The Magician: The Bonsai Art of Kimura 2

Bonsai Berries & a Failed New Year’s Resolution

This prolific Pyracantha was our 2018 New Year’s tree. I don’t know who the artist or owner is (more about this below), but my guess is the tree is Japanese Here’s my New Year’s resolution from 2018… No more unattributed trees on this blog (uh… except for the one just above). So I failed on the first day last year and the failure reoccured throughout the year (you can take this as a metaphor if you’d like). In light of this, here’s a more realistic resolution for this year… I will attribute the trees we post when possible and encourage all of us who have been … Continue reading Bonsai Berries & a Failed New Year’s Resolution

Bonsai on a Man Made Rock from Scratch

Before and after planting on a man made ‘rock’ by Marc Noelanders. No mention is made of the type tree or what the rock is made of. Still, the result is impressive and the photographic progression with the shaping of the rock is an added plus We’ve shown a number of bonsai on synthetic rocks over the years. Mostly by Kimura, a pioneer in this medium (and other bonsai media as well). But this time it’s Marc Noelanders, a Western bonsai pioneer. What you  often see with this type planting is the finished product, but  this time we get a peek into … Continue reading Bonsai on a Man Made Rock from Scratch

Happy Root-Over-Rock Bonsai Holidays

Suthin’s “Happy Holidays to all” tree. It’s a Trident maple root-over-rock (root devouring rock). Staying close to home today, it’s our old friend Suthin Sukosolvisit offering some  bonsai wizardry just in time for the New Year Bonsai Pot & Soil Specials End Tonight Friday, Dec 28th at 11:59pm EST Plus Two New Specials at Stone Lantern see below – Cropped for a closer look at how the trunk is slowly devouring the rock Suthin’s caption says simply… “New home” You might recognize this as the tree that won Best Bonsai at the 6th U.S. National. It’s a Japanese black pine   Cropped for … Continue reading Happy Root-Over-Rock Bonsai Holidays

More Bonsai Stories

I like the natural, almost untouched feeling of this tree. Here’s what Michael Hagedorn wrote about it…. “Foemina Juniper styled in the manner of a needle juniper, taking two yearly trims with a good cleaning out of detritus from the pad interiors. Old tree from California, begun decades ago by Shig Miya.” Continuing with yesterday’s ‘Bonsai Stories,‘ we’ve got a few more of Michael Hagedorn’s trees and their short stories. You can follow Michael on facebook or, for more in depth stories on most of his trees, you can visit his website/blog Two New Specials at Stone Lantern see below Unlike the tree above, this sign … Continue reading More Bonsai Stories

Happy Bonsai Solstice

I don’t know if this qualifies as a Christmas tree, but it does give you a pretty good idea of what northern Vermont looks like this time of year (this photo was taken several years ago… it rained last night and melted most of the snow* and the sky is grey… oh well). I hope you and your loved ones are enjoying a relaxing Holiday Season (easier said than done!) and that you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah (a little late), Sweet Solstice (today) and whatever you might celebrate.  And that you enjoy a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year – – If you’ve been … Continue reading Happy Bonsai Solstice

Eccentric or Just Twisted?

Doing the Twist. This tree belongs to Mauro Stemberger (Italian Bonsai Dream). Mauro has one of the most dramatic bonsai collections in the West, and though this one certainly qualifies, is there a line between dramatic and eccentric? Continuing with ‘Eccentric Bonsai’ from two days ago, here’s another one from our archives (November, 2016). Two of the trees in this post are naturally twisted and the other two were twisted by the hands of man. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble telling which is which. SITE WIDE SALE ENDS TOMORROW Everything Is At Least 20% off DOUBLE DISCOUNTS – SALE … Continue reading Eccentric or Just Twisted?

Eccentric Bonsai: Too Strange, or Just Strange Enough?

Strange as this old tree is, it all works together with a blend of eccentricity and balance (and remarkable ramification*). This photo and the others in this post are from Peter Tea Bonsai Way back in 2009 and early 2010 we ran a series of posts that we called Eccentric Bonsai. Maybe it’s time to resurrect the series. If so, this one-of-a-kind Trident maple seems like a good place to start. We originally posted this tree in December, 2011. It was borrowed from Peter Tea’s blog.  Peter was an apprentice at Mr. Junichiro Tanaka’s Aichi-en bonsai nursery at the time. Peter takes good photos and writes of his experience … Continue reading Eccentric Bonsai: Too Strange, or Just Strange Enough?

Would You Believe a Bonsai Just Sold for $100,000?

You’ll have to scroll down to see the $100,000 bonsai, but this famous Hinoki planting by the even more famous Masahiko Kimura, just sold at the Taikan ten bonsai show for a mere 1,800,000 Japanese yen (approx $16,000) You think you blew your budget this season? How about some of these bonsai that sold at last month’s annual Taikan ten bonsai show? I found them at Bonsai Kyogie (Victoria Australia). SITE WIDE SALE SAME DAY SHIPPING* Everything Is At Least 20% off Items already discounted are more than 20% off *Orders placed by 2:00pm EST will be shipped the same business day discounts are … Continue reading Would You Believe a Bonsai Just Sold for $100,000?

Bonsai Adventure & a Pot with a Story to Tell

A muscular old Camellia full of flowers and buds. This photo and the others in this post, were taken by Bill Valavanis during a recent visit to Shunka-en Bonsai Museum in Tokyo Shunka-en Bonsai Museum is the home, studio, gallery and growing area of Kunio Kobayashi. All the photos in this post were taken at Shunka-en a few weeks ago by the omnipresent Bill Valavanis (everywhere is the answer to the ‘Where’s in the Bonsai World is Bill‘ question) STONE LANTERN’S 20% OFF SITE WIDE SALE IS BACK! and we are shipping the same business day on orders received by 2:00pm EST see below  More color. … Continue reading Bonsai Adventure & a Pot with a Story to Tell

Bonsai Essentials Site Wide Sale Is Back & Better Than Ever – Same Day Shipping*

STONE LANTERN’S 20% OFF SITE WIDE SALE  multIple DISCOUNTS on hundreds of  items SALE INCLUDES ITEMS THAT ARE ALREADY ON SPECIAL Discounts are computed at check out –  *We Ship the Same Business Day on orders received by 2:00 pm EST  If you want to make sure your order arrives on time you might want to choose accelerated shipping when you check out If you don’t care about arrival time, and your order is at least 75.00 you can choose Free Shipping for the Continental U.S. — All ROSHI BONSAI TOOLS ARE 20% OFF IN ADDITION TO OUR 20% OFF SITE WIDE SALE Discounts are … Continue reading Bonsai Essentials Site Wide Sale Is Back & Better Than Ever – Same Day Shipping*