Bonsai Serpent & Two Buttonwoods

The serpent is hiding in plain sight. This magnificent tree belongs to Enrique Castaño, who has this to say about it: “This (Terminalia ucarillo) got the name Kukulcan from the Mayan mythology, Kukulcan was one of the serpents with feathers, kind of like a dragon.” The more I look at this tree, the more I notice – in addition to its sheer power – how well it flows from the well chosen pot and the nicely tapered trunk to the relaxed (there’s that word again – see yesterday) well balanced foliage with all the elements tying together so nicely. Might … Continue reading Bonsai Serpent & Two Buttonwoods

No Matter Where You Go

This tall, wild looking Sabina juniper was styled by Walter Pall. The photo is from The Art of Bonsai Project. The pot is by Bryan Albright. Major computer meltdown here (fortunately not our website, so you can still order and we can still ship), but rather our bookkeeping system where we keep track of inventory, money etc (wish us luck!). So time for another shortcut while sticking with our Sabina juniper theme. This one is from October 2013. No matter where you go, there’s Walter Pall with some more bonsai from his seemingly endless collection and his tireless offering of valuable instruction, especially on … Continue reading No Matter Where You Go

A Happy Bonsai Accident

The original caption from Milan Karpíšek reads “Sabina of my friend ready for a show.” From this we might assume that the tree belongs to a friend and was styled by Milan, but we know about assumptions. The three trees shown here are from Milan Karpíšek’s fb photos (Milan is from the Czech Republic). Like many of the bonsai featured here, these were discovered by accident (aka stumbled upon). A very happy accident indeed. After yesterday’s post featuring two Savin junipers (Juniperus sabina) by Gaicomo Pappalardo, I went back to see others we’ve featured over the years and was surprised by just how … Continue reading A Happy Bonsai Accident

A Little Imagination and a Whole Lot of Experience and Skill

This dramatic Mountain Hemlock was recently restyled (reimagined) by Michael Hagedorn and friends. Here’s part of a quote by Michael… “Very old Hemlock …. often have idiosyncratic branching, and in the restyling … we tried to feature the lines of these unusual branches that were created in the wild, without influence or manipulation in the studio…” The whole quote is below Michael Hagedorn (Crataegus Bonsai) continues to amaze. With an abiding respect for the tree and an approach that is so uniquely his that you might recognize his trees in an instant. Which in this case is a remarkable old Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana). Rather than say more, we’ll … Continue reading A Little Imagination and a Whole Lot of Experience and Skill

Three Magnificent Trees & the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition

Bill Valavanis air layered these three Koto Hima Japanese maples from the same tree back in 1986. A couple things happened when I discovered the photos above on Bill Valavanis’ timeline. First, I was impressed with the trees and their history and thought you might enjoy them, and second… I realized that it’s time to remind you about the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. It’s the premier North American celebration of bonsai. The one event you don’t want to miss and it’s only five months away. I look forward to seeing you there! – SPECIAL ENDS TOMORROW NIGHT HIGH IMPACT PLASTIC BONSAI POTS 25% OFF LIST PRICES ENDS SUNDAY AT 11:59PM EDT … Continue reading Three Magnificent Trees & the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition

How Not to Water Your Bonsai – This Just Might Be the Most Important Watering Advice You’ll Ever Read

This illustration by Kyosuke Gun is from our Masters’ Series Juniper book. It is a perfect fit for this post that is borrowed from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. Speaking of Bonsai Books, this morning we started a 30% to 50% off Sale on all of our books (see below) We originally featured this post in June, 2009. It’s one of our earliest and perhaps one of our most important. I don’t think we’ve featured it since 2009, clearly an oversight on our part. Especially considering the importance of the topic and our source. Michael Hagedorn knows more about the inner workings of bonsai and … Continue reading How Not to Water Your Bonsai – This Just Might Be the Most Important Watering Advice You’ll Ever Read

Beauty Doesn’t Always Conform to Our Expectations

Before and after. This impressive and very unusual European olive (Olea europaea L. var. sylvestris) was styled by Javi Campos Juan. Continuing with Javi Campos Juan (see two posts from earlier this week)… You don’t often see Olives styled like this one; more like a conifer than an Olive. Regarding this, there is a good argument for styling in the way the type tree naturally grows. Trees that don’t follow this standard often look unnatural. Still, there’s a lot to like about this one and beauty doesn’t always conform to our expectations. New Site Wide Sale 20% to 70% OFF LIST ON ALMOST EVERYTHING* see … Continue reading Beauty Doesn’t Always Conform to Our Expectations

A Bonsai in Hand…

No variety is given with any of the photos featured here and we won’t bother to guess. Another big snow storm is blowing in and there’s too much to do, so we’ll take a shortcut and resurrect a post from August 2016 while staying with our Javi Campos Juan theme (see yesterday). I’ve always liked photos of hand held bonsai. The hand immediately provides a way to determine the size of a tree and it adds a personal touch, without the more intrusive photos of the proud artist posing with the tree. All the photos shown here were posted on Facebook by Javi Campos Juan. … Continue reading A Bonsai in Hand…

Great Specials on Bonsai Tools, Bonsai Soil & Green T Turntables End Sunday Night

Raffaele Perilli’s Holm oak with Green T Turntable and tools Three Excellent Sales End Sunday Night – Bonsai Aesthetics Tool Special Ends Sunday Night 40% OFF OUR LIST PRICES SPECIAL Ends 11:59pm EDT, Sunday March 11th a small sampling of our large selection of Bonsai Aesthetics Tools we recommend Aesthetics tools for beginners & budget minded bonsai lovers SPECIAL Ends 11:59pm EDT, Sunday March 11th 20% off list prices on all Bonsai Soils ALSO Ends Sunday at 11:59pm EDT Akadama, Kanuma, Brown Lava, Black Lava, Hyuga Pumice, Aoki blends & more – – – Green T Turntable Special Also Ends Sunday Night Due … Continue reading Great Specials on Bonsai Tools, Bonsai Soil & Green T Turntables End Sunday Night

Bonsai Pest Control & Special of the Day

I borrowed this photo from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus website. Here’s part of what Michael has to say about it and some other trees he worked on while in Japan… “The work here was done as an apprentice in Japan, from 2003-2006…. in the second half of my apprenticeship, I was allowed a more natural and relaxed feeling in the branching and foliage presentation, represented in this image which won Mr. Suzuki a Prime Minister’s award.” The tree is a Japanese white pine. Michael apprenticed with Mr Suzuki for three years. Here’s your link for the part I left out. Continuing with the bonsai wisdom … Continue reading Bonsai Pest Control & Special of the Day