Bonsai-San as We Speak…

This unusual full cascade Juniper will no doubt put off some of our anti-deadwood folks, but to my eyes, it’s a a highly expressive, dynamic tree. Cascade shots are normally taken from a point that shows the tree cascading down one side of the pot, but in this case the pot is hidden by the tree, which creates a whole different effect. All the photos shown here were taken by Andres Bicocca at this weekend’s European Bonsai San Show in Saulieu France. Andres’ only text with the photos reads… Viaje a Francia “Saulieu 2017.” Non of the trees or artists are … Continue reading Bonsai-San as We Speak…

Another Brilliant Bonsai in Full Fall Foliage & Other Famous Trees

Always nice to lead with a little color. This cheerful full fall color Trident maple belonged to Suthin Sukosolvisit when we first showed it way back in 2009. I don’t know who the lucky owner is now. Suthin’s luminous little tree above plays well with our ongoing fall foliage theme, while the rest of the trees shown here, play well with our long standing appreciation of Suthin’s bonsai. Continued below… Two NEW Yoshiaki Sales Yoshiaki Japanese Bonsai Wire 40% OFF LIST PRICE YOSHIAKI JAPANESE BONSAI hand tools 40% OFF LIST PRICE Yoshiaki, a leading name in Japanese Bonsai Products This Tsukomo cypress-on-a-half-shell was offered … Continue reading Another Brilliant Bonsai in Full Fall Foliage & Other Famous Trees

Bonsai of the Day

This dramatically undulating Japanese Maple in its spectacularly vivid full fall foliage splendor (blame it on too much coffee) resides at Showa Memorial Park in Japan. I stumbled upon it and some other mind popping photos on a recent post titled Bonsai of the Day by Oscar at Bonsai Empire. The only connection I can see that ties these photos together is none of them are shot with neutral backgrounds (my usual choice). This and the fact that I like the trees… but that applies to all the photos we post Kilo Bonsai Wire Special 14.95 FOR KILO ROLLS OF WIRE IS TOO GOOD TO … Continue reading Bonsai of the Day

“I’m in Love with This Tree” Another Taxus by Andres & Setting the Record Straight

This shot is from a must see video with Andres Alvarez Iglesias and another of his European yews (Taxus baccata). Setting the record straight… Yesterday we featured a famous European yew that belongs to Andres Alvarez Iglesias. Today we’ve got another one by Andres (watch the video!, you can thank me later) and a mea culpa by yours truly This tree was NOT carved by human hands! Yesterday’s yew with apologies to Andres and Mother Nature. What I should have said yesterday is that this tree was NOT carved by human hands*. Given that you see so many yews (and junipers and etc…) that are carved by human hands – usually with … Continue reading “I’m in Love with This Tree” Another Taxus by Andres & Setting the Record Straight

CORRECTION – THIS TREE WAS NOT CARVED BY HUMAN HANDS

Another intricately carved yew. There’s something about yews that just beg to be carved, even though with such hard wood it’s labor intensive. Unless you have nothing but time, power tools are a must. The artist is Andres Alvarez Iglesias. CORRECTION – THIS TREE WAS NOT CARVED BY HUMAN HANDS see our post from October 6th for the full story Here’s Fred Chenal’s Caption that he posted with this tree… “SURPRISE GUEST….. Andres Alvarez Iglesias will be joining us for a special conference on Sunday, October 15th @11:00 am…. “EVOLUTION OF TAXUS BONSAI” …Hasta pronto, a trés bientôt and see you soon!!” As it turns out, October … Continue reading CORRECTION – THIS TREE WAS NOT CARVED BY HUMAN HANDS

I’m Still Surprised by the Quality & Price of Our Roshi Bonsai Tools – Especially When I Use Them

Our selection of over 50 high quality and affordable Roshi Bonsai Tools come in both stainless and high carbon steel NEW Roshi Bonsai Tool Special 25% TO 40% Off List Prices CHOSE FROM 60 DIFFERENT TOOLS AND TOOL KITS ROSHI SETS THE STANDARD FOR AFFORDABLE, QUALITY BONSAI TOOLS When I fist saw Roshi tools I was struck by their beauty. Then, when I held them in my hand, it was easy to feel the quality and I was surprised by how affordable they are. Now, a few years later, I’m still surprised by the quality and price of each and every one. Especially when … Continue reading I’m Still Surprised by the Quality & Price of Our Roshi Bonsai Tools – Especially When I Use Them

Long Live the Bonsai King

Full cascade Japanese black pine (Pinus thumbergii). Japanese for Black pine is Kuromatsu (kuro is black and matsu is pine). Yesterday we resurrected trees from the famous Kokufu Exhibition and the response has been very positive, so why not keep digging in the same vein? Japanese black pines are sometimes referred to a the king of bonsai. This may be in part due to their natural strength; they tend to have powerful trunks and thick lush foliage. Rugged bark doesn’t hurt either. King or not, the best of the black pines are undeniably among the most impressive bonsai in the world. All the … Continue reading Long Live the Bonsai King

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

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

A Bonsai in Hand…

When it comes to fall color, this little Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) puts on a pretty good show, with the contrasting brilliance of the pot and leaves being nothing short of spectacular. All the trees shown in this post are by Cristian De Ross, a first timer here on Bark. I always feel a little lucky when I stumble upon superior Shohin bonsai. Especially when they’re hand held. The hand gives perspective on size without the distraction of the awkward drink cans you sometimes see. In this case the superior Shohin belong to Christian De Ross. Christian lives in Caxias do Sul, Brasil. You can see more of his remarkable shohin and … Continue reading A Bonsai in Hand…