Resetting the Spring & Other Wonderful Things You Can (& Can’t) Do with Pines

Japanese white pine from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai portfolio. Here’s Michael’s caption: “A Japanese White pine that was entered into the Taikan-ten. This was when I was a second-year apprentice.” Every time I visit Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai, I learn something new. If you want to enrich your understanding of bonsai, you could do a lot worse than reading and digesting everything Michael writes. His deep knowledge of bonsai combined with an unusual gift for our American English language will help guide you to the bonsai promised land. This time it’s Michael’s post from yesterday: Big Difference Between ‘Decandling’ … Continue reading Resetting the Spring & Other Wonderful Things You Can (& Can’t) Do with Pines

Ancient Bonsai Bones

I like the way the fresh foliage seems to hang from the tree’s ancient bones (though I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a stand so in need of refinishing). This strikingly unique bonsai is one of many excellent trees at Taiwan Bonsai World. Ayyyy! Chaos. We upgraded our OS recently and it has been all downhill since. If I owe you an email or phone call, thank you for your patience! Things should be back to normal soon (not that normal isn’t chaotic enough). The good news is, so far our website and our warehouse are functioning quite well. This … Continue reading Ancient Bonsai Bones

Be Careful! Pinching Might Be Deadly

Was this foliage pinched in order to achieve that dense, perfectly refined shape and texture? The answer, according to Michael Hagedorn is an emphatic NO! Except when it isn’t. The image is borrowed from our Masters’ Series Juniper Bonsai book. I’ve been ripping off valuable tidbits from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai for a long time (always attributed and linked of course). Micheal is a noted American bonsai artist, teacher and author and a voice for a common sense approach to bonsai. Continued below… Michael Hagedorn’s famous Post-Dated Still the best bonsai read in the English language Back in 2012 Michael … Continue reading Be Careful! Pinching Might Be Deadly

Japanese White Pine Bonsai

This Japanese white pine shows a strong truck with good taper and nice balanced open branching. Most quality Japanese white pine bonsai have been grafted onto Black pine stock, but this one was grown from seed. When this photo was taken it had just been wired by Michael Hagedorn (Crataegus Bonsai.) It belongs to a client of Micheal’s. The Japanese white pine is one of the world’s emblematic bonsai. In Japan it is one of the two most famous classical bonsai species (the other is the Japanese black pine) and appreciation for its beauty and suitability for bonsai has spread … Continue reading Japanese White Pine Bonsai

Types & Uses of Bonsai Wire & Why Blogging About Bonsai Is a Total Disaster

Like most bonsai, this one has been wired. In fact, there’s visible wire on it right now. It’s a Shimpaku that’s from a chapter in our Masters’ Series Juniper book, titled Keiko Tamaki’s Deft Touch. Because this post is an attempt to dig into a bonsai topic in some depth (and because it might be viewed as an extended advertisement for our bonsai wire), I’d like borrow a disclaimer (slightly paraphrased) from our friend Michael Hagedorn: “There are plenty of exceptions to everything I’m about to say, which naturally makes blogging about bonsai a total disaster.” Most bonsai are wired … Continue reading Types & Uses of Bonsai Wire & Why Blogging About Bonsai Is a Total Disaster

A Humble Bonsai Artist’s Ordinary House on an Ordinary Street, Somewhere…

Night shot out the back door of a humble bonsai artist’s ordinary house on an ordinary street, somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. There are lots of good bonsai blogs these days. I’ve got three or four favorites, but there’s one that keeps bringing me back. The photos are plentiful and very good (even exciting), with shots of some of the best bonsai in North America (and people having entirely too much fun). These alone are worth the price of admission (there isn’t a price, but if there were…). But it’s the writing and the value of the content that really … Continue reading A Humble Bonsai Artist’s Ordinary House on an Ordinary Street, Somewhere…

How Not to Fertilize Your Bonsai

Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii) just after trimming and wiring (the before photo is below). From our Masters’ Series Pine Book. Whenever Michael Hagedorn writes, I read. What follows is part of a post by Michael from his Crataegus Bonsai blog: “For fertilizing bonsai, we can make this one basic distinction: Begin fertilizing a young, unrefined tree when it begins growing early in the spring. Wait a bit with an older, refined tree—usually begin fertilizing when it’s just hardening off it’s spring growth… Quiz: If we were to fertilize everything the same, strongly, starting early in the year, what would … Continue reading How Not to Fertilize Your Bonsai

Answers to Questions You Never Knew to Ask

This Rocky mountain juniper is from a post titled Juniper Live Veins and How They Move… on Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. I got a little busy after the Artisans Cup and the transition into the Holiday Season and forgot to visit Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai for a few weeks. Until this morning that is. And now I remember why I keep coming back. Since my last visit Michael has posted The Difference Between Plant Hardiness and Chilling… Seasonal Care for Cold Weather… and the post featured here, Juniper Live Veins and How They Move… Other stuff too, with lots of … Continue reading Answers to Questions You Never Knew to Ask

Coffee, Bonsai & Something for the Season

Trident maple at the 2013 Taikan-ten Exhibition. There’s a lot going on with the tree; three major trunks and a baby one sticking out the back, a large mounding nebari and a whole lot of movement. I particularly like the trunk on the right that emerges from the base of the nebari (the base of the base). I borrowed the photo from Bjorn Bjorholm. The color seems a bit off, but you still get the drift. It’s a busy time when catching up seems even less likely than usual. One solution is to delve back into our archives. This one … Continue reading Coffee, Bonsai & Something for the Season

Boon Again

This stupendously powerful little Japanese black pine had just been refined at a Bay Island Bonsai workshop by Peter Tea when Jonas Dupuich (Bonsai Tonight) took this photo. The tree belongs to Boon. Yesterday we featured five of Boon Manakitivipart’s bonsai, so let’s stay on theme and stick with Boon for the moment. This time the emphasis is on Boon as a bonsai teacher as well as an accomplished bonsai artist. The photos shown here and some of the text as well, are borrowed from three earlier Bark posts (here, here and here). Michael Hagedorn working at one of Boon’s … Continue reading Boon Again