Full Cascade Before & After – Stone Lantern Summer Vacation

Here’s another routine maintenance before and after. As you can see, it’s a monster cascading Juniper. Just how ‘monster’ we don’t know, as there’s no size given. Nor is there a variety (looks a lot like a Shimpaku juniper) or an artist/owner Like yesterday’s post, this one is from BonsaiBaison. It’s part of a their series on before and after bonsai with high quality mature trees Stone Lantern will be closed from July 28th to August 14th (see below for details). Orders received after the 3:00pm EDT, July 27th, will be sent on a first come, first served basis, beginning on the … Continue reading Full Cascade Before & After – Stone Lantern Summer Vacation

Before & After – Maintaining & Upgrading Quality Bonsai

This high quality bonsai provides an excellent example of a before and after, when the before is already a well established tree. The tree belongs to Yannik Kiggen (coincidentally, we just did a first time post on Yannick last month). The artist is Manuel Germade, another first timer here on Bark. Though the variety isn’t mentioned, it looks like a lot like a Yew (Taxus) Back to before and after. This time the tree is an already a well established bonsai, while the artist Manuel Germade, though perhaps also already well established, is new to us. Though there are many different types of before and … Continue reading Before & After – Maintaining & Upgrading Quality Bonsai

Dance, People, Bird & Other Innovative Bonsai

Selecting a lead tree isn’t always easy. Especially with so many good bonsai to choose from. I settled on this one partly because it’s a full cascade and good full cascade bonsai aren’t that common, and partly because of the tree’s overall relaxed feel; the unusual way the foliage seems draped across the top and just how loose all the foliage hangs. Not to say that its wild shape and extraordinary deadwood aren’t enough to make this tree worthy. But then most of Gede Merte’s bonsai show wild shapes and extraordinary deadwood. The tree is Pemphis acidula. A common plant … Continue reading Dance, People, Bird & Other Innovative Bonsai

Silky Smooth

We cropped the original photo (just below) so we could get a closer look at both the extraordinary pot and the heart of this magnificent tree. We don’t know the variety, but thanks to Silky Jemiran, we do know that the owner is Tri Djoko Endro Susilo. Yesterday’s Root Over Rock Bonsai with Sherlock Holmes featured a handful of excellent tropical bonsai photos that we borrowed from Silky Jemiran. We liked what we saw, so we’ll just keep going in the same direction. As we mentioned yesterday, we liked Silky’s habit of listing the owner of each tree (something that is often lacking on social media), and though it turns out … Continue reading Silky Smooth

Root Over Rock Bonsai with Sherlock Holmes

Not exactly root-over-rock, but more like root-next-to-small-rock. Still, simplicity contrasted with a wild shape and texture make for a striking bonsai. By the way, I did not commit the sin of chopping off the pot, though I did adjust the image to take out background noise. All three photos shown here were lifted a social meadia post titled ‘Bonsai Indonesia‘ by Silky Jemiran. Silky lists the owner of this tree as Zhylonk Kiakiz Alfarizhy. Sometimes tracking down the real owner of a bonsai that appears on social media requires the imagination and determination of a Sherlock Holmes. Even then, you … Continue reading Root Over Rock Bonsai with Sherlock Holmes

An Exciting ‘New’ Shohin Bonsai Forum

I’m a sucker for a tree like this, with its colorful profusion of tiny fruit and its muscular little trunk. It’s a Dwarf Kumquat (Kinzu) that I took the liberty to crop in order to eliminate background noise (the uncropped original is below). Our source for this photo (see below) mentions the type tree, but there’s no artist/owner listed. I just discovered an exciting new (to me) forum of, in their own words… “Community for bonsai artists who like mini and shohin bonsai.” Their quote continues… “Please join our community of shohin fans and take part by posting your pictures, … Continue reading An Exciting ‘New’ Shohin Bonsai Forum

“One Quick Glance at this Tree Brought Me to a State of Nirvana”

A close up of a rather spectacular root-over-rock bonsai by Robert Steven (the entire planting is just below). Here’s our original caption (from May, 2016)… Robert Steven has done it again. This time it’s a perfect root-over-rock bonsai. Here’s what Charles Bevan has to say about it: “This is unbelievably perfect. One quick glance at this tree brought me to a state of nirvana.” The three trees shown here are from Robert Steven’s timeline. No varieties given, and though we would rather know what they are, we can still enjoy simple bonsai beauty, with or without a name. We just … Continue reading “One Quick Glance at this Tree Brought Me to a State of Nirvana”

Maple Kissing the Rock (Arce Besando La Roca)

That’s a rock sticking out on the left side of this Trident maple. According to Juan Andrade, the maple is kissing the rock (Arce “besando” la roca) We’ve been posting recurring themes these days. For example we’ve run a whole string of Before & Afters lately. Now with yesterday (another before & after) and today, the new binding factor is Juan Andrade. Juan is one of a whole host of young Western apprentices (Costa Rica in Juan’s case) who are studying or have studied in Japan. The photos and quotes shown here are from Juan’s timeline NEW SPECIAL Watering Cans … Continue reading Maple Kissing the Rock (Arce Besando La Roca)

Before & After Bonsai – From Sow’s Ear to Silk Purse, a Remarkable 7 Year Transformation

Before and after of one Harry Harrington’s famous privets. Here’s Harry’s caption… “For completion, the large Privet bonsai defoliated, wood-hardened and re-styled last month, now back in leaf and ready to live out its days with its new owner near Birmingham (U.K.). Seen here in 2010 after I was given the tree when it was just a big lump of wood collected from a hedge, and now, 7 years later. Ligustrum ovalifolium/Privet bonsai, Height 16″/39cm, Trunk diameter 7″/17cm, Pot by Victor Harris of Erin Pottery” It’s amazing what seven years and a whole lot of skill and imagination can do. … Continue reading Before & After Bonsai – From Sow’s Ear to Silk Purse, a Remarkable 7 Year Transformation

Photographing Bonsai – Change Your Viewing Angle

This shot looking up into the tree accentuates the dynamic flow of the trunk and allows for a clear look at all its texture and other details. The artist, Mauro Stemberger doesn’t identify any of the trees shown here, but it’s safe to say Juniper with this one, though we won’t guess the species. All the photos shown here were posted by Mauro Stemberger under the title Change your viewing angle… In this case, the change involves a lower camera placement than what we are accustomed to. A placement that allows you to lookup into the tree in much the … Continue reading Photographing Bonsai – Change Your Viewing Angle