Monster Mash

Bud Fulton sent us this scary photo. He took it at the North Carolina Bonsai Expo in Asheville. We don’t know who the tree belongs to, but we do know it’s a yew (Taxus) and that it suits our annual Halloween post to a tee. Just got this note from Bill Valavanis… “The Japanese yew belongs to Jim Doyle who also displayed it at the 2018 6th US National Bonsai Exhibition” Just in case you live in a cave (or in a place where October 31st has no particular significance), today is Halloween. Time to break out some scary trees… – FREE SHIPPING for Orders 75.00 … Continue reading Monster Mash

Harvey’s Brilliant Backyard Bonsai Garden

Here’s what Bill Valavanis has to say about Harvey Carapella’s backyard bonsai garden… “Enjoy the colorful bonsai garden of Harvey Carapella. His outstanding private bonsai collection is a joy to appreciate, especially at this time of year. I’m quite proud of my friend’s bonsai talent and accomplishments. WOW!” From Bill’s timeline It’s a small world…. It turns out that our Bonsai Star for the Day, Harvey Carapella is an old friend of a good friend of mine here in Vermont. It’s not a bonsai connection, just one of those serendipity type things. When we discover these kinds of connections, my question … Continue reading Harvey’s Brilliant Backyard Bonsai Garden

Wild Plum Bonsai, Before & After

Walter Pall’s Wild plum (Prunus cerasifera) before and six years later Continuing with our latest before and after series… Walter Pall has long been a favorite of ours. Aside from his massive bonsai collection and his considerable skills in developing and maintaining that collection, Walter takes the time to walk us though step by step transformations with a series of sharpe uncluttered photos. And not just three or four photos. In this case there are upwards of fifty (that’s on the high side even for Walter, but he’s always generous in this regard). We’ll show you five photos here and encourage you … Continue reading Wild Plum Bonsai, Before & After

Before & After Bonsai – the Desire to Improve What Most of Us Might Settle For

Before and after Shohin pine by Koji Hiramatsu. No size or species is mentioned, but you can tell it is quite small and you might guess it’s a Japanese black pine simply because it’s a favorite in Japan and the after shot looks like it might be one Continuing with another before and after, though moving way down in scale from yesterday’s monster. The photos are from Koji Hiramatsu’s fb timeline TWO NEW TOOL SPECIALS 40% off list prices on all Bonsai Aesthetics Tools & Tool Kits 40% off list prices on all Stainless Steel Tools Includes Roshi, Koyo & Other Tool Brands … Continue reading Before & After Bonsai – the Desire to Improve What Most of Us Might Settle For

Godzilla Refines a Monster Bonsai – Before & After

Before and after Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) by Todd Schlafer. The tree belongs to Mike Andrews. For the Godzilla reference, scroll down to the bottom of the post Continuing with another before and after transformation by Todd Schlafer (see Oct 19th). Here’s a quote by Mike Andrews (facebook)… “Progression of collected Rocky Mountain Juniper. Collected by Randy Knight, delivered to my house September 2016. Initial design and structure setting with Mauro in April 2017. Fertilized heavily and full sun 2017 and 2018 growing seasons resulted in very nice dense foliage. Finally detail wired and pad formation by Todd yesterday. … Continue reading Godzilla Refines a Monster Bonsai – Before & After

A Piece of Rebar, Some Nerve & More than a Little Skill

This before and after by David Benavente provides a look at what you can do with a piece of rebar, some nerve, and more than a little skill. I originally posted this in 2010 and can longer find David’s original, but if memory serves, the tree is a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) Continuing with David Benavente (see yesterday’s post) and our before and after from the day before… The photos for this post are from a a 2010 Bark post. I’ve reworked them some, and the text is new. For more on David, you can visit his website and you can visit him … Continue reading A Piece of Rebar, Some Nerve & More than a Little Skill

A Few Shots from the Asheville Bonsai Expo

This muscular olive is from the recent Asheville Bonsai Expo. The photo and the others shown here are by Owen Reich. I cropped most of Owen’s originals, including this one (see below) for closer looks All the photos shown here were taken by Owen Reich at the recent Asheville Bonsai Expo. Owen doesn’t mention the varieties or the owners, but this is common with photos taken at shows, where distractions (mostly people) are everywhere and it’s hard to keep track. For more photos from the Expo you can visit Owen’s timeline. I’m busy today, so I’ll spare you my usual comments TIE POTS ARE BACK … Continue reading A Few Shots from the Asheville Bonsai Expo

One Sweet Little Tree While Waiting for More

Our first photo from the just completed 2018 European Bonsai Sans Show. The tree belongs to Carlos Beto. I couldn’t find the species or size, but it looks like a Sohin (small) Cotoneaster. In any case, it’s got all the right stuff; heavy trunk with good movement, a strong nebari, and attractive little berries with a pot to match (red pots are on rise!). The moss is good too, with enough variation in texture and color to create interest (this is an often overlooked feature… slapping some moss on or just using sand or gravel isn’t good enough for a top show). Some might … Continue reading One Sweet Little Tree While Waiting for More

Ginkgo Bonsai – Spring, Summer & Fall

I’m not so sure about the apex or the way it’s so crowded in this photo, but I like the tree anyway. Especially that gnarly old trunk. It’s a Chi Chi, a small leaf Ginkgo cultivar. As you can see, it’s from Lakeshore Bonsai (Toronto area). Here’s Lakeshore’s caption: “Ginkgo biloba ‘chi-chi’, 7 years in development from imported raw material. Probably started as an air layer in Japan.” Finally home last night from vacation. Now to attack and vanquish two weeks worth of accumulated loose ends. Meanwhile, to save a little time, we’re resurrecting a post we did back in … Continue reading Ginkgo Bonsai – Spring, Summer & Fall

Too Big for Bonsai – Another Magnificent Monster

Boon Manakitivipart takes a good look at an impressive wild specimen just before he digs it up (just kidding). From Boon’s website Flying west to east today, so no time to put together a new post. This one, that originally appeared in October 2010 (with a little value added today), should do though. Not only does it tie in with yesterday by featuring another of nature’s magnificent trees, it also features one of our favorite bonsai people VISIT STONE LANTERN FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION AND BEST PRICES ON BONSAI WIRE – This shot gives you an idea of the scope and … Continue reading Too Big for Bonsai – Another Magnificent Monster