Watering Bonsai by Installing Alarm Bells in Your Head

This Japanese white pine won the Prime Minister’s Award at the 2005 Sakufu Ten Bonsai Exhibition. Though it has nothing more to do with watering than any other bonsai, the photo is from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai, as is the text below. Yet Another Watering Problem… The following is by Michael Hagedorn from his website Crataegus Bonsai. “Probably the worst thing we might encounter when we have a hose in our hand is a tree that, when we think about it, has not dried out in three days of sunny summer weather. That ought to send off all kinds of … Continue reading Watering Bonsai by Installing Alarm Bells in Your Head

Whirlpool Dancer

This wild looking Japanese white pine is called Whirlpool Dancer (no explanation necessary). Like many old top-tier yamadori bonsai, its controted shape and ample deadwood tell a story of hardship and survival . It first appeared in Bonsai Today magazine and later had a whole chapter devoted to it in our Pine book (Jewel to Whirlpool). The artist at the time was Tomio Yamada. It’s called Uzushio which as you might guess, means whirlpool. It currently resides at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. All three of the tree’s shown here have previously appeared on Bark and all three are so … Continue reading Whirlpool Dancer

Back on His Feet – Isao Omachi Four Years Later

2015. Not only is Isao Omachi back on his feet, but it seems like he hasn’t missed a beat. This magnificent Shimpaku juniper is a pretty good example of what he’s been up to since the Tsunami (I don’t know who made the scroll, but it’s not so shabby either). I cropped the photo for a closer look at the tree and scroll. You can see the whole display below. It has been four years since the devastating Japanese Tsunami. Those of you who were following Bark, Bill Valavanis, Marco Invernizzi or others in our world bonsai community, remember Isao … Continue reading Back on His Feet – Isao Omachi Four Years Later

Wire All the Way Out to the Tips and Don’t Forget to Take It All Off

Japanese white pine bunjin wired at Taisho en. From ‘The Art of Bonsai.’ Taking the first Sunday of spring (ha!) off today, so we’ll dig it into the vast wealth buried in our archives. The original is titled Wiring Tips: Take It All Off (but not too early). It appeared in May of 2011. BTW: it’s no accident that it’s about wiring. Our Big Kilo Wire Sale ends tonight and I thought this might serve as a good reminder. It this light, I’ve added something called Wiring All the Way Out to the Tips from another earlier post. Take it … Continue reading Wire All the Way Out to the Tips and Don’t Forget to Take It All Off

Two Pines Before & After, plus a Short Treatise on Bunjin

After. Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) by Naoki Maeoka. Not to be confused with our native Red pine (Pinus resinosa) which are common here in Vermont, but alas, are not great bonsai subjects (unlike the Japanese red pine). If you look at the trunk it’s obvious why they call them red pines (the same goes for our native red pine). On a more frivolous note, I can’t help but think of a ski jumper every time I see this remarkable tree. A talented new kid on the block. Both of the trees shown here are from Naoki Maeoka’s face book … Continue reading Two Pines Before & After, plus a Short Treatise on Bunjin

Kokufu Mid-Winter Bonsai Splendor

Though any Kokufu bonsai might work, this Japanese white pine looks like a good tree to lead with. Besides, I’ve got a soft spot for short muscular trees. Especially short muscular trees whose scarred bark and hunched stance tell a story of hard times and harsh conditions, while its lush foliage and vibrant strength tell a story of better times and full recovery. This and all the other photos shown here are from Bill Valavanis’ blog, Welcome To My Bonsai World. Kokufu, the world’s premier (and oldest) Bonsai Exhibition is in full swing. Those of us not fortunate enough to be … Continue reading Kokufu Mid-Winter Bonsai Splendor

It’s Later Now – More Taikan-ten Bonsai

A Shimpaku juniper from the 34th Taikan-ten Bonsai Exhibition. The photo is from Michael Bonsai (on facebook) as are all the photos shown here. It’s later (than you think). A few days ago we put up a post titled Taiken-ten Bonsai, Some Pines First, More Later. Now it’s later. So here they are, as promised. I’m going to go ahead and guess the varieties. Not because I’m brave (or foolish, though you could take issue) but because these look pretty easy. Looks like a Japanese white pine. Ume (AKA Prunus mume, AKA Japanese apricot). The bark is a … Continue reading It’s Later Now – More Taikan-ten Bonsai

Taiken-ten – Some Pines First, More Later

The top photo, with its rich deep colors, appears just the way we found it. I lightened up the bottom photo a bit to better show the details, especially the bark. All the photos in this post are from the 34th Taikan-ten Bonsai Exhibition. Taikan-ten takes place once a year in Kyoto and is considered by most people to be the second most important bonsai exhibition in Japan if not in the world (Kokufu is the king of bonsai exhibitions). I found them on Michael Bonsai’s facebook feed. There are more, but I decided to feature some of the … Continue reading Taiken-ten – Some Pines First, More Later

Omiya & Tiny Assassins

Goyomatsu. Japanese white pine from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum’s gallery. The photos shown here are from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, with the exception of one unrelated photo (can you guess which one?). I took the easy path today and borrowed the content shown here from a post we did back in May 2012. Elegance. I’ve never been to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, but if the elegance of the display shown here is any indication, maybe I should start saving my yen. Assassins. Bonsai Mary (aka Mary Miller) has a good article on beneficial insects. There’s one … Continue reading Omiya & Tiny Assassins

Transplanting Bonsai into Our Excellent New Masters Soil

I just repotted this old pine into our new Masters Bonsai Soil. The pot is a growing pot rather than a show pot, but will serve nicely for now (pines like deep pots). The tree is a Japanese white pine that was grafted onto Japanese black pine stock in Japan. I got it from John Jaramillo last year when I was in Portland studying with Michael Hagedorn. Michael was kind enough to wire it for me. Our new Masters Bonsai Soil is now 20% off, so this seems like a good time to mention that I am in the process … Continue reading Transplanting Bonsai into Our Excellent New Masters Soil