Boon’s Tamarack and 4 Pots – Which Do You Prefer?

One American larch (Larix laricina) and four pots (plus the original). Which do you prefer? All this images in this post were borrowed from Boon Manakitivipart (the image above is a composite that we put together). Yesterday, April 21st was our first day of spring here in northern Vermont (not technically, but really), so I started digging up some Larches I’ve been growing in the ground for the last 10 to 15 years and putting them into nursery pots. My plan is to take some of them to the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition in September. Anyway, my mind is … Continue reading Boon’s Tamarack and 4 Pots – Which Do You Prefer?

Bonsai Boon: A Sierra Juniper’s Eight Year Journey

Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) before and after by Boon Manakitivipart Staying with our Sierra juniper theme, this impressive bonsai originally appeared here in December, 2009 (approximately 3,000 posts ago) We’ve featured Boon Manakitivipart on this blog numerous times over the years, and for good reason. Boon is a highly accomplished bonsai artist and teacher whose enthusiasm and skill has influenced a generation of aspiring Western bonsai artists. If you are serious about improving your skills, you might want to check Boon’s intensives. visit stone lantern for the largest selection and best prices on Bonsai Wire – Before. June 2001. Sierra juniper that was no doubt … Continue reading Bonsai Boon: A Sierra Juniper’s Eight Year Journey

Site Wide Sale Ends Sunday Night – Deep Discounts on All Your Bonsai Essentials

This Sierra juniper by Boon Manakitivipart has the distinction of being on the cover of our final issue of Bonsai Today (issue 108). Bonsai Today magazine back issues are included in our Site Wide Sale which ends Sunday night (March 25th) at 11:59pm EDT – 20% to 70% off Site Wide Sale* ends Sunday Night – INCLUDES OUR SUPERB ROSHI TOOLS quality materials & craftsmanship make for precision, durability and beauty and at much more reasonable prices than you might expect BONSAI AESTHETICS WIRE also deeply discounted KILO ROLLS ONLY 15.95 500 GRAM ROLLS ONLY 8.95 100 GRAM ROLLS ONLY 3.45 Site Wide Sale also … Continue reading Site Wide Sale Ends Sunday Night – Deep Discounts on All Your Bonsai Essentials

Sumo Olive – Which Bonsai Pot Would You Choose?

Boon’s caption for this reads… “Selecting pot for sumo Olive — with Adair Martin” I like the tree and the pots, though there’s one pot that jumps out at me. But I’m not saying, at least until we hear from you. Boon Manakitivipart (Bonsai Boon) is at it again. This time you have a choice of six pots for a tree that he call a Sumo Olive (I don’t think Sumo is an official varietal name, more like a well chosen description that some bonsai enthusiasts like). If you’d like to play, please put your choice (or choices), along with your thoughts if you’d like, in the … Continue reading Sumo Olive – Which Bonsai Pot Would You Choose?

Which Pot Would You Choose?

Because this is such an exceptional tree, it would look good in almost any pot. And the pots you see here are no exception. But does it look even better in one of them? This post stands squarely in our venerable tradition of borrowing Which Pot? posts from Boon Manakitivipart. The tree is a Shore pine (Pinus contorta) that Boon is getting ready for Bay Island Bonsai’s 19th Annual Exhibit. If you’d like, you can chime in and offer your choice in the comments on our facebook timeline. Or you can visit Boon’s. Bonsai Aesthetics Wire Is Back in every weight & … Continue reading Which Pot Would You Choose?

Choosing the Right Bonsai Pot – Oval or Rectangle?

Which pot would you choose for this Western juniper?* There’s a direct path from Michael Hagedorn (see our last two posts) to his teacher Boon Manakitivipart (aka Bonsai Boon). This post originally appeared here in June, 2015. Sooner or later every serious North American bonsai artist is influenced by Boon Manakitivipart. For some, this influence is face to face (if you’re lucky). Or indirectly through one of his students that now teach bonsai (Michael Hagedorn is one of many). And then there are his regular posts on facebook (including our our source for this post) that are full of generous pointers and bonsai inspiration. Three … Continue reading Choosing the Right Bonsai Pot – Oval or Rectangle?

Boon’s Black Pine, Before & After

A Japanese black pine after some serious trimming. If you look at the photo just below, you might notice that there has also been some serious needle reduction. The tree and the photos in this post belong to Boon Manakitivipart (aka Bonsai Boon). Yesterday we featured Boon, our famous bonsai teacher to the teachers, so why not just keep going? We’re on vacation, so both yesterday’s and today’s (June 2014) are from our archives. The first two photos shown here provide a simple before and after on a Japanese black pine. As you can see it’s a remarkable tree. I … Continue reading Boon’s Black Pine, Before & After

Bonsai by Boon

This Sierra juniper by Boon Manakitivipart is one of three trees by Boon that appears in the gallery section of our Masters’ Series Juniper book. Still on vacation. Right now it’s California’s Central Coast, with its Elephant seals and pure blue sunny skies (last time I checked it was 50 degrees and raining at home). Anyway, vacation time is usually archive time. This one is originally from November, 2015. Boon Manakitivipart (Bonsai Boon) is a well-known and highly respected bonsai artist and teacher (a teacher’s teacher). He also has the distinction of having three of his trees in our Juniper … Continue reading Bonsai by Boon

More Great Bonsai Shots from the WBC

Cork bark pine with lightning bolt. I cropped this photo to eliminate background noise while emphasizing the tree and scroll. The original photo (below) and the rest of the photos in this post were taken by Boon Manakitivipartat at the just completed World Bonsai Convention. The last few days we’ve been featuring shots from the World Bonsai Convention, which ended yesterday. There’s no good reason not to continue… after all some of the very best bonsai in the world were there. All the photos in this post were taken by Boon Manakitivipart, an influential American bonsai artist and teacher who … Continue reading More Great Bonsai Shots from the WBC

Boon & His Bonsai Friends

This Satsuki azalea’s trunk reminds me of some of Antoni Gaudi’s sculptural architecture that graces the great city of Barcelona. Though in truth, the tree resides in Boon Manakitivipart’s impressive bonsai collection in the great city of Alameda, California (birthplace of yours truly, btw). The last week of April and first week of May are peak digging and transplanting season around here, so to save some time, it’s back to our archives. This one is from October, 2010 (with some revisions today). Boon Manakitivipart is one of North America’s most influential bonsai artists and teachers. Several of his students have … Continue reading Boon & His Bonsai Friends