Why Every Bonsai Lover Needs to Make a Trip to the Northwest

This lovely bonsai lives at the Pacific Bonsai Museum near Seattle. We borrowed the photo from their website. I cropped some text and other images out of the original image (below). I love the Pacific Bonsai Museum. Not only do I love the idea of a museum devoted 100% to the art of bonsai, but I also love this particular 100% bonsai museum. The setting is beautiful, the trees are among the best and the devoted and knowledgeable staff host a series of exciting events. Continued below… Wire Sale Ends Sunday Night 25% off our entire selection Bonsai Wire we … Continue reading Why Every Bonsai Lover Needs to Make a Trip to the Northwest

Mugo Pines – Achieving the Recognition They Deserve

This powerful old yamadori (collected from the wild) Mugo pine would be exceptional even if it didn’t have that piece of deadwood that doubles back on the trunk. With this feature it’s a tree you won’t easily forget. My one question has to do with balance. The long left side nebari provides an anchor, but is it enough to visually stabilize the strong lean to the right? I found this photo on Carlos van der Vaart’s timeline. All three bonsai photos shown here are from earlier Bark posts. However, most of the text was written this morning in front of … Continue reading Mugo Pines – Achieving the Recognition They Deserve

A Genuine Bonsai Pioneer, Roshi Tools, Bonsai Wire, Bonsai Soil & Flashing Back to the Artisans Cup

Close up of Dan Robinson’s Mountain hemlock, taken on my cell at the Artisans Cup. In SF now in the midst of another short family vacay, so to save precious time we’ll dig back to October 2015 at the Artisan’s Cup. We featured Dan Robinson’s bonsai and digs a couple posts ago, so continuing in the same vein… Continued below… Roshi Bonsai Tool Sale 30% off 2 or more roshi tools roshi sets the standard for affordable high quality bonsai tools 30% off 2 or more roshi tools plus another 10% off orders 100.00 or more and FREE Shipping on … Continue reading A Genuine Bonsai Pioneer, Roshi Tools, Bonsai Wire, Bonsai Soil & Flashing Back to the Artisans Cup

Nature & Human Artistry at their Most Brilliant

Ancient pine, snow, a frozen pond and a blue water glimpse of Puget Sound. This and the other photos shown here are from Dan Robinson’s Elandan Gardens. Last year my friend and I spent a memorable afternoon wandering around Dan Robinson’s famous Elandan gardens and marveling at his magnificently rugged, extraordinarily unique bonsai collection. If an amazing collection of bonsai isn’t enough, the trees are set in the perfect setting. A melding of a nature at its most brilliant and equally brilliant human artistry. All this on a grand scale that can only be partially appreciated with photos. Still, here … Continue reading Nature & Human Artistry at their Most Brilliant

Yamadori Pines from somewhere up near the tree line and far from the cushy life of domestically grown bonsai

A great tree with a long story of a rugged life spent on the side of cold snow burdened mountain. Somewhere up near the tree line and far from the cushy life of domestically grown bonsai Yesterday it was pines, so we’ll just keep going. Today it’s a pine mix from Amics Del Bonsai Corbera. None are identified. Nor are their owners… SITE WIDE SALE 20% TO 25% OFF EVERYTHING* Another tough yamadori (collected from the wild) pine. To my eye, this one and the one above are about as good as it gets. Neither is over-styled and both … Continue reading Yamadori Pines from somewhere up near the tree line and far from the cushy life of domestically grown bonsai

A Rock, Heavily Furrowed Bark, Ramification & a Well Developed Nebari

At first glace I thought the rock that sticks out on the right was part of the trunk. But a closer look (see below) confirms the strong suspicion that it’s a rock. And in case you’re wondering, the tree is the King of bonsai, a Japanese black pine. We’ve been borrowing great photos of Japanese bonsai from Micheal Bonsai for a long time now. I’m not sure where he gets them, but most are superb. The best of the Japanese trees… which are often simply the best. SITE WIDE SALE 20% TO 25% OFF EVERYTHING* You can see the rock … Continue reading A Rock, Heavily Furrowed Bark, Ramification & a Well Developed Nebari

A Bonsai Symphony in Three Movements

This super-sized three part penjing is by Robert Steven; renowned bonsai artist, teacher, author and tool designer (his New RS Shears are below), and frequent contributor to this blog. We’ve shown this one before, but we’re busy with the seasonal rush, so we’ll take the easy way out and save some time. In Robert Steven’s own words… “This is a super large penjing I did two weeks ago. The total length is three meters (about 10 feet). I combined three large special-order white marble trays in the arrangement in order to give a unique presentation in perspective and composition. The … Continue reading A Bonsai Symphony in Three Movements

An Independence Day History of Bonsai in the U.S.

This wildly expressive Wisteria reminds me of exploding 4th of July fireworks. The photo is from Bill Valavanis‘ Classical Bonsai Art (out of print). The tree belongs to Robert Blankfield, who originally styled it at a workshop with Bill. This post is resurrected from Independence Day, 2013, with a few additions and subtractions. Tomorrow is Independence Day here in the USA. To help you celebrate, why not enjoy a sampling of home grown bonsai? But first, because many of our readers are not U.S. citizens and because some U.S. folks don’t know much about history anyway, a quick American history … Continue reading An Independence Day History of Bonsai in the U.S.

Michelangelo & Bonsai at Its Best

I’m loving this tree. Even though we know it has been worked by human hands, the link to its natural state hasn’t been lost at all. If anything it has been enhanced. Bonsai at its best! No variety is given, though it looks like a collected juniper. Nacho Marin is someone who was already an artist when he discovered bonsai and who brought his vision, talent and experience to the art. And though people often say that we are all artists, still, most of us will never be Michelangelo,* no matter how hard we try… The images shown here are … Continue reading Michelangelo & Bonsai at Its Best

Picasso’s Bonsai Garden

The natural look (or who needs manicured bonsai?). This photo captures two things I love about Eladan Gardens. The first is the rugged uncontrived look that characterizes Dan Robinson’s bonsai, and the second is the perfect setting. The tree is a Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis). Earlier this month I finally visited Dan and Diane Robinson’s magnificent Elandan Gardens. It was a quick visit and all I had to shoot with was my cell. So the photos aren’t nearly as good as most of the borrowed Elandan photos from previous posts. But some shots are unique and hopefully capture something of … Continue reading Picasso’s Bonsai Garden