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

One Bonsai, Three Seasons, Four Photos

Fall. Luis Vallejo calls this tree a Spanish oak (Quercus faginea) though Wikipedia and some others refer to it as Portuguese oak (other names that popped up are Valencian oak and Lusitanian oak). It belongs to Luis and resides at the the Municipal Bonsai Museum of Alcobendas in Spain. Welcome to Luis Vallejo’s Bonsai Bark (just kidding). This post features four photos of a single tree over three seasons (winter twice; not sure what happened to spring). There’s a lot more we could say, especially about the Museo de Bonsai Alcobendas and Luis Vallejo’s (and others) involvement, but it’s a whole lot easier to simply invite you to … Continue reading One Bonsai, Three Seasons, Four Photos

Mossy Bonsai Glade & Other Brilliant Forests

Here’s what Felix Laughlin, the president of the National Bonsai Foundation wrote about this outstanding forest… “Wayne, the photo of the forest of Chinese elms is from the North American Collection at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, and was donated by Susanne Barrymore; it’s been in training since 1988.” Two full pallets of Green T turntables just arrived, and a large shipment of Bonsai Aesthetics wire and tools is due any minute, so it’s time for a shortcut. This post originally appeared here February, 2017. As usual, I’ve made a few changes. Speaking of Bonsai Aesthetics Wire & Tools… OUR SITE WIDE SALE ENDS SOON SEE … Continue reading Mossy Bonsai Glade & Other Brilliant Forests

Majestic Bonsai Vista

You don’t see that many bonsai photos with such majestic vistas in the background. I don’t know where the shot was taken, nor do I know the variety of the tree but I do know that the photo and the tree are from Yoshio Nihei. Continuing from yesterday with bonsai we found on Magdalena Chiavazza’s timeline (we had trouble with the link yesterday, so I hope this one takes). Magdalena doesn’t offer the varieties (except for the Satsuki azalea below) but she is meticulous about the all-important attribution SITE WIDE SALE SEE BELOW Seduction. Again we don’t know the variety but we do know … Continue reading Majestic Bonsai Vista

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

Bonsai Pirates – If you are reading this on any website or blog that is not ours, and is not attributed to us, then it has been pirated

This wild Mugo pine has nothing to do with our bonsai pirates theme, though it may raise some eyebrows given its break with traditional bonsai styles, particularly traditional Japanese bonsai styles. It was posted by Sandro Segneri of the Bonsai Creativo School and Academy. To reiterate, it has nothing to do with our bonsai pirates theme. Yesterday it was digital bonsai theft, today it’s piracy. Two ways of talking about the same thing, or has the severity of the crime graduated from misdemeanor to felony (figuratively and maybe literally)? The following was originally written in February, 2010 and reposted in 2015 (with some changes then and now)… At least one blog … Continue reading Bonsai Pirates – If you are reading this on any website or blog that is not ours, and is not attributed to us, then it has been pirated

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