Making an Apex Look Like an Apex

After. Compacting the apex of a Japanese white pine. Borrowed without permission from our friend and teacher, Michael Hagedorn (can you really borrow something without permission?). The before photo is below. It has been a while since we plundered from Crataegus. It’s the before and after apex that caught my attention (the other photos are just for the fun of it). Reason being, that for many of us, figuring out how to make an apex look like an apex is no mean feat. Maybe this will help. A little slice of Crataegus Bonsai. Those doors lead into Michael’s spacious … Continue reading Making an Apex Look Like an Apex

Wire: What’s the Difference?

Like most bonsai, this one has been wired. In fact, there’s visible wire on it right now. It’s a Shimpaku that’s from a chapter in our Masters’ Series Juniper book, titled Keiko Tamaki’s Deft Touch. Most bonsai are wired at some stage in their development. In fact, bonsai that have been around for a long time may have been wired repeatedly over the years. There are very good reasons for this, not the least of which is, it is often very difficult to get decent results without wire. There’s much more that be can said about this but we’ll leave … Continue reading Wire: What’s the Difference?

Trim, Wire, Feed, Transplant, Enjoy

Trident maple forest from Bonsai Today issue 14. Back issues of Bonsai Today are 75% off. We don’t often use Bonsai Bark to advertise our products, but in this case, because so many of you have been waiting for our Bonsai Aesthetics wire, we’re making a somewhat rare exception. Our famous and enormously popular Bonsai Aesthetics wire is back, and, as always, the prices are unbeatable. 1 Kilo rolls are from 14.80 to 18.50 each depending on how many you buy, and 100 gram rolls are from 2.36 to 2.95 also depending on how many you buy. Roshi Bonsai Tool … Continue reading Trim, Wire, Feed, Transplant, Enjoy

A Steady Stream…

Premna serratifolia by Robert Steven. Aside from the immediate impact of the old wood with all the trunks popping up everywhere, there’s the counter-balance provided by the sturdy little trunk on the far left and the way the two tiny trunks at the base provide subtle accents. And then there’s that teetering trunk on that tiny tip that sticks out on the far right at the very end of the planting (six years of government-funded college down the drain on two mangled sentences). The beat goes on. If you take the time to go back through our 700-plus previous posts, … Continue reading A Steady Stream…

It’s No Secret

Michael Hagedorn worked on this spectacular Ezo spruce while I labored trying to follow his wiring instructions. He used copper wire because it’s a conifer (he uses aluminum wire on deciduous trees) and he frequently stopped to mist the foliage as he went, explaining that spruces are prone to dropping needles when disturbed and that spraying helps prevent this. I don’t think it’s a secret that Michael Hagedorn is an elite bonsai artists. I know this in part because I spend a lot of time looking at bonsai from around the world. Also, when I talk to other world-class bonsai … Continue reading It’s No Secret

Lost & Found

Shadow dance. Here’s one that we didn’t show on our now vanished post (see below). The tree was on display at the Noelanders Trophy Exhibition and the image is courtesy Crataegus Bonsai, as are all the images in this post. I don’t know who the artist is. One more time. A week or so ago I accidentally deleted a post on the Noelander Trophy Exhibit. I had borrowed the images from Crataegus Bonsai, so I thought I’d go through and post some again, including one that was posted before. Speaking of Crataegus Bonsai, I just finished studying wiring with Mr. … Continue reading Lost & Found

Never Finished & Not Exactly Faint Praise

This Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) with its delightful deadwood and fluid movement was collected by Tony Cardoza and styled by Michael Hagedorn. Here’s Michael’s caption: “Finished tree. Or as my friends remind me, ‘No, not finished, that’s a dead tree!’ It’s quite alive. The tree is 24″ high, 31″ wide. The left lower branch is the key branch so it will need to grow out a bit. Left flow. In fact all the branches need length, as it looks like a small tree on top of a large base. I hope I’ve set things approximately right so there will … Continue reading Never Finished & Not Exactly Faint Praise

Weekly Wire: The End of Lime Sulfur?

This Trident maple root-over-rock belongs to Jonas Dupuich. It’s from a Bonsai Tonight article about the 11th Bay Island Bonsai Exhibit. The Bay Island Bonsai 13th Annual Bonsai Exhibit is coming very soon (Jan 13-14 14-15). Judging by photos from previous exhibits, it looks like it’s one of the better bonsai shows in North America. It’s at the Oakland Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave. For more information: (510) 919-5042 or visit their website. The following turned out to be much ado about almost nothing (12/24/12). Bad news about lime sulfur. It’s hard to imagine bonsai without lime sulfur. But … Continue reading Weekly Wire: The End of Lime Sulfur?

Wire By The Ton & A Simple Lesson

A very simple wiring lesson. It’s pretty self explanatory, but if you need more explanation, check out ‘Wiring a Young Tree’ in Bonsai Today issue 107 (Bonsai Today back issues are currently 70% off at Stone Lantern). That’s a lot of bonsai wire It’s now official. We have sold almost exactly one ton of Bonsai Aesthetics wire since we started offering it on June 26th of this year. Two very good reasons There are two very good reasons why Bonsai Aesthetics wire is so popular: first, quality: it’s easy to use and it holds very well. Second, low prices. 1 … Continue reading Wire By The Ton & A Simple Lesson

Why Our New Bonsai Aesthetics Wire Is Such A Great Deal

It’s mostly about price… But it’s also about quality… Have you tried our NEW BONSAI AESTHETICS WIRE? We started selling it in June, and about a half ton later the verdict is in: it goes on easily and it holds very well. So well that’s it’s hard to tell the difference with wire that costs twice as much. Which brings us back to the price… 100 gram rolls are only 2.95 each with easy to achieve volume discounts of 10% to 30% 1 Kilo rolls are only 21.00 each also with easy to achieve volume discounts of 10% to 30% … Continue reading Why Our New Bonsai Aesthetics Wire Is Such A Great Deal