Growing Superior Pine Bonsai

One of the most famous Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora) bonsai in the world. After restyling by Masahiko Kimura (aka the Magician). This photo is from the White pine gallery in our Masters’ Series Pine Book. If you would like to grow pine bonsai, there no better place to start (and continue) than with our Masters Series Pine book. We’ll show you just a few photos and illustrations along with the Table of Contents, so you’ll have some idea of the depth and scope of this remarkable book. Though I know this post reads suspiciously like an infomercial (our Pine … Continue reading Growing Superior Pine Bonsai

Masters Series Pine Bonsai Book Is Back

One of dozens of world class trees featured in our Bonsai Today Masters Series Pine book. It’s back! To reward those of you who have been waiting so patiently, we’re going to offer it at a discount…. only 26.95 (list is 34.95). Order yours while the price is right. If you need some encouragement take a look below… Candle pinching. An essential needle reduction and energy balancing technique for almost any type of pine. Elegance. Bunjin Japanese white pine. If you’d like to grow some black pines from seed, here’s a few steps from the only source you’ll ever need. … Continue reading Masters Series Pine Bonsai Book Is Back

Pine Bonsai – Texture, Movement & Color

It’s hard not to notice what a powerful tree this is, even with the apex slightly nipped and most of the pot missing. It’s a Japanese white pine from the 34th Taikan-ten Bonsai Exhibition. Spring bonsai and other chores beckon and time is compressed, so we’ll delve back into our archives today. This one is from December, 2014. All the photos in this post are from the 34th Taikan-ten Bonsai Exhibition (with the exception of the wiring photo just below). Taikan-ten takes place once a year in Kyoto and is considered by most people to be the second most important … Continue reading Pine Bonsai – Texture, Movement & Color

Taming & Redirecting Growth on a Shohin Japanese Black Pine

After styling. The tree is a Cork bark Japanese black pine. The hand belongs to the Ben Gliffin. If you compare this photo with the before photo just below, you can see some real progress with needle thinning and reduction. You might also notice how Ben has left the needles on the far left longer than the needles on top. This will encourage vigor in the direction of the longer needles. The sweet little tree featured here is a Shohin Cork bark Japanese black pine that belongs to Ben Gliffin. If you know Japanese black pines you also know that … Continue reading Taming & Redirecting Growth on a Shohin Japanese Black Pine

Powerful Pine Bonsai, Books & Wire

This has to be one of the most impressive bonsai pine forests anywhere. Actually, you can scratch the pine part and we’ll just leave it at one of the most impressive forests, period. Most of us would be more than delighted to have any one of these trees in our backyard, let alone the whole planting. Nice pot too. Looks a bit like an escarpment in the Rockies. This and the other photos in this post are courtesy of Robert Steven. We’ve shown all the photos featured here before, but they are so exceptional that there’s no harm in showing … Continue reading Powerful Pine Bonsai, Books & Wire

Bonsai on a Half Shell

This Tsukomo cypress-on-a-half-shell* is being offered for sale by Suthin Sukosolvisit. Before I read the variety I thought for sure it was a Hinoki cypress (same genus, Chamaecyparis, but different species), but I’ll defer to Suthin’s keen eye. Our old friend Suthin (Suthin Bonsai Studio) has been putting up new trees for sale on a regular basis for the last few months. These aren’t just bonsai from your everyday bonsai company either. Each one is from Suthin’s personal collection, and when an artist offers something from their personal collection, it’s usually among their very best. Speaking of his best, Suthin’s … Continue reading Bonsai on a Half Shell

Wire All the Way Out to the Tips and Don’t Forget to Take It All Off

Japanese white pine bunjin wired at Taisho en. From ‘The Art of Bonsai.’ Taking the first Sunday of spring (ha!) off today, so we’ll dig it into the vast wealth buried in our archives. The original is titled Wiring Tips: Take It All Off (but not too early). It appeared in May of 2011. BTW: it’s no accident that it’s about wiring. Our Big Kilo Wire Sale ends tonight and I thought this might serve as a good reminder. It this light, I’ve added something called Wiring All the Way Out to the Tips from another earlier post. Take it … Continue reading Wire All the Way Out to the Tips and Don’t Forget to Take It All Off

A Multitude of Remarkable Bonsai Photos from Our Remarkable Bonsai Books (Book Sale Ends Tonight)

This luscious Satsuki azalea is one of a multitude of remarkable bonsai photos from the very aptly named, Fine Bonsai, Art and Nature. There’s a theme to this large gallery and a method to our madness. All the photos are from bonsai books that we sell and all our books are currently on sale at Stone Lantern. However, today is the last day of the sale. It ends at 11:59pm EST tonight, Wednesday, February 4th, 2015. You can find this somewhat unruly and very distinctive apple bonsai on the back cover of Nick Lenz’ landmark book on collecting, Bonsai … Continue reading A Multitude of Remarkable Bonsai Photos from Our Remarkable Bonsai Books (Book Sale Ends Tonight)

Semi Cascade Not Windswept

After by Kimura (aka the Magician). This photo is from a chapter in our Masters’ Series Pine Book titled Masahiko Kimura Transforms A Semi-Cascade. The tree is a Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora). I’m at the tail end of a short vacation of sorts, so we’ll indulge in one more rerun before it’s back to work full time. This one originally appeared in August 2012. It was titled The Other Cascade: Before & After. The other cascade Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seem to me that, with the exception of Junipers (especially the ever present Procumbens nana) you … Continue reading Semi Cascade Not Windswept

An Almost Forgotten Promise

One of several great Shimpaku junipers from Bjorn Bjorholm’s Bjorvala Bonsai Studio. I picked this one in part because of the little curlycue jin (dead branch) hanging down. I’ve seen plenty of other intriguing jins, but this one is so distinctive and in a place so prominent that it comes close to stealing the show (in spite of the light background that diminishes its effect, and in spite of the many other wonders of this tree). Not that anybody remembers or cares… still it’s time to come through on an old promise. In February of last year we posted some … Continue reading An Almost Forgotten Promise