Laid-Back Scot’s Pine

This comfortably laid back bonsai is a Scot’s pine. Its feeling of relaxed informality is accentuated by the somewhat shaggy foliage and overall barely-touched-by-human-hands look. We always have an eye out for trees that are both compelling and unusual and I think this one fits the bill. It belongs to Pierre Robbach (Tenkei Bonsai Club, Mulhouse, France). I found the photo on Jean-Paul Polmans’ facebook feed. Jean-Paul is also associated with Tenkei. This is what sprung to mind when I saw the tree at the top of the post. It’s Nick Lenz’ famous Penelope. The tree is an American … Continue reading Laid-Back Scot’s Pine

Brilliant Bonsai, Brilliant Books

Daring and brilliant. I think the daring part is combining such a strong and unique pot with such a brilliant little flowering tree. Each could stand on its own, no problem. But together the brilliance is multiplied. Based on the flowers, I’d say the tree is a quince. The photos trees and pots shown here all belong to Michiko Koide. I don’t know much about Michiko Koide and google didn’t help. All I could find is her facebook timeline. Turns out, based on the photos, that’s plenty. Our Brilliant Bonsai Book Sale ends tomorrow night. 30% off our already discounted … Continue reading Brilliant Bonsai, Brilliant Books

Be Careful! Pinching Might Be Deadly

Was this foliage pinched in order to achieve that dense, perfectly refined shape and texture? The answer, according to Michael Hagedorn is an emphatic NO! Except when it isn’t. The image is borrowed from our Masters’ Series Juniper Bonsai book. I’ve been ripping off valuable tidbits from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai for a long time (always attributed and linked of course). Micheal is a noted American bonsai artist, teacher and author and a voice for a common sense approach to bonsai. Continued below… Michael Hagedorn’s famous Post-Dated Still the best bonsai read in the English language Back in 2012 Michael … Continue reading Be Careful! Pinching Might Be Deadly

Power, Elegance & a Bonsai Youth Movement

Sheer power. This impressive Japanese white pine was styled by Naoki Maeoka. In his own words: Every single branch of each tree was looked at carefully, and strong branches were cut, while leaving the soft ones to balance the foliage. Then I detail wired the entire tree to put the remaining branches in an ideal position. Trees were simply wired in these positions for the time being. It’s not the final goal of styling. It’s a new beginning towards achieving that eventual goal. The two trees shown here couldn’t be that different in terms of styles and effects. The Japanese … Continue reading Power, Elegance & a Bonsai Youth Movement

Another Immense Bonsai

This photo of what can only be described as a massive Sabina juniper was taken at Bonsaisense in Mallorca Spain, after two days of skillful transformation by Bjorn Bjorholm (and algunos amigos). Flashback. When I first glimpsed the tree above, I thought we were back at the Artisans Cup. I think this connection has a lot to do with this tree’s size and spread and just how many impressively large trees there were at the Cup. In case you wondering, the size of a bonsai isn’t what makes it worthy or not worthy. Still, size does add dramatic effect. Especially … Continue reading Another Immense Bonsai

…or You Could Just Sit Back & Enjoy Some Beautiful Bonsai

You don’t often see bonsai photographed in front of luminous gold screens or other such strong backgrounds. In most cases a neutral background makes more sense; you want the tree to stand out from the background, not compete with it. But in this case, I think we’re alright. The photo is from The Beauty of Bonsai. Today’s post features photos from some of our excellent bonsai books. You could consider this post one big ad (today is the first day of New Bonsai Book Sale. 30% off our already discounted prices), or you could just sit back and enjoy some … Continue reading …or You Could Just Sit Back & Enjoy Some Beautiful Bonsai

Living on the Edge

My best guess is that most of you will appreciate the inventiveness and the humor expressed in this mixed-media bonsai creation, though perhaps a few purists will take offense. It’s by Miyazato Rintaro (thanks to Colin Lewis for sharing it). Two of the photos in this post are new to us. The others, including the one above are from December 2014 post titled Bonsai on Broomstick Bicycle. I have soft spot for the outer edges of the art of bonsai. As long as the edges don’t slide over into novelty for novelties sake. In the photo above, the quality of … Continue reading Living on the Edge

Coming up, Another Great Year for Bonsai

Looks like a Japanese winterberry (Ilex serrata). My apologies for the chopped off pot; our scanner is too small to accommodate the whole bonsai. 2016 starts tomorrow, so you’ll need a good calendar. Both the photos shown here are from our 2016 Bonsai Calendar. Our scanner is too small to fit whole pages, but I suspect these photos are enough to provoke your interest. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed the recent evolution of the art of bonsai. It’s a world wide phenomenon and it’s moving very fast. I’ll blame the web among other things; including a surprising youth … Continue reading Coming up, Another Great Year for Bonsai

SALE – Everything 20% to 30% off at Stone Lantern

Everything at Stone Lantern is on Sale including hundreds of items that are already discounted 20% off orders 1.00 to 74.99 25% off orders 75.00 to 149.99 30% off orders 150.00 or more Bonsai Tools Bonsai Books Bonsai Wire Bonsai Fertilizers & Bonsai Soil Watering Cans Bonsai Pots Bonsai Today Back Issues Embroidered Bonsai Clothing Japanese Gardening Tools And much more…

A Collection of Famous Bonsai in a Lovely Outdoor Setting

Atlas cedar with shadows at the Pacific Bonsai Museum WHOOPS Let’s make that the National Bonsai Museum in Wash DC. From the John Naka collection. Photo by Jonas Dupuich (Bonsai Tonight). By now most of you have been flooded with great photos from the Artisans Cup (with more to come). What you may not have seen are photos from Cup sponsored tours to the Pacific Bonsai Museum with its collection of famous bonsai in a lovely outdoor setting. All the photos below (with the exception of the 5 styles) were taken by my childhood friend Michael Wells. The photos of … Continue reading A Collection of Famous Bonsai in a Lovely Outdoor Setting