No Mean Feat

This remarkable Satsuki azalea with its bright profusion of flowers belongs to Teunis Jan Klein. It’s not very often you see a cascade with such a long reach (both vertically and horizontally). What’s more remarkable is the mass of flowers around the tip, which is almost as strong as the crown. That much strength so far from the base is no mean feat. This photo and the other photos in this post are from Hans Van Meer’s blog. It was taken at the 7th Het Westen Bonsai Show in Delft, Netherlands. All the photos in this post have been borrowed … Continue reading No Mean Feat

Turning Some Cherished Notions on Their Heads

This Hawthorn in bloom is from Walter Pall’s Bonsai Adventures, as is the article below. The rest of the photos in this post are from Walter’s online gallery. Walter Pall, world famous bonsai artist and much more… We’ve feature Walter’s bonsai numerous times here on Bark (and in Bonsai Today) and will continue to feature them for as long as we continue posting. I won’t say much more, except that Walter produces quality trees by the hundreds (seemingly at least) and he also sometimes produces worthwhile and even provocative ideas about bonsai. What follows may be his most fascinating and … Continue reading Turning Some Cherished Notions on Their Heads

Bonsai Rafting One Year Later

Though a purist might find fault, I love everything about this wonderful raft-style planting: the way the trunks are joined together by the snakelike surface root; the way whole thing undulates across the pot; the aged bark; the lush foliage that imparts a feeling of robust health; its overall shape and the shapes of the individual pieces; and of course the wonderful pot and the unity of the pot and the planting (if you bothered to read this far, you win a prize – see *** below). Begging the question I found the photo above (and the one below) at … Continue reading Bonsai Rafting One Year Later

Small Is Beautiful

Caught in the act of flowering. This ubiquitous little hawthorn belongs to Morten Albek, shohin bonsai artist, author and teacher. The display appeared during a visit to Denmark by Tomohiro Masumi. Tomohiro Masumi, Morten Albek & Shohin bonsai Rather than bore you with my take on things, I’ll just post a few photos I think you might appreciate. If you want more (photos and information), you can visit Morten’s facebook post on Tomohiro Masumi’s visit to Denmark, or you can go directly to Morten’s website. If you’d like to dig deeper, you can also visit Tomohiro’s website. And then there’s … Continue reading Small Is Beautiful

More Flowering Bonsai

An informal upright English hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) from the cover of Bonsai Today issue 36 (only two copies available). When it comes to flowering trees, Japanese bonsai artists (and many others) often look at how the design of the tree shows off the flowers, rather than looking for how the tree conforms to classical bonsai styles. In other words, this tree, without it showy display of flowers is nothing special. With its flowers though, it lights up and becomes a thing of great beauty. This flowering azalea would stand as an excellent bonsai even without its flowers. With it showy … Continue reading More Flowering Bonsai