Nipping Around & Snapping at Noelanders Trophy

Though every one of Graham Potter’s snaps of trees he liked, also struck my fancy, this one really got me. The gnarly ancient looking little tree with its smattering of red flowers and buds (I’ll take it to be a quince), all the action on the surface of the soil which reinforces the feeling of age (and naturalness) and of course, the pot (all those words and it’s not even a proper sentence). Here’s part of what Graham Potter of Kaizen Bonsai had to say about last weekends Noelanders Trophy: “We were so busy over the weekend I barely got … Continue reading Nipping Around & Snapping at Noelanders Trophy

Redwood Bonsai & a Sense of Mystery

This ancient looking tree is a Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). It was displayed at the Redwood Empire Bonsai Society’s 27th annual show (2010). This, and all but the last photo in this post, were originally borrowed from Bonsai Tonight. Superior bonsai photography. My hat is off to Jonas Dupuich and his consistently superior photographs (you can view them all at Bonsai Tonight). If you can’t see a top quality bonsai in person, the next best thing is a top quality photo. There’s nothing quite like a hollow trunk to add a feeling of age, depth and character to a tree. … Continue reading Redwood Bonsai & a Sense of Mystery

Old Bonsai Tell Stories

I like this little tree. It tells a story – any tree that grow to over 250 feet (see below) in optimal conditions and yet looks like this, has a story. It’s a Poderosa pine. I don’t know who collected it, but it belongs to Colin Lewis (unless he sold it). Yesterday was Ponderosa pines, so we’ll continue on that track today. BTW: I didn’t set out to make this post about rare cork bark Ponderosa, but it has headed in that direction, at least in part. This is because some of the photos and text here are from a … Continue reading Old Bonsai Tell Stories

Bonsai Zen – Circles & Curves

Zen pine. In some types of art (calligraphy comes to mind) shapes are often suggested rather than completed. The mind of the viewer does the rest. In the case of this pine, it’s a circle (the way the raw power of the deadwood demands your attention cinches it). The tree and the photo belong to Mauro Stemberger. You can see more of Mauro’s bonsai here, here and here. Circles, semi circles and curves are today’s theme. Bonsai with long slow curves like this one tend to be out of favor, at least with some people, who might refer to this … Continue reading Bonsai Zen – Circles & Curves

Bonsai Shohin Passion

Shohin Japanese maple in early spring. Among other things that make this an outstanding bonsai is the way the shallow pot accentuates the trunk’s impressive girth. The photo is from Roland Schatzer’s new book, Bonsai Shohin Passion, as are all the photos in this post. A while back we got an email from Bill Valavanis recommending we take a look at Roland Schatzer’s new book, Bonsai Shohin Passion. Soon after that Bill sent an introductory email to Roland and to us. The rest, as they say, is history. Just in case you are new to bonsai, Shohin is ‘small thing’ … Continue reading Bonsai Shohin Passion

Bonsai Is Both the Tree & the Pot (and we know that)

It’s not often you see bark like this. Its uniquely patterned texture and color adds considerable character and age to this old live oak. And then there’s the pot; the way it complements the tree (an how small it is relative to the tree). No mention of who made it, but whoever did deserves some love. The photo is from the ‘My Trees’ section of Mauro Stemberger’s website. The following is in response to a comment on Facebook… We would never chop off part of the pot in a bonsai photo unless that’s the way we found it, or we’re … Continue reading Bonsai Is Both the Tree & the Pot (and we know that)

Living Landscapes in Miniature

This planting from Toshio Kawamoto’s Saikei classic is quite similar to the planting on the cover (below): same trees (cryptomeria), same (or nearly the same) pot and somewhat similar rocky ravine separating two tree and moss covered areas. The main difference is that this one shows a deep ravine. The rocks that define it represent tall vertical cliffs. It has been about a year since we feature Toshio Kawamoto’s plantings from his long out-of-print classic Saikei, Living Landscapes in Miniature. Given just how popular these posts have been, I think it’s time for another go. A long time ago (January, … Continue reading Living Landscapes in Miniature

That Natural Look with a Daring Touch

Though the wood may have been painstakingly carved, this distinctive Pomegranate is a good example of a natural look. The living tree is not particularly stylized and the deadwood looks naturally aged. The unusual red pot (bright red bonsai pots are rare) adds a daring touch and sets off the new red pomegranate leaves, though you might chose a rugged earth-toned pot if you’re trying for a more natural look. I’m not trying to restart the old discussion of natural versus stylized bonsai. Just noticing how natural the two trees shown here look. This is particularly true of the pine … Continue reading That Natural Look with a Daring Touch

Hedge Bonsai #2 and Some Loose Ends

The other day we featured a bonsai hedge by Joe Selworthy (Dan Barton’s talented twin) and now here’s another one with this caption: “Picture of my first Cotoneaster hedge with Deshojo maple which I sold several years ago.” Though you can’t tell from here, there’s some impressive detail on and around the little fence under the maple (see below). Recognize this tree? It’s a Cheng, Cheng-Kung Shimpaku juniper that we featured last week. Here’s part of our caption: …there’s something very unusual going on here. Not that I expect you to read my mind, but still, the first person … Continue reading Hedge Bonsai #2 and Some Loose Ends

Living on the Edge

My best guess is that most of you will appreciate the inventiveness and the humor expressed in this mixed-media bonsai creation, though perhaps a few purists will take offense. It’s by Miyazato Rintaro (thanks to Colin Lewis for sharing it). Two of the photos in this post are new to us. The others, including the one above are from December 2014 post titled Bonsai on Broomstick Bicycle. I have soft spot for the outer edges of the art of bonsai. As long as the edges don’t slide over into novelty for novelties sake. In the photo above, the quality of … Continue reading Living on the Edge