Freshly Trimmed Tiny Trees

At a glance, this is a sweet little freshly trimmed Shimpaku bonsai. But if you let your glance linger, you might see just how much age and character this tiny tree expresses. There’s that relatively massive little trunk and its rugged twists and scars. There’s also the impressive branch development for such a small tree. Altogether a masterful little bonsai. The photo and tree belong to Haruyosi, as do the other photos shown here. We’ve been featuring small bonsai lately and yesterday it was a few of Haruyosi’s particularly charming small bonsai. So, for the sake of continuity we’ll just … Continue reading Freshly Trimmed Tiny Trees

Tiny Trees, Brilliant Flowers & Wild Horses

This sweet little quince with its brilliant flowers belongs to Haruyosi. It’s a safe bet that he also made the pot. It has been several years since I first stumbled upon Haruyosi. Every since that fortunate day, we periodically return to him and his delightful tiny trees and pots. In this case, it’s a rerun (we last showed these photos a little over a year ago), but it’s a good one, so I don’t think you’ll mind. I happen to believe that quince flowers are as brilliant and pure as any flowers anywhere. So we’ll stick with quince this time … Continue reading Tiny Trees, Brilliant Flowers & Wild Horses

Hand Held Bonsai

No variety is given with any of the photos featured here and we won’t bother to guess. What we do know is that they all show bonsai held in one hand that were posted by Javi Campos Juan. I’ve always liked photos of hand held bonsai. Party because the hand immediately provides a way to determine the size of a tree. Or at least a very close approximation. And then there’s the personal touch. An introduction of the hand of the artist (presumably) into the picture, without the more intrusive photos of the artist posing with the bonsai. In addition … Continue reading Hand Held Bonsai

Bold Bonsai & Added Attraction

I don’t mean to rush the fall season, but couldn’t resist this brilliant photo. The tree, a prize-winning Shishigashira Japanese maple is from a Peter Tea post on the 32nd Annual Taikan-ten bonsai exhibition in Kyoto. This photos shown here are lifted from a December 2012 Bark post titled An Embarrassment of Riches. In addition to the photos the post featured an added attraction; a list of some favorite bonsai blogs (below our ad at the bottom of the post). Here’s what Matt Reel has to say about this tree: “This Japanese Red Pine has such a broad apex it … Continue reading Bold Bonsai & Added Attraction

Before & After – Cutting a Juniper Down to Size

The old Needle juniper, with its distinctively strange shari, belongs to Michael Hagedorn (Crataegus Bonsai). Here’s some of what Michael Hagedorn wrote about this juniper in a post titled Needle Juniper Restyling: “This tree is too tall. And the branches are a bit leggy, too. One of the problems we get into in bonsai design is that with time and growth, height and branch length can begin pulling us away from the trunk. Literally destroying the design, making it weaker. And this tree has a nice trunk, which is a good enough reason to consider redesigning it, to compact the … Continue reading Before & After – Cutting a Juniper Down to Size

Old School Bonsai – Clip & Grow

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 Old School Bonsai – Clip & Grow

Green T Will Enhance Your Bonsai Experience & Results

Massive Mugo pine resting comfortably on a Green T professional bonsai turntable. The prize winning tree belongs to Paolo Riboli. The turntable could belong to you. Green T Professional Hydraulic Lift Bonsai Turntables will enhance your bonsai experience and results It’s time for another reminder about a powerful and essential tool that will help you work on your trees more efficiently, comfortably and enjoyably. You and your bonsai will be happy you got one. And the price is right… only 345.00 including shipping (U.S. only. Orders outside the U.S. will be charged shipping). In Japan hydraulic lift turntables have been … Continue reading Green T Will Enhance Your Bonsai Experience & Results

A Muscular Little Bonsai & A Muscular Bonsai Tool Sale

The thing that amazes me about this muscular little tree is how the base of the trunk almost completely fills the pot and how small the pot is for the overall size of the tree. Not just small for the massive little trunk, but small for supporting the profusion of lush foliage. There just can’t be that much room for roots. Of course we know this is a show pot and as soon as the tree goes back to the nursery it will be put back into a larger pot. The tree is a Japanese black pine from our Masters … Continue reading A Muscular Little Bonsai & A Muscular Bonsai Tool Sale

Wraparound Bonsai & Two Great Specials End Tonight

This distinctively unusual Mugo pine received Marco Invernizzi’s Ichiban* Award at the 2008 Art of Bonsai Awards. The artist is Alfredo Salaccione from Italy. If you spend a lot of time looking at bonsai, you might come to appreciate unusual features. Features that make a tree not only interesting, but unique. In the case of the Mugo pine above, there are several that stand out. The most obvious feature, one that immediately catches the eye, is the way the trunk wraps around and frames the tree’s crown. This alone, makes for a very unusual and distinctive bonsai. A bonsai that … Continue reading Wraparound Bonsai & Two Great Specials End Tonight

Before, After & Midway Through

Mugo pine by Walter Pall. Here’s what Walter wrote about this tree: “This one has exceptional potential. Unfortunately, it almost died a few years ago. Now it is recovering and some day it will shine again.” From the looks of it, I’d say it’s already shining. I can think of at least four good reasons to feature this tree… First, the artist is Walter Pall, a favorite on here on Bark and someone whose trees are featured in Modern Bonsai Practice, a groundbreaking new bonsai book. Second, it’s a Before & After, which judging by responses is a favorite topic. … Continue reading Before, After & Midway Through