Three Famous Sargents

Everything about this famous Sargent juniper (Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii) seems to be flowing, with its shari that looks like melting wax and its gracefully descending foliage. The tree resides at Kunio Kobayashi’s Shunka-en Bonsai Museum in Tokyo. It won the Prime Minister Award at the 1998 Taikan-ten. Its height is 26″ (66 cm) and its estimated age is 200 years. The photo is from Fine Bonsai, Art and Nature. Every morning before getting started with my recent bonsai lessons with Michael Hagedorn, we would spend a little time looking through Kokufu albums. The exercise was illuminating and I wanted … Continue reading Three Famous Sargents

Bonsai Pioneers

This remarkable photo is titled Geijutsu Works, Kobayashi’s Garden. I take this to mean that it’s from Kunio Kobayashi’s famous book, Bonsai (see below). Though my guessing is often suspect, I’m pretty sure this distinguished tree is an Ume (Japanese flowering apricot). This is based in part on its remarkable deadwood (if you’re not in a big rush, stop for moment and take a close look). You seldom see deadwood on deciduous trees, with Ume being an exception. This, coupled with the fact that it looks like an Ume, cinches it. Murata, Kato, Kobayashi, Kimura This isn’t the first time … Continue reading Bonsai Pioneers