Bonsai Aficionados, Artists & Visionaries…

mirailead

I love this powerful old mountain monarch with it's massive swirling deadwood and undeniable sense of great age. It's a Rocky mountain juniper that I lifted from Ryan Neil's Bonsai Mirai. One of dozens of equally impressive North American bonsai in Ryan's collection.

The title of this post, Bonsai Aficionados, Artists & Visionaries… is borrowed from Mirai Live, “a revolutionary online teaching platform where enthusiasts can access a lifetime’s worth of bonsai knowledge and engage in real time with bonsai professional Ryan Neil and artists from around the world.”

I won’t say much more in this post about Mirai Live, except that it sounds exciting and if Ryan’s other ventures are any indication (The Artisans Cup and his astounding bonsai nursery come to mind), then Mirai Live will be another significant step in our North American and world bonsai adventure.

launch

Here's you link to
the Mirai Live Launch Party

And now something from the site that pays our bills…

3 NEW Sale at Stone Lantern

25% off Bonsai Aesthetics Tools

TC-SET5-AESTHETICS-680

25 different Bonsai Aesthetics Tools to choose from

_______________________

40% to 50% off
Bonsai Today back issues
BTbanner3

_______________________

wire

50% off 5 or more rolls of
100 gram Bonsai Aesthetics Wire

 

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Two Colorful Little Trees & Three NEW Sales

roymainNo identification or attribution is given with this sweet little tree, but it's got to be a Crab apple. The artist shall remain a mystery for now.

I started the day with the intention of doing something on Roy Nagatoshi, until I realized that I’d have to do more research than there’s time for today. So we’ll save Roy for another day (soon). Meanwhile, here are a couple shots that caught my eye. Both were put up on on Roy’s facebook feed by Carol Goehausen.

Continued below…

3 NEW Sales

25% off Bonsai Aesthetics Tools

the other 2 NEW Sales are below
TC-SET5-AESTHETICS-680

25 different Bonsai Aesthetics Tools to choose from

plus an additional 10% off orders 100.00+
and FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00+

but only if you choose free shipping when you check out

roy4

This one, which also looks like it might be an Apple, is originally from Bonsai Colmenar.

40% to 50% off
Bonsai Today back issues
BTbanner340% off 1-5 back issues

50% off 6 or more

__________________

 

wire

50% off 5 or more rolls of
100 gram Bonsai Aesthetics Wire

 

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

One Tree, Seven Pots – Which One Would You Choose?

potsSeven pots for one Chinese cork bark elm (the seventh pot is below - it didn't fit that well in the photo). Which one would you choose?

Most of this post was borrowed from our archives (January, 2014). At that time the choices you see were presented as a contest. Now we’ll dispense with the contest and just show the photos and let you choose if you please. If you would like to post your comments, visit Bonsai Bark on facebook.

All the photos shown here belong to Boon Manakitivipart (aka Bonsai Boon), our source for almost all of our Which Pot? posts.

Continued below….

Tool Sales End Tonight

25% off Koyo Bonsai Tools
Tools-Koyo1-500x303and…

25% off Okatsune Bonsai & Garden Tools
OKATSUNEset4

these sales end tonight, thursday at 11:59pm EST

Plus an extra 10% off orders 100.00 or more

 

potsoriginal

The original photo with the 7th pot

 

Pot 1


Pot 2


Pot 3

 

Pot 4

Our Spring Bonsai Soil Order Just Arrived
we’re still putting them up
here’s what we have so far
SASQAkadama Japanese Bonsai Soil (pictured)
Kamuna Japanese Azalea Soil
more soils will be put up soon


Pot 5


Pot 6


Pot 7

Our thanks to Boon Manakitivipart who went to the trouble to create, photograph and put these pot-tree combination up on facebook.

Feed Your Bonsai!

25% off our large selection of Bonsai Fertilizer
ORMIX3-2

well fed bonsai are healthy bonsai

plus 10% off orders 100.00 or more
and FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00 or more

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Spring Bonsai in Full Bloom – NEW Bonsai Soil

BE3

You don't see cascading Azalea bonsai all that often. This flowing full flowering favorite (sorry about that) is by Teunis Jan Klein. Speaking of Azaleas, we just put up our new Kanuma azalea bonsai soil

I’m in the process of putting up some new bonsai soil that just arrived. So far the Akadama is up with more to follow. Anyway, it’s spring, our busiest season, in much of the U.S. now. So we’re swamped and need to keep moving. Still. I try to post every day and here’s my quick and easy one for today.

All the photos shown here are from a post by Bonsai Empire titled Bonsai in Full Bloom.

