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Web Pirating vs Attribution

It’s happening to us Someone has been pirating all our posts without attribution to bonsaibark or Stone Lantern. I won’t mention their name (yet) because I don’t want to alert them and am hoping that they post this. And it could happen to you We are noticing more and more material posted without attribution. Especially, but not exclusively, on facebook. This is corruption, whether it’s innocent (come on!) or intentional. If you see someone doing it, please remind them to attribute. It’s easy and it’s the honorable thing to do. A simple difference It is a widely accepted practice to … Continue reading Web Pirating vs Attribution

Back Savers #5: More Sweet Little Trees

This little pine clump with its shaggy too-long needles, aged lichen covered trunks and funky almost too-small pot is near perfect in its imperfect naturalness. From Shohin Bonsai World, Nishinomiya branch. For a detailed look at the ins and outs of pine bonsai, you might want to check out our Masters’ Series Pine book. Think small Little bonsai (shohin) may be he solution to your space problems. Or your money problems (smaller stock and pots are usually cheaper). Not to mention your aging back. Here’s a few that might help get you going. Don’t hesitate to comment, or even send … Continue reading Back Savers #5: More Sweet Little Trees

Three New Books (Just in Time)

Some of you still read books. We know because we sell them. If you fall into this illustrious (if somewhat aging) group, good times await you. Take a look. Pocket Guide to Bamboos by Ted Jordan Meredith Really nothing about bonsai here, but our guess is some bonsai enthusiast somewhere also appreciates bamboo. And there’s nothing that says you can’t grow bamboo bonsai. The Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation by Yoshimura and Covello A classic now back in print after a very long hiatus. Yugi Yoshimura was a great Japanese American bonsai pioneer. Though the thrust of the book is … Continue reading Three New Books (Just in Time)

Wiring for Refinement

From above, after thinning and wiring. Notice how fine wire is used all the way out to the tips of each twig. The photos in this post are from Bonsai Today issue 92. The artist is  Mr. Kiyoshi Yamagami. The tree is a Japanese white pine. Attention to detail and patience One of the things that separates world class bonsai from mediocre bonsai is refinement (some bonsai appear over-refined, but that’s another story). Refinement, requires attention to detail and patience and has a lot to do with how you relate to small branches and twigs.

Contest Deadline; Midnight Friday Night

It’s time to wrap up our latest contest. Submit your answers (if you have any) by 11:59pm EDT (Eastern Daylight Time, USA), Friday the 24th. If no one comes up with all the correct answers, then whoever comes closest is the lucky one. Ties go to the earliest submission. Good luck!

Vacation Gallery: Enjoy, I’ll Be Back July 2nd

This Trident maple penjing was designed by Quingquan Zhao in 2001 at the Mid Atlantic Bonsai show.  It was purchased by Dr. McNear and given to National Bonsai Foundation in honor of his daughter Emily Jane McNear. It reside at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington DC.

The Great Debate: Naturalistic vs Abstract?

This Rough bark shore juniper is by Boon Manakitipivart. It originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 108. Though it certainly has a rugged, natural feel, does it also have some features (aside from the pot) that are more characteristic of bonsai than of trees growing in the wild? Is there a clear distinction? Back two or three years ago, I was hearing and reading a lot about naturalistic bonsai versus more abstract bonsai. Though I’m not sure that the difference is always that obvious, or that there are only two categories when it come to this discussion, I do get … Continue reading The Great Debate: Naturalistic vs Abstract?

Bonsai & You (tube): Mixed Gallery

This is a collection of images that someone put together. I recognized several trees, including at least one Kimura (The Magician), one Morten Albek (author of Shohin Bonsai), and one Wolfgang Putz. Overall the quality is very good, though a few fairly ordinary trees found their way in.

bonsai4me.com on Field Growing

This Goldflame Japanese Spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’) was originally dug from a  garden in the UK. It was styled by Harry Harrington. You can view it and numerous other noteworthy bonsai at bonsai4me.com. One reason we’ve been featuring field growing so much is that the US government restrictions make importing quality stock from Asia somewhere between difficult and impossible (Europe is a whole other story – it’s easy for them to import Asian stock – which helps explain some of the differences between European and North American bonsai). This means that if we are going to develop quality bonsai stock … Continue reading bonsai4me.com on Field Growing