Nick’s Natives

A famous tree by a famous bonsai artist. There’s a lot to like here, including the bark-deadwood contrast, the shift from the lower trunk’s subtler motion to the sudden S-shape at the top, the golden fall color, the pot, the moss. Even the sweet little companion. Two North American natives This post qualifies as another in our series of species specific offerings and a tribute to an artist as well. The tree is our native North American Larch (aka Tamarack, Larix laricina). The artist is another native, Larch Master Nick Lenz (aka Rarch Master Renz). BTW: I’m usually reluctant to … Continue reading Nick’s Natives

Nick’s Bonsai & FREE ITEMS Last Day

I know many of you have already seen this somewhat unruly apple, but many of you haven’t. Either way, it’s a very distinctive bonsai, and it’s flowering no less! You can find it on the back cover of Nick Lenz’ landmark book on collecting, Bonsai from the Wild. Larch master Lenz It seems like high time to return to our old friend Larch Master Nick Lenz. Especially since we just received some new photos of some of Nick’s trees from Candy Shirey, who is now their proud owner. This isn’t the first time we’ve featured bonsai of Nick’s that now … Continue reading Nick’s Bonsai & FREE ITEMS Last Day

Blazing Bonsai Gallery

The swirl of color and freakishly wild and wonderful form, belongs to Dan Robinson. It’s from Will Hiltz brilliant book (Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees) about Dan and his trees (this one is a Bald cypress, one of the handful a few deciduous conifers on this planet). It’s that time of year… This brilliant Boston ivy appears on the cover of Bonsai Today issue 68 and is part of a gorgeous autumn color gallery (Bonsai Today back issues are currently 70% off at Stone Lantern). A multi-hued Trident maple forest from the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum’s North American Collection. … Continue reading Blazing Bonsai Gallery

More Than $1,000 In Prizes

This Nick Lenz pot is being donated by Todd Hansen of Sanctuary Bonsai. It is one of many prizes that will be awarded to entrants in our $1,000 (plus) Bonsai from Scratch Contest. Pot dimensions: 16 1/2″ x 13″ x 2″ Donate and your fame will spread like wild fire If you donate a prize for our Bonsai from Scratch Contest, your name (and your business name) will be listed with links in the following places (at least two times each): Bonsai Bark (average 1,800 over 800 visitors per post) and our Stone Lantern Newsletter (over 8,200 recipients). Please contact … Continue reading More Than $1,000 In Prizes

Pushing Bonsai Boundaries Even Further

Has Nick gone too far and ventured beyond what you’d call bonsai with this early spring larch that promises summer shade for a cheap garden ornament? From Bonsai from the Wild by Nick Lenz. Nick Lenz’ fertile imagination Nick Lenz has been pushing bonsai boundaries for a long time. The planting above is just one example of his fertile imagination. However, a friend of mine says that what Nick is up to is just vain eccentricity and has no real meaning as far as bonsai goes. As for me, well, root-over-tank (below) always makes me smile, and maybe that’s good … Continue reading Pushing Bonsai Boundaries Even Further

Laziness Plus Foolishness Equals Trouble

I posted this haunting strangeness the other day, and then, without doing an ounce of research or exercising even a small sliver of my overtaxed intelligence, I conjectured that Nick Lenz must be the guilty party. I could blame it on the fact that I was in the middle of summer vacation, or because I grew up in an age well before photoshop and have never really caught up (I still struggle with my TV/DVD remote). The good news is… … it elicited more comments than 98% of our other more accurate and (in my opinion) more useful posts. I … Continue reading Laziness Plus Foolishness Equals Trouble

Larch Roots & TMS

Larch bonsai in full fall display. By Larch Master Nick Lenz. Larch roots & TMS I know the topic in this post is a bit arcane, but I’d like to know if anyone out there has any more info on TMS. The research quoted below is from this journal. “The roots of 200 one-year-old Changbai Larch (Larix olgensis) seedlings were soaked for 6 hours at the TMS concentrations of 2000, 1000, 500, 250, 125, and 62 ?L·L?1. Mean seedling height, root collar diameter, main root length and number of lateral roots were measured every 15 days during growing season from … Continue reading Larch Roots & TMS

The Dog Days

Bonsai? Weird perversion? Highly innovative new cross art? Whaddya think? And to answer your question, I don’t know for sure, but I’d bet my third born grandchild that it’s a Lenz (it just has too many marks of the old Master to deny). Anyway, you can blame it on BUNJINJOURNAL.COM. Or further down the chain of blame; FreakingNews.com.

Shots from the 2nd U.S. Bonsai Exhibition

Nice trunk. Definitely looks like an azalea. The shot is from a video by Alejandro Medina Ibarra of the 2nd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. Alejandro Medina Ibarra The shots here are all from a video of the 2nd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. The video is by Alejandro Medina Ibarra and it’s brilliant. I wasn’t able to attend, so I’m particularly grateful for Alejandro’s efforts. Something powerful and good took place in Rochester last month if this video is any indication. Really, check it out and you too will wish you’d been there (see you in 2012). Bill Valavanis I’m not … Continue reading Shots from the 2nd U.S. Bonsai Exhibition

Larch Master Lenz

One of Nick Lenz’ famous larches as it appears in Wikipedia. A little Nick Yesterday, we featured a couple of Candy Shirley’s bonsai that I believe had their start with Nick Lenz, so this seems like a good time to offer a little more Nick for your enjoyment. The same tree: different angle, different time. Photo is from Nick’s book, Bonsai from the Wild (now on special at Stone Lantern).