Continued below…

BE4

Prunus mume (Japanese Apricot). Photo by Michael Bonsai

BE1

Azalea Bonsai in full bloom, by Makoto Tsuji

Our Spring Bonsai Soil Order Just Arrived
we’re still putting them up
here’s what we have so far
SASQAkadama Japanese Bonsai Soil (pictured)
Kamuna Japanese Azalea Soil
more soils as the day progresses

 

BE2

Wisteria bonsai in full bloom by Heike van Gunst

 

NEW SALE

25% off our large selection of Bonsai Fertilizer
ORMIX3-2

well fed bonsai are healthy bonsai

plus 10% off orders 100.00 or more
and FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00 or more

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Powerful Shari, Brilliant Pot & Upside Down Maple

taxusThis old Taxus Baccata (English yew) is dominated by its powerful shari (trunk deadwood) The artist is Stefano Frisoni of Italy.

On the road again today, so we’ll take the easy way out. The photos shown here are from a post we did in December, 2015.

Continued below…

NEW SALE

25% off our large selection of Bonsai Fertilizer
ORMIX3-2

well fed bonsai are healthy bonsai

plus 10% off orders 100.00 or more
and FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00 or more

 

pot8Nice tree. Brilliant pot!  Eleven years from stump by Mario Komsta (a regular here on Bark). It's a Silverberry (Elaeagnus).

 

This Shimpaku planting on a slab by Mariusz Folda was exhibited at Noelanders Trophy in 2013. Though it's hard to tell for sure, my guess is that this is two separate trees, rather than a twin-trunked bonsai. In any case, I like the way the trunks complement each other with their similar deadwood and live veins. I also like the way the crowns have been opened up just a bit (rather than the perfectly full and smooth look you sometimes see on Shimpaku), though I wouldn't mind seeing them opened up a bit more so you could see a little more of the branching.

 

I haven't seen that many real Myrtle bonsai and of the ones I have seen, this one that belongs to Mauro Stemberger is by far the most impressive. Though the flowers aren't necessary to appreciate the tree, they add a nice touch.

 

Upside down bonsai. This Japanese maple and Mondo grass planting turned up in Bonsai Empire's facebook photos with this caption: Very original display of a Japanese Maple by Bill Valavanis! Pot and ceramic root stand by Dale Cochoy.

 

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Calligraphy & the Origins of Bonsai

mradCalligraphy anyone? I don't know if calligraphy was on Mario Komsta's mind when he styled this remarkable tree. I do know that there was a time when bonsai that looked like calligraphy was popular and that many scholars agree that bonsai was, in part at least, inspired by the calligraphy of the old Chinese masters. This is especially true of literati style bonsai (bunjin in Japanese).

Headed out of town this morning, so we’ll make this quick and easy.  This post originally appeared here on Bark in 2013. I started out to continue our Hornbeam series, but got distracted by the Juniper above (there is a very familiar Hornbeam below however).

Continued below…

NEW SALE

25% off our large selection of Bonsai Fertilizer
ORMIX3-2

well fed bonsai are healthy bonsai

plus 10% off orders 100.00 or more
and FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00 or more

 

wDaveA break with convention? You don't see that many bunjin with such dense foliage.

 

wDave-GabasaThough no size is given, but judging by the leaves, I'd say this little Chinese elm qualifies as a shohin.

 

m11We've shown this muscular little hornbeam more than once (including a couple days ago), but it's always worth another look.
Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

More Prolific Bonsai Brilliance

Suthin10

Always nice to lead with a little color. This cheerful full fall color Trident maple belonged to Suthin Sukosolvisit when we first showed it way back in 2009. I don't know who the lucky owner is now.

Continuing with yesterday’s fully fledged admiration of Suthin and his bonsai, here are a few choice trees dug out from our archives.

Continued below…

A great sale ends tonight

Bonsai Aesthetics Wire Sale

25% to 30% off 500 gram Bonsai Aesthetics Wire
Wire32-500x1591

25% off 2-5 rolls (10.12 each)
30% off 6 or more (9.45 each)

this sale ends tonight, Sunday at 11:59pm EST

plus another 10% off orders 100.00 or more
and FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00 or more

suthinjwp

 

hinokihalfshellThis Tsukomo cypress-on-a-half-shell is was offered for sale at Suthin's big sell-down-most-of-his-bonsai sale (so he could spend more time with his grandkids) that took place last year.

 

st31Coiled Shimpaku snake. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen another full cascade bonsai quite like this one.

 

suthin6

Another Suthin Shimpaku juniper. I think this one is quite famous by now.

As long as we’re on Junipers…

Special 2 Days Only

b1jun-2Our famous Masters Series juniper Book

list price 29.95
SPECIAL ONLY 18.00
this special ends monday at 11:59pm

 

shohinpine

A bonsai is hand is worth more than two in most collections. It's a Japanese black pine.

