Tiger Bark Bonsai

We’ve shown this magnificent Tiger bark ficus (Ficus retusa) before, but not this cropped front shot. The photo of the entire tree is below along with several other shots that focus on sections. The photos and the tree belong to Nacho Marin. Bonsai Aesthetics Wire SPECIAL 100 gram rolls Only 2.95 500 gram (1.1 lb) rolls Only 8.95 1 Kilo (2.2 lb) rolls Only 15.95 I know we’ve shown this front view of the entire tree before, but it’s worth another look The base of the trunk NEW BONSAI TOOL KIT SPECIAL 30% OFF LIST PRICES ALL BONSAI TOOL KITS plus an extra … Continue reading Tiger Bark Bonsai

More Magnificent Mugo Pines

This superb Mugo pine has a distinctly natural feel. Almost as if someone found it just as is, growing somewhere high in the European Alps. Still, whenever you see a bonsai, a human hand is intimately involved. Even when the tree appears perfectly natural (in some cases, especially when the tree appears perfectly natural). In the case of both trees shown here, the human hand belongs to Georg Reinhard. We borrowed the photos from a post we did in November, 2010. It was titled Mugos by Mother Nature & Georg Reinhard Continuing with our Mugo pine theme from yesterday… I … Continue reading More Magnificent Mugo Pines

Japanese Maple Bonsai with a Natural Look

This rugged, natural looking Japanese maple belongs to Walter Pall, an artist with a longstanding commitment to natural looking bonsai If there’s one thing you could say about Walter Pall (aside from his prodigious skill) it’s that his bonsai never look over styled. They tend toward the natural untouched-by-human-hands look, though in fact, Walter’s hands are deeply involved every step of the way. Continued below… NEW KOYO BONSAI TOOL SPECIAL all Koyo Tools 25% to 40% off list prices Masters Sword Shears one of over 50 different Koyo tools we offer this special ends Nov 14th, at noon EST – A closer look … Continue reading Japanese Maple Bonsai with a Natural Look

A Masterful Example of how Energy Can Be Redirected

This powerful old cascading Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii) is a masterful example of how energy can be directed downward in a tree that naturally wants to grow upward. The photo is from Bonsai Today Master Series; Pines. A late start today, so it’s time for a journey into our past. This post was one of our very firsts (Feb 2009 with an added azalea photo from a later post), but like so much with bonsai, is still 100% pertinent today… and tomorrow, and so forth. Whenever you prune, trim or pinch, you are redirecting energy. If you remove a … Continue reading A Masterful Example of how Energy Can Be Redirected

Redwood Empire

Though the trunk on this two header monster expresses sheer power, the branches and foliage are surprisingly delicate and graceful. The tree is a Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), a species* that happens to be the tallest tree on this planet (there are a few hidden in the wilds of northwest California that tower to as high as 400 feet – 122 meters). You don’t see that many top notch Redwood bonsai and, in my experience, most of the ones you do see come from members of the Redwood Empire Bonsai Society (who knew that the group that calls themselves Redwood Empire would have … Continue reading Redwood Empire

Another Outstanding Before & After Bonsai

Before and after by Mariusz Komsta. Mariusz doesn’t identify the tree, but I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s a yew (Taxus). Two recurring themes these days are before and after bonsai and yews (Taxus). I like both and you seem to feel the same, so why not? All the photos in today’s and yesterday’s posts were borrowed from Mariusz Komsta, a long time favorite here on Bark LOWEST WIRE PRICE YET 500 gram (1.1 lb) BONSAI WIRE ONLY 7.95 PER ROLL this special will end November 8th at noon EST Before… After. From overgrown to a balanced, open and refreshed … Continue reading Another Outstanding Before & After Bonsai

Bonsai Baby

Couldn’t resist this monster tree with its perfect baby accent. Based on the caption with the photo below and other compelling evidence, I think it’s a safe guess that this photo was taken at Luis Vallejo’s Museo De Bonsais Alcobendas and the baby belongs to Mariusz Janusz Komsta (or perhaps more accurately, Mariusz belongs to the baby) We’ve featured Luis Vallejo’s bonsai numerous times here on Bark (very recently too) and the same goes for Mariusz Komsta’s bonsai. But never quite like this. BONSAI AESTHETICS TOOL SPECIAL 30% OFF LIST PRICES Aesthetics tools for the budget minded bonsai enthusiast special ends Nov 5th at noon … Continue reading Bonsai Baby

You Can Look but You Better Not Touch & Other Scary Bonsai

Halloween? At first glance you might just see the tree and the cobwebs and miss the hands. This photo and the one just below are from Robert Steven’s 2014 International Bonsai Art & Culture Biennale. We’ve added two photos (Nick’s Poison ivy & a strange looking Trident maple) to our Halloween posting from the last two years. Continued below… LOWEST WIRE PRICE YET 500 gram (1.1 lb) BONSAI WIRE ONLY 7.95 PER ROLL this special will end November 8th at noon EST – There’s something about those ‘severed’ arms that’s just a little ominous. Is this where the recent ‘Black Scissors’ rage started? … Continue reading You Can Look but You Better Not Touch & Other Scary Bonsai

Great Bonsai Photos Make a Real Difference

Close up of Chinese quince that belongs to Luis Vallejo. Here’s the original caption… “Pseudocydonia sinensis (Thouin), Masahiko Kimura Nursery, Japan, in the Luis Vallejo bonsai collection since 2009” There’s a photo of the whole magnificent tree at the bottom of this post We featured a few Luis Vallejo bonsai yesterday and now it’s his bonsai again today. This time with some of the best quality bonsai photographs we’ve seen yet. A friend sent me a link to them last night from Pinterest (via Empire Bonsai). Continued below… SPECIAL ENDS WEDNESDAY GREEN T BASIC MODEL HYDRAULIC LIFT TURNTABLE details below… This little gem … Continue reading Great Bonsai Photos Make a Real Difference

Brilliant, Full Fall Color Pomegranate Bonsai

You can find this brilliant, full fall color Pomegranate (Punica granatum)and a whole host of other powerful bonsai at Bonsai Mirai. It has been a while since we featured Ryan Neil’s Bonsai Mirai. If you don’t know Bonsai Mirai, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re ever in the Portland Oregon area, you can enjoy a real time visit to what just might be the most impressive yamadori (bonsai collected from the wild) collection in North America. Continued below… LOWEST WIRE PRICE YET 500 gram (1.1 lb) BONSAI WIRE ONLY 7.95 PER ROLL plus numerous other specials at Stone Lantern – Just three photos … Continue reading Brilliant, Full Fall Color Pomegranate Bonsai