Bonsai that Don’t Bust Your Bank Account & an Important Natural Phenomenon You Might Not Be Aware of

We’ve featured this tree before, but because I don’t think you’ll see many bonsai quite like it, it’s worth another look. Two photos just below show the natural phenomenon behind this type carving. The tree is a yew. The artist is Harry Harrington. All the photos in this post are courtesy of Harry Harrington, an artist who specializes in what you might call found bonsai (bonsai from the wild or from hedgerows and gardens or wherever else the original stock might come from that doesn’t bust your bank account). Harry is also the author of The Foundations of Bonsai, a book that explores the … Continue reading Bonsai that Don’t Bust Your Bank Account & an Important Natural Phenomenon You Might Not Be Aware of

Bonsai Times 2,500 and Counting…

I found this impressive root-on-rock juniper in one of our favorite places. No mention of variety or artist, so we won’t mention our source either (see below). Btw, Image Search came up empty If my math is correct, this should be our 2,500th post, give or take. Putting that rather astounding fact aside, today marks the day that we (that’s me) will no longer attribute our source in cases where our source doesn’t bother to attribute theirs or make any effort to identify the variety or provide any other pertinent information. There’s no good reason to credit someone for simply finding a bonsai and posting … Continue reading Bonsai Times 2,500 and Counting…

Deadwood Wars

Deadwood anyone? No matter your opinion about excessive deadwood, you must admit this is a very powerful bonsai. Beyond sheer power and no matter your opinion, it’s hard to deny that the artist posses first rate skill when it comes to carving and styling bonsai. This and the other photos shown here were posted by Naldo Nolder (another Brazilian – see our 9/22 and 9/23 posts). He doesn’t say who the artists are. You’ll have to excuse me for the title; Deadwood Wars is little extreme. It’s just I’ve heard so many complaints over the last few years about excessive deadwood. I’m inclined to … Continue reading Deadwood Wars

When to Let a Tree Run Off Leash – by Michael Hagedorn

This luminous Japanese maple in full fall color is from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai Portfolio. I don’t know for sure when, or for how long Michael lets this one off the leash, but after reading the article below, I have some idea. Once again we’re paying homage to the wisdom of Michael Hagedorn, our favorite source for the nitty-gritty of growing bonsai. This time it’s about managing and especially not managing the growth of our trees. The text and Winter Hazel photo below are from Michael’s Crataegus Bonsai blog In Michael’s own words… “We talk endlessly about how to manage the growth … Continue reading When to Let a Tree Run Off Leash – by Michael Hagedorn

Brilliant Bonsai Berries and Something for Cat Lovers

Two bunches of brilliant berries on either side of central gap… In this shot, almost all the berries and foliage are parted down the middle, which provides a clear view of the trunk all the way from the base to the apex. This is quite unusual. Most bonsai will show the lower third or half of the trunk while most of the upper regions are hidden, or at least partially hidden. The tree is a Pyracantha. The pot is Japanese and the artist is Christian De Ross Today we’re picking up where we left off yesterday, with the bonsai of Christian De … Continue reading Brilliant Bonsai Berries and Something for Cat Lovers

The Finest Bonsai Deserves the Finest Turntable

Everything looks good on a Green T turntable and this luscious azalea in full flower is no exception. Here’s part of the caption that the folks at Green T wrote with this photo… “@bonsaiwarsaw loves azaleas! This variety of bonsai require lots of special care and dedication and we are glad that such a young innovative bonsai artist is trusting Green T to do his best!” I cropped the original photo to feature just the tree (apologies for the slight fuzz). The uncropped version is below. All the photos shown here are from Green Ts fb photos Just in case … Continue reading The Finest Bonsai Deserves the Finest Turntable

Bjorn’s Biggest Loser – Before & After – Fertilizing Old Trees

Before and After. This masterpiece Itoigawa Shimpaku was restyled by Bjorn Bjorholm at Keiichi Fujikawa’s Kouka-en Bonsai Nursery in Ikeda City, Japan, where Bjorn was apprenticing at the time. The photo is from a post on Bjorn’s Bjorvala Bonsai Studio blog, as are all the photos in this post. Continuing with our Bjorn Bjorholm theme (it fits well with our ongoing before and after theme as well). This post originally appeared here in April, 2013, with a few minor changes today In Bjorn’s own words… “This massive Itoigawa Shimpaku has a long history as a bonsai. It was first shown in the Kokufu-ten about 35 years ago, … Continue reading Bjorn’s Biggest Loser – Before & After – Fertilizing Old Trees

Tall Cliffs & a Rickety Little Bridge

Partial shot of a large penjing style planting that features water, tall cliffs and a rickety little bridge. The artist is Bjorn Bjorholm with some friends as able assistants Yesterday we featured a planting and a few other bonsai by Bjorn Bjorholm and friends. Today we’ve got another one from the same event (you can visit Bjorn on facebook for more) KILO BONSAI WIRE ONLY 14.95 PER ROLL this special ends this Thursday additional 5% off orders 150.00 or more Bjorn and friends posing with their masterpiece. Bjorn is the one with the blue T-shirt A piece of the action… THE Book for Penjing … Continue reading Tall Cliffs & a Rickety Little Bridge

A Well Traveled, Hard Working Bonsai Artist

Bjorn Bjorholm posted this root-on-rock gem the other day. It looks like a juniper, but I can’t tell for sure what kind and won’t bother to guess. Speaking of guesses, I’ll venture that some or all of the trees might share a single root system, and that the rock formation is manmade. I cropped this photo to eliminate background noise. A version that shows the whole planting is just below. Bjorn Bjorholm has to be one of the most well-traveled and hard working bonsai artists anywhere. At least that’s the impression I get from his posts on facebook. Speaking of, stay posted … Continue reading A Well Traveled, Hard Working Bonsai Artist

Two Splendid Cedar Bonsai

This has to be one of the very best Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) bonsai we’ve seen yet. We’ve seen thousands of magnificent Cedars growing in the wild here in Northern Vermont and surrounding states and provinces, but very few top quality bonsai. BTW: this one belongs to Brian Donnely of Quebec City. The photo is from one of the U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition albums (I don’t remember which). The rest of the photos in this post are of another brilliant Cedar that belongs to Michael Pollock This post was inspired by a Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) that we’ve featured here … Continue reading Two Splendid Cedar Bonsai