 

shohinsuthin

One of Suthin's prize winning Shohin displays from one of the U.S. National Bonsai Exhibitions.
Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Suthin’s Small, Strong & Sweet Japanese Pines

stjwp

This sweet luminous little Japanese white pine belongs to Suthin. A total winner, right down to the perfectly pitched pot and the vivid yellow-green moss. Even given the fresh scar where a branch was just removed, it's still simply superb (must be alliteration day today). Another reminder of Suthin's bonsai vision and skills.

I don’t usually pour it on quite so thick, but there’s something about Suthin* and his prolific bonsai brilliance, that brings out my adolescent star struck nature. And I’m not the only one. Go to any show where Suthin is vending and watch the bonsai devotees gather round. Each one Suthin’s best friend (in my experience, Suthin treats everyone like a close friend).

All three photos in the post are from Suthin’s facebook photos

Continued below…

Another great sale is about to end

Bonsai Aesthetics Wire Sale

25% to 30% off 500 gram Bonsai Aesthetics Wire
Wire32-500x1591

25% off 2-5 rolls (10.12 each)
30% off 6 or more (9.45 each)

this sale ends tomorrow night, Sunday at 11:59pm EST

plus another 10% off orders 100.00 or more
and FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00 or mo

suthinjwp

Another small strong Japanese white pine. I had to double check to make sure it's not the same tree as above in a different stage of development.

While we’re discussing pines…

Special 2 Days Only
B1PINE605-500x6473

Our famous Masters Series Pine Book

list price 34.95
SPECIAL ONLY 19.95
this special ends tomorrow, Sunday at 11:59pm

 

jbp3

This rough little gem is a Japanese black pine. Still a little grooming to do, but all the right stuff is present.

*Sukosolvisit is Suthin’s family name. But I’ve never heard anyone refer him as anything other than simply Suthin (pronounced Su tin)

Two Superb Japanese Tool Sales

25% off Koyo Bonsai Tools
Tools-Koyo1-500x303and…

25% off Okatsune Bonsai & Garden Tools
OKATSUNEset4Plus an extra 10% off orders 100.00 or more

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Magnificent Monster Scot’s Pine

pscu

This magnificent monster yamadori Scot's pine (Pinus sylvestris) belongs to Andres Alvarez Iglesias. I cropped it for a closer look. The original is below

Andres Alvarez Iglesias sent the photo above to the Bonsai Focus Golden Concave contest (see the poster just below). Judging from what I see here, there are some other very good trees (including several that we’ve featured here on Bark). They’ll need to be very good to hold up to this one.

Continued below…

Two New Excellent Japanese Tool Sales

25% off Koyo Bonsai Tools
Tools-Koyo1-500x303and…

25% off Okatsune Bonsai & Garden Tools
OKATSUNEset4Plus an extra 10% off orders 100.00 or more

 

GF

 

ps

The original with companion

Another great sale is about to end

Bonsai Aesthetics Wire Sale

25% to 30% off 500 gram Bonsai Aesthetics Wire
Wire32-500x1591

25% off 2-5 rolls (10.12 each)
30% off 6 or more (9.45 each)

this sale ends Sunday at 11:59pm EST

plus another 10% off orders 100.00 or more
and FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00 or more

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Hanging Out Somewhere on Planet Earth

cliff

Unknown type tree on an unknown cliff somewhere on planet earth

I found the amazing photo above on Kuanghua Hsiao’s facebook feed. From there I was led to Jorge M. Suzuki and finally to Jean-Christophe Nef’s Arbres et plantes exceptionnels. None of these people and places yielded anything about what, where or who, though Mr Nef’s  Arbres et… did yield some other astounding photos (below).

Continued below…

Two Brand New Japanese Tool Sales

25% off Koyo Bonsai Tools
Tools-Koyo1-500x303and…

25% off Okatsune Bonsai & Garden Tools
OKATSUNEset4Plus an extra 10% off orders 100.00 or more

 

cliffsagain

More cliffs and more stubborn old trees

 

cliff3

Vertigo anyone? This one looks very familiar. I wonder if we've already featured it. We found all three photos in this post on Jean-Christophe Nef's Arbres et plantes exceptionnels

Another great sale is about to end

Bonsai Aesthetics Wire Sale

25% to 30% off 500 gram Bonsai Aesthetics Wire
Wire32-500x1591

25% off 2-5 rolls (10.12 each)
30% off 6 or more (9.45 each)

this sale ends Sunday

plus another 10% off orders 100.00 or more
and FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00 or more

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern