Redwood Country Is Bonsai Country

This contortionist tree is a Procumbens juniper (Juniperus chinensis procumbens). Northern California’s Redwood country is the home of some of nature’s finest trees and some very good bonsai as well. All the photos shown here were taken by Don Van Dyke at Redwood Empire’s 2016 Bonsai Show. No artists or owners are listed, but we do have the varieties. Here’s a link to Redwood Empire’s website and here they are on facebook Reclining Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) in flower Bonsai Aesthetics Tool Special 40% OFF LIST PRICES THIS APPLIES TO ALL OUR AESTHETICS TOOLS INCLUDING KITS & SETS – You might expect to see some of … Continue reading Redwood Country Is Bonsai Country

Bonsai Before & After – Foundations & Inspirations

English field elm, after & before by Harry Harrington. Here’s Harry’s caption… “… before and after images of my Ulmus minor/English Field Elm Bonsai. The ‘before’ image was taken in 2006, a couple of years after I had collected the tree and while I was still grafting in a few roots at the base. Height 27″/66cm, trunkbase 9″/22cm in diameter. Collected in August 2004. Pot by Victor Harris of Erin Pottery.” It has been a while since we visited our friend Harry Harrington. You can enjoy Harry’s ongoing bonsai endeavors on facebook and you can can visit his extensive bonsai4me website. Better still, … Continue reading Bonsai Before & After – Foundations & Inspirations

Before & After Bonsai, Six Years Later

Before and after six year later. It’s a European yew (Taxus baccata ‘Summer Gold’) that was dug in 2011 and completed (not that a bonsai is ever completed) in 2017. Sometimes before and afters only show just that… the before and after photos. This time we got lucky with a series of photos (from Josef Burschi’s timeline) that make it a lot easier to understand how the process evolved. Josef Burschi lives in Kisújbánya, Baranya, Hungary. This is his first appearance on Bonsai Bark MID-WINTER SITE WIDE SALE ENDS TOMORROW NIGHT Almost All Items Discounted 25% to 40% off List Prices Some Items … Continue reading Before & After Bonsai, Six Years Later

Which Pot Would You Choose?

Because this is such an exceptional tree, it would look good in almost any pot. And the pots you see here are no exception. But does it look even better in one of them? This post stands squarely in our venerable tradition of borrowing Which Pot? posts from Boon Manakitivipart. The tree is a Shore pine (Pinus contorta) that Boon is getting ready for Bay Island Bonsai’s 19th Annual Exhibit. If you’d like, you can chime in and offer your choice in the comments on our facebook timeline. Or you can visit Boon’s. Bonsai Aesthetics Wire Is Back in every weight & … Continue reading Which Pot Would You Choose?

Green T Bonsai Monsters

Just in case you think your monster bonsai is too big for a Green T Hydraulic Lift Turntable… The following is the caption for this photo (from G T’s site)… “Matsuda san is the new entry in the Masahiko Kimura Bonsai family and her page Kimura’s home Bonsai has already gained world recognition.” And of course Green T is an important part of Kimura’s workshop (see below). BTW, the tree looks like a Japanese five needle pine (Pinus parviflora) A Green T Turntable will change the way your work on your bonsai and enhance the results… and you’ll enjoy the journey For some … Continue reading Green T Bonsai Monsters

Korea Bonsai Artists Exhibition

In addition to the strong trunk and nebari, there’s so much dynamic and expansive movement with this tree. The fruit looks like what you might find on a Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) and the tree could certainly pass, so quince is a safe guess. I don’t know who the artist or owner is This post is the first of a series on the recent Korea Bonsai Artists Exhibition. The photos were taken by Mu Jong Park and posted on facebook. The trees aren’t identified, nor are the artists or owners, so I’m already breaking my New Year’s resolution not to post unattributed bonsai. However, I think … Continue reading Korea Bonsai Artists Exhibition

Bonsai Island Paradise

Though it’s not really a bonsai if it’s in the ground, this one is a very close cousin. This photo and all the photos in this post are from Stone Garden. Continuing with our Korean bonsai theme. This one is from our archives (April, 2014). Tomorrow we’ll return to the Korean Bonsai Artists Exhibition. The bonsai shown here reside at a place called Stone Garden, on an island just south of Korea and due west of Japan’s Kyushu Island. The island’s name is Jeju and judging by the photos, it’s a rather magnificent place, with warm enough weather for plants that are … Continue reading Bonsai Island Paradise

A Celebration of American Bonsai

Coming sooner than you think! The 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition is the premier North American celebration of bonsai. The one event you don’t want to miss If you would like to submit any bonsai, the deadline for entries is June 1, 2018 (or until the exhibition is filled). If you’re like most people and just want to be there, it’s not too soon to make your plans This Colorado blue spruce won the ABS North American Bonsai Award at the 5th U.S. Exhibition. It belongs to Todd Schlafer The following is from Bill Valavanis’ Exhibition website… “The world bonsai community will once again be enriched by the … Continue reading A Celebration of American Bonsai

Fancy Bonsai Flowers

This Chojubai Dwarf Flowering Quince belongs to Michael Hagedorn. I took the liberty to crop Michael’s original photos for a closer look at the trees (all 4 uncropped versions are at the bottom of the post). It has been a while since we visited Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai, one of our favorite destinations and a reoccurring presence here on Bark. Anyway, it’s always best to let Michael speak for himself (from December 26th)… “A couple weeks back we photographed all the Dwarf Flowering Quince ‘Chojubai’ that were looking fancy, as they all decided to bloom at the same time this year. Which … Continue reading Fancy Bonsai Flowers

Bonsai Boug Before & After by Suthin (with Value Added)

Bougainvillea, before and after by Suthin Sukosolvisit. I’m not sure how much time elapsed from before to after, but given that Suthin lives in a cold climate and Bougainvillea are tropical and semi-tropical plants, my guess is at least several years. Trying to find time to get outside today, so we’ll resort to our archives once again. This one features one of our all time favorite bonsai artists, Suthin Sukosolvisit. It originally appeared here in March, 2015. As usual, I’ve made a few changes. Here’s your link to Suthin’s original before and after post ROSHI TOOL SPECIAL ENDS TONIGHT 40% OFF LIST PRICES ON ROSHI … Continue reading Bonsai Boug Before & After by Suthin (with Value Added)