Larches ARE Coming to Rochester! Change of Plans

Retraction! Our larches will at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition this coming weekend (see below). And we will offer a whole range of other goods for your bonsai, including our brand New Tie Pots (we haven’t had a new product that we’ve been this excited about since we introduced our now famous Roshi tools six years ago). You can see them (and purchase them) in real time and space at the Exhibition, or on our website Bill Valavanis just called and told me not to worry and that we should bring our larches. In his words, give them good strong spray and … Continue reading Larches ARE Coming to Rochester! Change of Plans

Revisiting the Great Bonsai Debate

A naturalistic Norway spruce (Picea abies) by Walter Pall (from Bonsai Today issue 106) A blast from the past. This post originally appeared here in July, 2009, our 6th month Barking (this means we’ve been doing this for almost ten years). I don’t know if the topic is still relevant to any of you, but there was a time when it created a bit of a buzz and I think many of us can learn something by reading what Walter Pall has to say about the topic (below). As always with reruns, I’ve made a few changes. In the expanding galaxy of … Continue reading Revisiting the Great Bonsai Debate

Deciduous Bonsai & Fine Ramification

Please excuse the fuzz. I lifted this image from youtube and the fuzz came along on its own (there are some still shots below without much fuzz). It’s a Field Elm (Ulmus minor) that belongs to Davide Cardin. The youtube video was shot at the 2016 Bonsai San Show in France. You can learn a lot about deciduous bonsai in the winter. Particularly ramification (see below). Deeply Discounted Bonsai Wire KILO ROLLS 17.95 ONLY 15.95 EACH FOR 3 OR MORE 500 GRAM ROLLS 9.95 ONLY 8.95 EACH FOR 3 OR MORE 100 GRAM ROLLS ONLY 3.95 – Same tree, different pot in this shot from Bonsai … Continue reading Deciduous Bonsai & Fine Ramification

Before & After Bonsai with at Least Five Names

Suthin’s before and after Japanese five needle pine, aka Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora aka Pinus parvifolia). This is the only variety tree that I know of that has two common names in English and two botanical names. To further confuse the issue, in bonsai circles it is sometimes referred to as Goyomatsu (Japanese – Goyo = five needle, Matsu = pine) We never go too long without visiting our friend Suthin Sukosolvisit. If you’d like more, here’s a link to dozens of other Suthin posts we’ve featured over the years. Before. A tree in need of styling and a new pot Wanna learn … Continue reading Before & After Bonsai with at Least Five Names

How Not to Water Your Bonsai – This Just Might Be the Most Important Watering Advice You’ll Ever Read

This illustration by Kyosuke Gun is from our Masters’ Series Juniper book. It is a perfect fit for this post that is borrowed from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. Speaking of Bonsai Books, this morning we started a 30% to 50% off Sale on all of our books (see below) We originally featured this post in June, 2009. It’s one of our earliest and perhaps one of our most important. I don’t think we’ve featured it since 2009, clearly an oversight on our part. Especially considering the importance of the topic and our source. Michael Hagedorn knows more about the inner workings of bonsai and … Continue reading How Not to Water Your Bonsai – This Just Might Be the Most Important Watering Advice You’ll Ever Read

Site Wide Sale Ends Sunday Night – Deep Discounts on All Your Bonsai Essentials

This Sierra juniper by Boon Manakitivipart has the distinction of being on the cover of our final issue of Bonsai Today (issue 108). Bonsai Today magazine back issues are included in our Site Wide Sale which ends Sunday night (March 25th) at 11:59pm EDT – 20% to 70% off Site Wide Sale* ends Sunday Night – INCLUDES OUR SUPERB ROSHI TOOLS quality materials & craftsmanship make for precision, durability and beauty and at much more reasonable prices than you might expect BONSAI AESTHETICS WIRE also deeply discounted KILO ROLLS ONLY 15.95 500 GRAM ROLLS ONLY 8.95 100 GRAM ROLLS ONLY 3.45 Site Wide Sale also … Continue reading Site Wide Sale Ends Sunday Night – Deep Discounts on All Your Bonsai Essentials

Before & After Bonsai – a ‘Grandiose’ Transformation

Before and after. The tree is a Lawson’s cypress (Chaemacyparis Louïsiana ‘Elwoodii’). Here’s the caption copied directly from Michel Delen, our source for these photos… “Chaemacyparis Louïsiana ‘Elwoodii’ AFTER Grandioos Noelanders Marc.” I’m impressed. The date on the before is Feb 8th of this year and the date on the after is March 22nd (two days ago). Given just how little time elapsed, it’s an remarkable transformation. All the photos in this post are from Michel Delen’s timeline. – You might assume from the caption and the photo below that the artist is Marc Noelanders. It’s unclear who the tree belongs … Continue reading Before & After Bonsai – a ‘Grandiose’ Transformation

Spring Bonsai in Full Bloom

You don’t see cascading Azalea bonsai all that often. This flowing full flowering favorite (sorry about that) is by Teunis Jan Klein. Speaking of Azaleas, we just received our spring shipment of Kanuma azalea bonsai soil Monday morning so we’ll make this quick. This post is borrowed from our archives (March 8, 2017). The photos were originally from a Bonsai Empire post titled Bonsai in Full Bloom. SITE WIDE SALE see below – Prunus mume (Japanese Apricot). Photo by Michael Bonsai Azalea Bonsai in full bloom, by Makoto Tsuji – – Wisteria bonsai in full bloom by Heike van Gunst 20% to 70% off Site … Continue reading Spring Bonsai in Full Bloom

Digital Bonsai Theft & Other Crimes & Misdemeanors

Did that huge apple really grown on this small tree? Occasionally you see fruit that is glued on, but in this case I think it’s the real deal. There’s something a little shady about putting your logo on photos that don’t belong to you, though in a world with more than enough serious corruption, this practice barely registers. Continued below… NEW 20% to 70% off Site Wide Sale see below – I’ve seen this tree before, but can’t remember where, or what it is. It’s even possible that it has appeared here on Bark. Continued from above… I can’t read the text … Continue reading Digital Bonsai Theft & Other Crimes & Misdemeanors

Towering Bonsai and Other Happy Accidents

Pretty flashy, but it has character that will come through even after the the color fades. It’s a Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) that belongs to Tobie Kleynhans. The Happy Accident in the title is from a post we did two days ago that features bonsai by Tobie Kleynhans. Just so you don’t misunderstand, it was our discovery of Tobie’s bonsai that’s the accident, not his bonsai, which are the happy part. Tobie lives and practices bonsai in South Africa. Bonsai Aesthetics Tool Special Ends Sunday 40% OFF OUR LIST PRICES – Bastard olive. Tobie lists this as a False olive (Buddleja saligna). To quote Wikipedai.. Buddleja saligna, the false, or bastard olive, … Continue reading Towering Bonsai and Other Happy Accidents