Defoliating, Repotting & Other Tricks

This time I took the liberty of cropping and adjusting the contrast just a bit to attempt to better show the details on this remarkable tree. Here’s our original caption: Trident Maple (Kaede) at the Kokufu-ten in 1972. It now lives in Washington D.C. at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. The photo is from Capital Bonsai. It’s still mid-summer semi-vacation time, so I’m taking the easy way out once again. This post originally appeared just over a year ago. Because I’m such a big fan of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum (and Peter Tea’s excellent blog) and because … Continue reading Defoliating, Repotting & Other Tricks

The 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album Is the Best One Yet

This worthy old Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) from the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection is one of 248 fine bonsai that are featured in the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album. Here are four of the many things to love about the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album: 1. The bonsai are a notch better than the second album and the second album bonsai are a notch better than the first. This speaks very well for the evolution U.S. & North American bonsai. 2. It has 32 more pages than albums 1 & 2 and yet is the same price. 3. … Continue reading The 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album Is the Best One Yet

New American Masters at the Rim

I was struck by this large Ponderosa pine at the 3rd U.S. National Exhibition. It’s even bigger than it looks here and also has more depth and movement than this two dimensional representation shows. Still, you can get some idea of its natural power. It belongs to Ryan Neil. New American Masters show at the Pacific Rim Collection Michael Hagedorn and Ryan Neil both apprenticed in Japan where the term Master isn’t thrown around casually, and my guess is that neither of them is completely comfortable with it being used in reference to themselves. However, whatever term your choose, there’s … Continue reading New American Masters at the Rim

Real Cedar Bonsai & A Good Neighbor

Jim Gremel had a Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica – one of the handful of true Cedars) at the 2012 U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition that looked a lot like this one. Deer Meadow Bonsai & the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Some of the trees that were offered for sale at the 3rd National were every bit as good as some of the trees in the display area. One of my favorite vendors at the show was Jim Gremel (Deer Meadow Bonsai). Not only did Jim go to the trouble of coming all the way from Northern California, but he … Continue reading Real Cedar Bonsai & A Good Neighbor

National Bonsai Exhibition Video

3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition video by BonsaiInBuffalo.com Bill Valanvanis just posted an excellent new video by BonsaiInBuffalo.com. You can purchase the DVD at International Bonsai. You can also view it on YouTube. Bon appetit! I captured a few shots from the video to give you a small taste and perhaps whet your appetite for more. Jim Doyle’s Eastern White Cedar. That’s Bill on the left. Yasuo Mitsuya, one of the three judges, is the gentleman in the center toward the back. Marty Schmallenberg’s Elm. Vendor’s area. Stone Lantern is the red and blue … Continue reading National Bonsai Exhibition Video

What Happens When an Artist Tries His Hand at Bonsai?

You can see this bonsai and other examples of Pierre Leloup’s art on his facebook page and on his website. The luck of the draw Pierre Leloup and Sangi Drolet were my immediate neighbors in the vendors section of the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. As it turned out, they saved my life (in the not too literal sense). Not only did they help me load up at the end of the show (I was by myself and brought way too much stuff), but they fed me, offered me water when I was dry, and cheered me up during those … Continue reading What Happens When an Artist Tries His Hand at Bonsai?

Bonsai Winners, Part Three

The Finest Evergreen Bonsai. San Jose Juniper by Anthony Alario of Providence, Rhode Island. Round three This is our third and final posting of the winners of the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition which was held just over two weeks ago. We’ll give it rest after this, until the book comes out later this year. Night and day and just a tad To repeat myself from the last post; “the photos from the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition are professional and well done. However, the difference between seeing the splendid power of top quality bonsai up close and personal, and … Continue reading Bonsai Winners, Part Three

More Bonsai Winners

Winner of the Yoshimura Award. It’s a Nikko Satsuki Azalea by Robert Blankfield of Rochester, New York. Round two This is our second posting of the winners of the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition which was held two weeks ago. We still have some to show, so stand by for a third posting. Night and day The photos from the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition are professional and well done. However, the difference between seeing the splendid power of top quality bonsai up close and personal, and photos of those same top quality bonsai are, to borrow a common phrase, … Continue reading More Bonsai Winners

The 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition: The Official Results Are In

The National Award for the Finest Bonsai Masterpiece. Japanese Black Pine, by Scott Elser of Portland, Oregon. For the whole scoop and photos of all ten winners, Bill Valavanis has posted the winners and his comments on the Internet Bonsai Club. The three images shown in this blog have been lifted from Bill’s post. Stay posted here for more on the winners soon. Deciduous Award for the Finest Deciduous Bonsai. Japanese Maple by Suthin Sukolosovisit of Stoughton, Massachusetts. Ho Yoku Award for the Finest Western Display. Japanese Maple by Joseph Noga of Winterville, North Carolina.

Bonsai’s Big Leap: The 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibiton

This palatial planting by Pierre Leloup may have been the most talked about bonsai in the entire exhibit. Unfortunately, because Pierre is Canadian, it was not part of the judging (the same goes for several other worthy Canadian bonsai). As you might surmise, there’s no way that a photo can capture the whole splendid wonder of this planting. Viewing it in real space is one of those mind stopping experiences (The photo is courtesy of Pierre Leloup and Sangi Louise Drolet, my sweet Exhibition neighbors. You can find it and other great photos on Pierre’s facebook page and his website). … Continue reading Bonsai’s Big Leap: The 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibiton