This sweet little juniper… …came from this somewhat scraggly nursery stock. The artist is Simon Carr. The photo was originally submitted to artofbonsai.org and later appeared in Bonsai Today 103 in a Green Workshop article entitled Instant Bonsai.
Bottoms up! This somewhat intriguing shot is from Bonsai Today, issue 64. This post, and another to follow soon, explore how Mr. Harumi Miau arrived at this point. Before. Japanese maple (Acer plamatum) with some unsolicited bonus design tips.
This rather nice looking Trident maple (Acer buergerianum) is sporting a monstrous nebari. Does it look a bit like a clown’s oversized shoes? Or does it suit your fancy just as it is? The original appears in Bonsai Today issue 70 in an article titled “Transplanting to increase the feeling of age,” by Kazunori Kamiya.
This Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) presents a number of striking features, not the least of which is its powerful nebari (surface roots). The photo originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 35. This post is part of an article that originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 23 (out of print). It was later revised and republished in Bonsai Today issue 102. Improving a Nebari by Oishi Kazo Nebari are often under-appreciated, especially in the west. In Japan, bonsai artists will sometimes talk about nebari as though it is the most important feature when looking for bonsai material. If you think about … Continue reading In Search of the Perfect Nebari – part two
Can you figure out what’s going on here? If you are an experienced bonsai enthusiast, you may get it at a glance, especially if you’ve seen Bonsai Today issue 8 (long out of print). If what’s going on is not so evident, take a look at the drawing below and see if that helps.
This Satsuki azalea (Rhododendron indicum) was originally field grown (it’s from Bonsai Today issue 40). Field growing is common for azaleas; some start as landscape plants and are later dug up for bonsai, while others are grown as bonsai stock from the beginning. In our last field growing post we mention planting directly into native soil without digging in amendments when you plant. A friend of my points out that she has no native soil; her house and yard were built on fill. In our usage of native soil, we mean whatever soil is already there; in other words, my … Continue reading Field Growing 4: Native Soil
This unique bonsai is a Pemphis acidula by Budi Sulistyo (Budi is the author of Tropical Bonsai Gallery). The tree received second place (professional category) in our first and only Bonsai Today awards contest. It appears in Bonsai Today issue 106. Oh, Mexico! I just got back from Patzcuaro Mexico. Day temperatures of 70 to 80F (21 to 27C) and deep blue skies backdropping emerald leaves and needles, wildly bright bougainvillea flowers (actually bracts) and all the rest of natures uninhibited display. Now I’m back to our relentless cold gray skies and fields of snow. You gotta wonder. While we … Continue reading Gallery of Your Bonsai
Digging a field grown Japanese Black Pine. From Bonsai Today, issue 75. In Field Growing 2 I said I just dug a hole and planted. Actually, that isn’t the whole story; when you field grow bonsai stock, you need to cut off the downward growing roots and spread the lateral roots. This encourages lateral top growth (above ground growth) and nebari development (check the top photo in Field Growing 2). Some people put a board, or tile, or some other flat object a few inches under the roots to inhibit downward root growth and encourage lateral growth. Others, like me, … Continue reading Field Growing 3: Spreading Roots & More
Welcome to the first post on our new blog. We’ve decided to call it Bonsai Bark. This name, in addition to being easy to remember, says something about what we would like to communicate. Bonsai stripped bare down to the bark; revealed, open, visible, exposed. Accessible to anyone willing to take a close look. I once read that the first Westerners to see Japanese bonsai thought there was some sort of magic involved. Now we know better; bonsai, like any art, requires a mix of desire, vision, feeling, technique, experience and patience. Nothing supernatural needed. Some talent doesn’t hurt, but … Continue reading Welcome to Bonsai Bark