A Strange & Wonderful Bonsai Beast & Other Pot-less Masterpieces

This strange and wonderful beast belongs to Michael Hagedorn. I’m pretty sure it’s a Maple, but not so sure about the variety. No matter though, it’s the amazing non-pot and playful approach to bonsai that gets me. Yesterday we featured Michael Hagedorn and his newly upgraded Crataegus Bonsai website. Today it’s more Michael, but this time it’s a quick look at some of his rather impressive collection of potless bonsai. I’ve got a big firewood delivery today and too much to do anyway, so no time for captions. You can visit Crataegus Bonsai for more photos and for the opportunity … Continue reading A Strange & Wonderful Bonsai Beast & Other Pot-less Masterpieces

Micheal Hagedorn’s Respect for the Natural Way (& Newly Upgraded Website)

This shot is from the portfolio on Michael Hagedorn’s recently upgraded Crataegus Bonsai website. I’m too busy now to try search out the varieties (I couldn’t find them in his portfolio), but I could guess that this one is a Rocky Mountain juniper, though I wouldn’t carve that in stone. The thing that I really like about Michael Hagedorn’s bonsai is the respect he shows for the natural way of bonsai, by allowing each tree to speak for itself. And very skillfully too, with an equal respect for bonsai technique. If you know Michael’s bonsai, you already know what I … Continue reading Micheal Hagedorn’s Respect for the Natural Way (& Newly Upgraded Website)

Before & After – Cutting a Juniper Down to Size

The old Needle juniper, with its distinctively strange shari, belongs to Michael Hagedorn (Crataegus Bonsai). Here’s some of what Michael Hagedorn wrote about this juniper in a post titled Needle Juniper Restyling: “This tree is too tall. And the branches are a bit leggy, too. One of the problems we get into in bonsai design is that with time and growth, height and branch length can begin pulling us away from the trunk. Literally destroying the design, making it weaker. And this tree has a nice trunk, which is a good enough reason to consider redesigning it, to compact the … Continue reading Before & After – Cutting a Juniper Down to Size

Before & After – Yearly Work on any Juniper

Before and after on cleanup day. It’s a Tam juniper (Juniperus sabina ‘Tamariscifolia) that belongs to Michael Hagedorn. Here’s copy about the tree shown above that I lifted from Michael Horndorn’s Crataegus Bonsai: “The day these photos were taken was a basic ‘clean up day’ for the juniper—no wire was applied, removing only old and dangling foliage and shortening shoots that were overlong, and also sanding the bark, cleaning deadwood, and applying lime sulfur. This is yearly work on any juniper.” It’s a little hard to fathom that the tree above is the exact same variety as this low … Continue reading Before & After – Yearly Work on any Juniper

An Irreverent Bonsai Monk

This tree is a Sonoran scrub live oak (Quercus turbinella). Michael Hagendorn says of this tree: “I collected this oak from a mountain range in eastern Arizona in 1999, at around 5,000 ft. It was growing much like old pines or junipers along rocky breaks, in a ‘captive root’ situation. There were fine roots in a pocket of soil on bedrock. I cut the anchor root, lifted the tree, and it went into a small box. The oak from the start was very vigorous, and one or two years later was in a bonsai pot. The photo is from 2008, … Continue reading An Irreverent Bonsai Monk

Hamisu: Misting Bonsai on Hot Summer Days

This wild & wonderful cascading Rocky mountain juniper is from Michael Hagedorn’s latest post on Crataegus Bonsai. Clearly there’s more to do, but even as is, it’s an exciting bonsai. The text below is from a 2010 post we borrowed from Michael Hagedorn on summer misting. In addition being a highly accomplished bonsai artist, Michael is a great teacher, with a wealth of bonsai knowledge almost unrivaled in the West. If you’d like to learn more than you ever imagined about bonsai, you’d be well served to visit Michael’s Crataegus Bonsai. Here’s the original in Michael’s own words: “Last summer … Continue reading Hamisu: Misting Bonsai on Hot Summer Days

Resetting the Spring & Other Wonderful Things You Can (& Can’t) Do with Pines

Japanese white pine from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai portfolio. Here’s Michael’s caption: “A Japanese White pine that was entered into the Taikan-ten. This was when I was a second-year apprentice.” Every time I visit Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai, I learn something new. If you want to enrich your understanding of bonsai, you could do a lot worse than reading and digesting everything Michael writes. His deep knowledge of bonsai combined with an unusual gift for our American English language will help guide you to the bonsai promised land. This time it’s Michael’s post from yesterday: Big Difference Between ‘Decandling’ … Continue reading Resetting the Spring & Other Wonderful Things You Can (& Can’t) Do with Pines

Ancient Bonsai Bones

I like the way the fresh foliage seems to hang from the tree’s ancient bones (though I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a stand so in need of refinishing). This strikingly unique bonsai is one of many excellent trees at Taiwan Bonsai World. Ayyyy! Chaos. We upgraded our OS recently and it has been all downhill since. If I owe you an email or phone call, thank you for your patience! Things should be back to normal soon (not that normal isn’t chaotic enough). The good news is, so far our website and our warehouse are functioning quite well. This … Continue reading Ancient Bonsai Bones

A Humble Bonsai Artist’s Ordinary House on an Ordinary Street, Somewhere…

Night shot out the back door of a humble bonsai artist’s ordinary house on an ordinary street, somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. There are lots of good bonsai blogs these days. I’ve got three or four favorites, but there’s one that keeps bringing me back. The photos are plentiful and very good (even exciting), with shots of some of the best bonsai in North America (and people having entirely too much fun). These alone are worth the price of admission (there isn’t a price, but if there were…). But it’s the writing and the value of the content that really … Continue reading A Humble Bonsai Artist’s Ordinary House on an Ordinary Street, Somewhere…

Answers to Questions You Never Knew to Ask

This Rocky mountain juniper is from a post titled Juniper Live Veins and How They Move… on Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. I got a little busy after the Artisans Cup and the transition into the Holiday Season and forgot to visit Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai for a few weeks. Until this morning that is. And now I remember why I keep coming back. Since my last visit Michael has posted The Difference Between Plant Hardiness and Chilling… Seasonal Care for Cold Weather… and the post featured here, Juniper Live Veins and How They Move… Other stuff too, with lots of … Continue reading Answers to Questions You Never Knew to Ask