Buy a Level for Your Bonsai Bench – Even Better, Use It!

This Red maple (Acer rubrum) is from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai Portfolio. To my mind it represents something basic about the best bonsai. The ones you might pass by while searching for something showy. I was lucky when I was there, Michael pointed this one out and told me a story about it. Now you can read that same story. Micheal, ever the poet philosopher, titled it The Blaze of Autumn Sweetly Burns. This post is a twofer. First there’s the tree above and an invitation to learn more about it and other trees that belong to Micheal Hagedorn. And second … Continue reading Buy a Level for Your Bonsai Bench – Even Better, Use It!

When to Let a Tree Run Off Leash – by Michael Hagedorn

This luminous Japanese maple in full fall color is from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai Portfolio. I don’t know for sure when, or for how long Michael lets this one off the leash, but after reading the article below, I have some idea. Once again we’re paying homage to the wisdom of Michael Hagedorn, our favorite source for the nitty-gritty of growing bonsai. This time it’s about managing and especially not managing the growth of our trees. The text and Winter Hazel photo below are from Michael’s Crataegus Bonsai blog In Michael’s own words… “We talk endlessly about how to manage the growth … Continue reading When to Let a Tree Run Off Leash – by Michael Hagedorn

Still the Best Bonsai Read

I borrowed this potless Rocky Mountain juniper from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai Portfolio. Here’s part of what Michael wrote about this old yamadori… “This juniper has been growing in my backyard for a year. It’s a client tree, another of the great native yamadori that was collected by Randy Knight of Oregon Bonsai.” You can visit Crataegus for the whole story Continuing with the Michael Hagedorn’s bonsai and his now famous book… The photo and caption above are new. Most of the rest of this post is from April, 2009 when Bonsai Bark was in its infancy (our first post … Continue reading Still the Best Bonsai Read

More Before & After Bonsai Mania

Juniper before and after, by Michael Hagedorn, Crataegus Bonsai. Michael says it’s a Juniper procumbens, but it looks a lot like a J. procumbens ‘nana’ to me (that’s the dwarf cultivar), especially in the before below. Continuing with our Before and After mania. This one is from our archives (way back in July, 2010) with some value added today. I have long been a big fan of Michael Hagedorn’s bonsai and his approach to bonsai (here are some of our previous posts on Michael and his bonsai that you might like). Continued below… KILO WIRE ONLY 15.95 this exceptional special ends tomorrow Only 14.35 … Continue reading More Before & After Bonsai Mania

A Little Bonsai Love on Hot Summer Days

I borrowed this distinctive two-headed Shimpaku from Micheal Hagedorn’s Portfolio on Crataegus Bonsai. Specifically from the section titled Bonsai Work in Japan (see Post Dated below) The text below is from a 2010 post we borrowed from Michael Hagedorn on summer misting. In addition being a highly accomplished bonsai artist, Michael is a great teacher, with a wealth of bonsai knowledge almost unrivaled in the West. If you’d like to learn more than you ever imagined about bonsai, you’d be well served to visit Michael’s Crataegus Bonsai. Continued below… NEW BONSAI TOOL SPECIAL 30% to 50% off Yoshiaki Hand Tools … Continue reading A Little Bonsai Love on Hot Summer Days

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

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…

Watering Bonsai by Installing Alarm Bells in Your Head

This Japanese white pine won the Prime Minister’s Award at the 2005 Sakufu Ten Bonsai Exhibition. Though it has nothing more to do with watering than any other bonsai, the photo is from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai, as is the text below. Yet Another Watering Problem… The following is by Michael Hagedorn from his website Crataegus Bonsai. “Probably the worst thing we might encounter when we have a hose in our hand is a tree that, when we think about it, has not dried out in three days of sunny summer weather. That ought to send off all kinds of … Continue reading Watering Bonsai by Installing Alarm Bells in Your Head

Michael’s Spring Watering Tips

This old collected Rocky Mountain juniper is from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai portfolio. What follows has been lifted word for word, photo for photo from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai. We usually just borrow bits and pieces, so reprinting an entire borrowed post might be a first. If you don’t know Crataegus Bonsai (or even if you do), I strongly encourage you to visit and spend some time there. Michael’s depth and breath of bonsai wisdom and his ability to communicate what he knows (with a light touch and sense of humor) will enhance your bonsai experience. I guarantee it. Spring … Continue reading Michael’s Spring Watering Tips

Circling Back to Needle Junipers

This luscious Needle juniper turned up on Juan Andrade’s latest facebook post. Juan is (or was?) an apprentice at Bonsai Aichien in Japan, where this tree resides. BTW, we featured a Before, During and After post by Juan exactly one month ago. Don’t be misled by the title; this is not another trip back into our archives, though the second tree in this post is from an earlier bark post. The rest of the photos are all originals for us. It has been over three years since we devoted a whole post to just Needle junipers (Juniperus rigida). This juniper … Continue reading Circling Back to Needle Junipers