Face

$100 Contest: The Final Three

This Cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis), submitted by Ken T. (that’s all he wrote) has some promising potential. I like the gnarly knob on the right that makes the tree unique and tells a little story. Still, I can see a few things that might improve it. 1. I think soil line could be just a little higher so the base of the tree has a more anchored feel. Maybe if the soil was up to the bottom of the knob on the right and that little root was covered. Another way of saying this is just to lower the tree … Continue reading $100 Contest: The Final Three

$100 Contest: Eight Down, Two to Go

Contest entry number eight by Jonathan Pessin. There’s something going on with this little juniper, though I’m not sure where’s it’s headed. Cascade? In any case, it’s potential will have a hard time developing in such a small pot. Most of the best shohin are grown in larger pots (or even in the ground) and then reduced. As it is, unrefined potential is probably the best description. I do like the heavy little trunk and think that over time and with some work the deadwood might add character. Maybe it could go all the way down to the base of … Continue reading $100 Contest: Eight Down, Two to Go

Master Potter Nakano Plus One Monterey Cypress

On the road again This is our second post from the road. This time it’s The Central California Coast with it’s gnarly wind-shaped Monterey cypresses. We’ll have more on those later after Amy and I have time to sort through hundred of photos. Meanwhile, here’s a few of Gyozan Nakano’s pots that I prepared before we left, plus one old natural bunjin cypress to whet your appetite. This little taste is pretty representative of what you might expect on California’s Central Coast. It’s from neartica.com by Charles Webber, California Academy of Sciences.