Flowering Cherry Bonsai – Few and Far Between

This is perhaps the strongest Flowering cherry we’ve featured in our ten years of posting. Its muscular trunk, aged bark and profusion of lovely flowers make for an impressive showing Good Flowering cherry bonsai seem to be few and far between. In our ten years of posting (about 3.500 posts), we’ve only featured three flowering cherries and I’m not sure about one (here’s one, here’s another and here’s the one I’m not sure about). We found this one on Michael Bonsai fb timeline, a steady source for quality bonsai photos NEW 25% OFF TURNTABLE DISCOUNTS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GREEN T … Continue reading Flowering Cherry Bonsai – Few and Far Between

Mixed Forest Bonsai (& Others) by One of the Original Grand Masters

This magnificent mixed forest is by Saburo Kato, who was one of the original old masters of Japanese bonsai. You can find it and other remarkable trees in his timeless classic Forest, Rock Planting & Ezo Spruce Bonsai. You can also find some of the moist comprehensive how-to bonsai instructions anywhere Continuing with our forest theme, today it’s four now famous forest plantings by one of Bonsai’s Grand Masters, Saburo Kato TWO TIMELY SPECIALS 20% OFF ALL BONSAI WIRE 25% TO 30% OFF ROSHI BONSAI TOOLS – This remarkable slab planting shows how much drama and power one strong tree … Continue reading Mixed Forest Bonsai (& Others) by One of the Original Grand Masters

The Magician’s Ezo Spruce Bonsai Forest

Before and after,three years later. Masahiko Kimura ‘The Magician’ styled this Ezo spruce (Picea Glehnii) planting with a high mountain stand of conifers in mind Continuing with bonsai forests from the last two days… Looking at the after forest above, you might notice how the trees on the outside lean out in search of sunlight, which is what you would expect in a natural stand of trees (more on this below) You may also notice how Kimura enhanced the feeling of age by removing or jinning about half of the limbs (this is most evident in the intermediate to after photos … Continue reading The Magician’s Ezo Spruce Bonsai Forest

Elements of a Bonsai Forest

I stumbled across this European hornbeam (Carpinus betulas) by Walter Pall on his Bonsai Adventures blog. The shot looks like spring with some trees lagging behind others Following up on yesterday’s forest post, here’s one that originally appeared here in 2014. I think it’s one of our best on forests and worth another look Focal point. Without the dominant tree this forest planting by Walter Pall would be a lot less interesting. With the dominant tree contrasted with rest of the trees, the planting has a focal point. With that focal point to organize around, balance, scale, a feeling of age … Continue reading Elements of a Bonsai Forest

Powerful & Realistic Bonsai Forest

Impressive! I don’t know what the trees are, though they look like conifers, maybe even pines. It would be nice to have a closer look, but beggars can’t be choosey When I first saw caught site of this planting on Quoc Viet Tran‘s timeline, I was immediately struck by how powerful and realistic it is. I wish I could tell you more about it, but no information is provided. I guess we’ll have to settle for simple appreciation of the artist’s mastery Continued below… NEW 20% OFF ALL BONSAI WIRE Discounts are applied at checkout Left side, closer up. I … Continue reading Powerful & Realistic Bonsai Forest

Green T & Bonsai Wire Specials Ends Tonight

The famous Masahiko Kimura with his demo planting sitting on a Green T Plus at the World Bonsai Convention. 20% OFF GREEN T TURNTABLES ENDS TONIGHT STONE LANTERN SPECIALS 20% OFF TURNTABLES 25% OFF OKATSUNE TOOLS 100 GRAM AESTHETICS WIRE SPECIAL 40% OFF 10 – 24 ROLLS 50% OFF 25 OR MORE Green T & Wire Specials end Tues, Feb 5th at 11:59pm EST DISCOUNTS ARE APPLIED AT CHECKOUT STONELANTERN.COM That’s famous bonsai artist, Kunio Kobayashi on the right, getting ready to tackle his monster demo tree at last year’s World Bonsai Convention. And yes, that’s a Green T not even straining … Continue reading Green T & Bonsai Wire Specials Ends Tonight

Two More Bonsai & Two Special Events at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

This dynamic and wild looking Shimpaku juniper, aka Sargent’s juniper (Juniperus chinensis var. Sargentii), with its barely visible living vein (or veins?), was donated to the U.S. National Bonsai & Penjing Museum (Japanese Collection) by Kenichi Oguchi in 1976. It has been in training since 1905. The Museum’s logo (below) was inspired by this tree Today we’ve got two special events from the U.S. National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, sandwiched between a couple Junipers from the Museum’s Japanese Collection. Stay posted for more events and more magnificent trees from the Museum’s new website PHOTOGRAPHING BONSAI WITH STEPHEN VOSS Feb 9, … Continue reading Two More Bonsai & Two Special Events at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

What Do FREE Bonsai Fertilizer & Football Have in Common?

This might pass as artistic, but it’s really just a miserably failed photoshop effort. The bonsai drawing is by Rueben Roig I was going to do a post on the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum’s powerful new website, but WordPress decided to upgrade last night, and now I need to relearn how to put up a new post. Meanwhile, we’re digging deep into our archives for this one (Feb 2015). I know you’re probably sick of hearing about football by now, but there’s always our FREE Green Dream Fertilizer Special to peak your interest (details below) FREE green dream Bonsai FERTILIZER Superbowl … Continue reading What Do FREE Bonsai Fertilizer & Football Have in Common?

Bonsai & Beyond (Maybe We Could All Use a Little Crazy)

Just a little unconventional? Here’s what Michael Hagedorn wrote about this planting… “One of our experiments years ago in a Seasonal class: A collected Vine Maple on an internal armature of nylon boards, wrapped with sphagnum moss and planted with Licorice Ferns…sounds like a dish on a menu…” Michael Hagedorn is an American bonsai artist, teacher, author and one of the great innovators in our world bonsai community. If Michael is, in his own words “a tad touched in the head,” then maybe we could all use a little crazy All the photos and quotes in this post are from Michael’s fb timeline 30% off Bonsai Book … Continue reading Bonsai & Beyond (Maybe We Could All Use a Little Crazy)

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Here’s what Michael Hagedorn wrote about this tree… “Another tree from my apprenticeship days, prep work for the Kokufu show. Always liked this tree. Although arguably junipers are best with more dynamic and energy, the quiet presence of this one had a charm of its own. All I did was clarify some of the padding and make minor adjustments throughout.” I cropped Michael’s original photo (see below) for an up close look at the the trunk with its beautifully contrasting shari and living veins “A trip down memory lane…” Lately Michael Hagedorn has been putting up trees from his Japan apprentice … Continue reading A Trip Down Memory Lane