Shopping for Bonsai in Japan

I’ve always had a soft spot for three fingered Shohin bonsai (bonsai that are easily held with three fingers). Particularly ones from Japan, where most of the good ones seem to show up… at least in photos. This one looks like a Shimpaku juniper. It’s from Bonsái Pavía, as are all the photos in this post. Today must be my lucky day. Not only did I discover a new bonsai company (new to us at least), I also discover a never before used theme for Bonsai Bark… shopping for bonsai in Japan. The new company is Bonsái Pavía in Madrid, Spain. They’re the ones doing … Continue reading Shopping for Bonsai in Japan

“Nobody thought at that time that the Westerners would ever be able to develop bonsai themselves”

The Japanese maple that Walter Pall uses to illustrate his ‘hedge-cutting method.’ This photo was taken four years after Walter started working with this tree. The before photo is below. Time to revisit Walter Pall’s hedge-cutting method. We’ve shown this post several times over the years, but it’s a good one. So just in case you missed it… I first learned about hedge shearing bonsai from Jim Smith (sadly now deceased*), a highly respected American Bonsai Artist and grower who worked primarily with tropical and sub-tropical bonsai. Because Jim lived in Florida, I figured that hedge shearing was only used in the … Continue reading “Nobody thought at that time that the Westerners would ever be able to develop bonsai themselves”

A Small Man Contemplates a White Pine from Below

I borrowed this delicious little gem from Michael Bonsai. Michael doesn’t say who it belongs to or what it is, but given his fondness for Japanese black pines, and given that it looks like a Japanese black pine, well you get the drift. We could even go a little further and speculate that Michael took this photo in Japan; he’s been know to do such things and the tree does have a Japanese feel Continuing from yesterday with Michael Bonsai photos and another plug for this weekend’s Mid-America Bonsai Society Show & Sale… KILO ROLLS ONLY 15.95 Only 14.35 per roll … Continue reading A Small Man Contemplates a White Pine from Below

Meandering Myrtles

Here’s the copy from our source (a Bark post last November titled Meandering Lines)… “This Myrtle (Myrtus communis) belongs to Andrea Albergo. The pot is by Greg Ceramics and the photo is by Harry Harrington. I chose it for the lead tree for several reasons; I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a Myrtle with such a massive trunk (turns out I had), deadwood on most non-conifers isn’t all that common (though becoming more common) and I like the loose abstract meandering lines of the deadwood and living veins.” Yesterday we feature a very muscular Myrtle (Myrtus communis) for your viewing … Continue reading Meandering Myrtles

Even Though No Vacation Goes Unpunished, We’re Back & Ready for the Next Round

You almost never see Myrtles this massive. And when you do, they’re never from North America (go ahead, prove me wrong). This one is from Spain. It belong to Gabriel Bonsaisantboi Romero Aguade (something of a regular here on Bark). Here’s his caption… “After a day and a half removing inner leaves, it’s ready for a wire and correction.” We’ll just feature one tree today. I’m recovering from jet lag and worse, buried in two weeks of work (no vacation goes unpunished). Anyway, I’m back and Ric (our warehouse master) will be back and recovered from routine surgery on Monday Continued below… … Continue reading Even Though No Vacation Goes Unpunished, We’re Back & Ready for the Next Round

A Very Impressive North American Bonsai Collection

Fantastic tree! It belongs to Doug Paul (Mr. Kennett Collection). This photo is from the famous Kokufu Exhibition in Tokyo. It’s a great honor to have a tree accepted to Kokufu; only a handful of North Americans have had that honor. Today we’ve got a few photos from Doug Paul’s Kennett Collection, no doubt one of the foremost bonsai collections in North America. The collection – with the exception of any trees Doug keeps in Japan -resides in Kennett Square PA. Continued below… NEW Lower Prices on Bonsai Aesthetics Wire with many sizes individually discounted as well 100 gram – … Continue reading A Very Impressive North American Bonsai Collection

Master Bonsai Potter Gyozan Nakano

I don’t know who styled this wild looking azalea (I don’t read Japanese) but I do know that Master Potter Gyozan Nakano made the pot. Here’s an old one from our archives (July, 2009) that I like. I’ve done a little editing – mostly cringe reduction – but the photos and most of the text are the same. A few years ago I was given a remarkable book by the World Bonsai Friendship Federation, who had received it courtesy of Masahiro Tokuo (President of Kindai Publishing). Since then, it has spent most of its time sitting on my shelf, though … Continue reading Master Bonsai Potter Gyozan Nakano

Two Satsuki in Full Bloom & More Impressive Nebari

Satsuki azalea in full bloom. Nice natural looking nebari too. Artist unknown (for the moment at least). You can find this photo and other great shots like it on Bill Valavanis’ Bonsai Blog. Here’s what Bill has to say about the photos shown in this post … “The Bonsai Society of Upstate New York is holding their 44th Upstate New York Bonsai Exhibition on May 27-28, 2017 at the Monroe Community Hospital in Rochester, New York. Some of the finest bonsai in New York state will be on display for the public to enjoy and learn from too. “These photos … Continue reading Two Satsuki in Full Bloom & More Impressive Nebari

Fine Branching Is Key to Superior Deciduous Bonsai

This now famous Japanese beech (Fagus crenata) received the coveted Kokufu prize at the 88th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition. Aside from its overall magnificence, this tree provides a perfect example of what great ramification looks like. The photo is from the World Bonsai Friendship Federation. Identification and other details were provided by Bill Valavanis. Ramification literally means branch development, or how branches grow. However, when it comes to the art of bonsai, it has come to mean branch development that displays a couple key features: taper and fine branching. These features are critical when it comes to developing quality deciduous (and … Continue reading Fine Branching Is Key to Superior Deciduous Bonsai

Dynamic Show Stoppers & Other Brilliant Bonsai

This brilliant Satsuki azalea is from a 2015 Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai add (see below). Yesterday we featured some striking photos from the Golden State Bonsai Federation. Today we’ve got some even more striking photos from a 2015 post we did on GSBF. Continued below… Bonsai Tool Sale Ends Tomorrow Night 30% to 35% off Roshi BONSAI Tools Roshi Bonsai Tools are famous for precision cuts, durability, beauty & great prices Roshi Sale Ends tomorrow, Sunday, Feb 19th at 11:59pm EST This dynamic show stopper with its massive deadwood swirl is one of many large bonsai from the private … Continue reading Dynamic Show Stoppers & Other Brilliant Bonsai