One More Time – A Spectacular Bonsai Event

Kuhen Smith’s Rough bark Japanese maple won the Finest Japanese Style Display at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. Unfortunately you can’t make out the bark in this photo. No blame to Oscar Jonker, the photographer. The lighting in the display area was good for viewing but not necessarily for photos. I cropped Oscar original. The original is below Today, it’s the final two prize winning bonsai at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. And some more photos by (or of) Candy Shirey. I hope you have enjoyed the series and maybe this will encourage you to make the trip to Rochester in 2020 Thanks to … Continue reading One More Time – A Spectacular Bonsai Event

American Bonsai Hero & the 6th U.S. National

This bonsai could be yours! Bill Valavanis with an Alberta spruce that will be auctioned (just the tree) at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Continuing with our lead up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition…. We almost never lead a post with photo of a person, yet this is the 2nd time for Bill’s visage at the top of a post (the first was when he was inducted into the Bonsai Hall of Fame). If anyone deserves it, it’s Bill, our Bonsai star for this moment and similar moments (there are other bonsai heros to be sure, including all the good people who work tirelessly with Bill … Continue reading American Bonsai Hero & the 6th U.S. National

Bonsai Boon and His Twenty Super Students

Boon Manakitivipart’s Itoigawa Sargent Juniper that won the Finest Medium Size Bonsai award at the 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. From a September, 2016 Bark post Continuing with North American bonsai in our lead up to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition… The more I look at the tree above, the more I like it. But rather than go into specifics, I’ll just relate a quick story…. While I was admiring the tree at the 5th U.S. National, Boon walked by. I said something like ‘great tree, but only one?’ His reply was… “Yes, but twenty of my students have trees here.” … Continue reading Bonsai Boon and His Twenty Super Students

Japanese Maple Bonsai Through Three Seasons

Japanese maple in its fall brilliance. From the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum Continuing with Maples at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum we came up with this one from our archives. It’s a single Japanese maple in three stages of it’s annual migration through the seasons. There’s a lot to like about this tree but there’s one question that arises; have you ever seen a bonsai with such a flat top? This is especially pronounced in the fall and summer photos Continued below… BONSAI TOOL SPECIAL ALL BONSAI TOOLS & GARDEN TOOLS 25% OFF LIST PRICES special ends Sunday, August 25th Winter. Maybe this is the … Continue reading Japanese Maple Bonsai Through Three Seasons

Maple Bonsai Perfection & New Lower Wire Prices

This Trident maple on root-on-rock is called Soshun-no-fu. It’s estimated age is 80 years. Like the other two trees in this post it’s from The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum Lots to do to get ready for the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition (Rochester, NY, September 8th & 9th), so we’ll make this one short and sweet. All three Maple bonsai shown here are from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Saitama, Japan* BONSAI TOOL SPECIAL ALL BONSAI TOOLS & GARDEN TOOLS 25% OFF LIST PRICES special ends Sunday, August 25th Japanese maple named Musashi-ga-oka, estimated age 150 years Speaking of the 6th U.S. National … Continue reading Maple Bonsai Perfection & New Lower Wire Prices

More Ficus Bonsai – Amazing Roshi Tool Special Ends Friday

Finest Tropical Bonsai & Finest Accent Plant. The tree is a Tiger bark Ficus (Ficus microcarpa) by Hoe Chuah. I’ve cropped this lead photo to show just the tree (a photo showing Soon Chuah’s companion is just below and a photo of the tree with the companion is below that). The first three photos in this post are from Bonsai Empire. Continuing with our 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition theme from yesterday and our Ficus bonsai theme from the day before. And of course, our encouragement for you to visit the 6th U.S. National next month A family that does … Continue reading More Ficus Bonsai – Amazing Roshi Tool Special Ends Friday

6th U.S. National – Bonsai on a Steady Upward Curve

This award winning dwarf Japanese garden juniper (Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’) belongs to Creighton Bostrom of Waxhaw, North Carolina. The photo is from the 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. You can find it and all the other trees in the Exhibition Album. The same goes for the 4th Exhibition (the albums for 1, 2 and 3 are out of print) Thanks to Bonsai Empire for the photos shown here (and for identifying the varieties and the owners). They just made my job easier. And of course, thanks to Bill Valavanis and all the kind folks who put together the previous U.S. National Bonsai Exhibitions … Continue reading 6th U.S. National – Bonsai on a Steady Upward Curve

If you only visit one bonsai event this year, make it the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition

I borrowed this famous cascading Juniper from the 5th National Bonsai Exhibition website (cropped to better fit a certain social media’s format). If you only visit one bonsai event this year, make it The 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. Rochester NY, September 8th & 9th. Do whatever it takes! Rearrange you life if necessary so you can be there. Each National Bonsai Exhibition is better than the last, and the last one was mind-stopping. The buzz was palpable and from conversations with dozens of others, the feeling was universal. And it wasn’t just the bonsai, though they amazed me more each time … Continue reading If you only visit one bonsai event this year, make it the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition

A Magnificent Celebration of American Bonsai Coming Soon

Winner of the Finest Bonsai Masterpiece at the 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. It’s a Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga Mertensiana) that belongs to Eric Schikowski. The photo is by Joseph Noga as are all the photos in Exhibition Albums 2-5. Just a friendly reminder… It’s time to make your plans. The 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition is the premier North American celebration of bonsai. The one event you don’t want to miss and it’s only a little more than two months away. We look forward to seeing you there! BONSAI FERTILIZER SPECIAL ENDS TONIGHT 30% OFF LIST PRICES special ends tonight, Friday, June 22nd at 11:59pm Time … Continue reading A Magnificent Celebration of American Bonsai Coming Soon

Satsuki Flowers, Maple Leaves, a Tiny Lizard & Other Bonsai Wonders

It’s that time of year. Here’s David Benavente’s caption… Rhododendron indicum “Shin Nikko” hoy, en plena floración (today in full bloom). 45x55cm (18″ x 21.5″) It’s been a while since we’ve featured David Benavente and his Estudio de Bonsái. It’s in Galapagar, Spain. Just outside of Madrid. The photos are from David’s timeline BONSAI TOOL SPECIAL ENDS TONIGHT see below – It’s not only about the flowers. Close up of the lower trunk and nebari European olive (Olea europaea). No caption with this one, but it speaks for itself Closeup Lizard on a European olive. Is this the same tree? … Continue reading Satsuki Flowers, Maple Leaves, a Tiny Lizard & Other Bonsai Wonders