Cold Mountain Bonsai

At first glance I was drawn to this tree. Later, I wasn’t so sure. But then, after a long slow look, I came back to my first thought; the spectacular pot, the deeply striated bark and the tree’s overall simplicity and naturalness won me over. Have we been overly influenced by Japanese bonsai? When I look at the trees in this post I sense a wild naturalness that seems distinctly Chinese. A sensibility that dates back to the ancient poet-calligrapher hermits deep in the Cold Mountains. This connection doesn’t occur with most Japanese and Western bonsai (the exceptions are mostly … Continue reading Cold Mountain Bonsai

What About Deciduous Bonsai?

You can find this magnificent elm and other seriously stupendous deciduous bonsai at Andy Rutledge’s The Bonsai Journal in an article by Andy with photos by Boon Manakitivipart. In a bonsai world dominated by conifers and tropicals… …it’s a good idea to remember the wonder of deciduous bonsai. Okay, this may be an overstatement, but still, how many top notch elm bonsai do you see on the internet? Warehouse vacation Our warehouse is on vacation until July 12th (it needs a break, not to mention a new paint job). Orders placed before then will be shipped on, or soon after, … Continue reading What About Deciduous Bonsai?

That Old Argument Resurfaces

Hinoki cypress by Dan Robinson. From Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees. An excellent example of a naturalistic bonsai. Judging from your comments… There are two ways we can gauge reader interest. One is by the number of visits to a particular post (our host keeps track for us), and the other is your comments. Judging from your comments, the discussion about the virtues of highly refined Japanese bonsai vs a more naturalistic western style (championed by Walter Pall among others) is a topic that at some of you are interested in. I count myself among this interested group. An impassioned comment … Continue reading That Old Argument Resurfaces

Nature, Picasso & the Hand of Man

Here’s an exquisite, powerful old tree that features some wild twists and turns. I found it here. My guess is it’s a Shimpaku juniper that was originally collected in the mountains of Japan. A further guess is that it fell into the hands of one of the Japanese masters. One more guess; it was professionally photographed and appears in a Japanese bonsai book or Bonsai magazine Okay, I stand corrected (see comments) That Old Question: Naturalistic vs Highly Styled Bonsai Though nature originally grew, shaped and aged this wonderful old tree, there is no pretending that humans didn’t have a … Continue reading Nature, Picasso & the Hand of Man

Classic Flowering Bonsai of Japan

Japanese apricot (Latin-Prunus mume: Japanese-Ume). From Classic Bonsai of Japan (Nippon Bonsai Association). My apologies for cutting off the bottom of the pot; my scanner couldn’t quite fit the whole photo. Japan and flowering bonsai The Japanese have long revered flowering trees and flowering bonsai. So much so, that they often overlook what you might consider design flaws with flowering bonsai (though not the case with the photos shown here). The book: Classic Bonsai of Japan This grand old book remains the standard when it comes to Japanese bonsai before 1989. Though much has happened in the bonsai world since … Continue reading Classic Flowering Bonsai of Japan

Bonsai Evolution: Display

The two photos in this post were taken at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Japan. You can view the uncropped originals and other photos from the Museum at Bonsai Network Japan. Evolution.? Has bonsai evolved as it has moved from Japan (and China) to the rest of the world? If you look at experimentation and innovation, I’d say yes, there is plenty of positive movement beyond Japan (and in Japan as well). However, if you look at display, you might draw a different conclusion. Laziness and neglect, or spontaneous freedom? I spend a lot of time perusing bonsai on … Continue reading Bonsai Evolution: Display

A Touch of Bonsai Sweetness

A flowering cherry from one of our mystery Japanese books. Check out the pot; there are two things you might notice. First, it’s unglazed, which is unusual with flowering trees (especially in Japan), and second, it’s hand-made rough. Maybe it was chosen because its earthy naturalness goes well with the color and natural aged feel of the trunk. Cherry Blossoms

Bonsai by the Thousands

Talk about maximizing space. This photo is from somewhere in Japan via BonsaiNet on facebook. If it weren’t the guy on the right, you might think we’re somewhere in the 19th century. This one, also from BonsaiNet, has a caption: Kanuma & Abe bonsai nurseries.

Japanese Slab Forest & Other Issues

This illustrious forest is from Bonsai Today issue 23. Among other things, it shows how one very strong tree can add drama and power to a forest planting. Though the original doesn’t say, I’ll guess that it’s by Saburo Kato (Japan’s most revered bonsai artist) and that the trees are Ezo spruce. Other treasures like this Most of the content in Bonsai Today magazine is from the old Japanese masters, and even though there is much to be excited about in contemporary Western bonsai, you would be hard pressed to find a forest with this level of refined precision anywhere … Continue reading Japanese Slab Forest & Other Issues

Eccentric Bonsai: A Very Wild Mugo Pine

Almost like magic. This wild and wonderful mugo pine showed up on facebook a few weeks ago. It was posted by Bonsai Creativo School and Academy. Wild, wonderful and no so traditional There are at least two things that come to mind when I look at this wild mugo pine. First, that it represents a break with traditional bonsai styles, particularly traditional Japanese bonsai. It just doesn’t look like what bonsai used to look like not too long ago. The second thing about it is that it’s a mugo pine. It wasn’t too long ago that the only pines you’d … Continue reading Eccentric Bonsai: A Very Wild Mugo Pine