A High Degree of Bonsai Skill, Artistic Vision & No Lack of Deadwood at the Recent European Bonsai-San Show

Close up of the intricate deadwood on a Sabina juniper (Juniperus sabina) that belongs to Xavier Massanet. You can see the whole tree below Finally, some good photos from the recent European Bonsai-San Show! Salvatore Liporace was kind enough to post them on his timeline under the heading European Bonsai Show Saulieu Awards 2018!!!. No mention is made of which tree won which award, but Salvatore did bother to put up the names of the owners and the names of the trees, a real plus in our sometimes sketchy online universe, where these valuable pieces of information are often overlooked By the way, Salatore Liporace is one of Europe’s most … Continue reading A High Degree of Bonsai Skill, Artistic Vision & No Lack of Deadwood at the Recent European Bonsai-San Show

2019 Japanese Bonsai Calendars Are Here

This magnificent tree is from the cover page of our New 2019 Japanese Bonsai Calendar Our 2019 Japanese Bonsai Calendars are here list price 19.95 Special Only 17.95 each for 2 or more Enjoy 26 powerful Japanese bonsai while you check the date on your beautiful new 2019 calendar May 2019 Cover page STONELANTERN.COM –

Tiny Bonsai & Colossal New Book Special

I’ve never seen such a small bonsai with so much deadwood. Looks like it a must be a tanuki (Phoenix graft). There no varieties given in English where I found this, but it’s pretty clear that this is a Shimpaku juniper There’s something about very small bonsai. Especially when they are hand held… a good way to tell just how small they are. There’s also something about discovering a new (to me at least) bonsai artist. Even if I can’t read their name (there is a hint in their email address – see below) COLOSSAL NEW BOOK SPECIAL 30% to … Continue reading Tiny Bonsai & Colossal New Book Special

Brilliant Bonsai in Full Fall Colors & Other Famous Trees

Always nice to lead with a little color. This cheerful full fall color Trident maple belonged to Suthin Sukosolvisit when we first showed it way back in 2009. I don’t know who the lucky owner is now Still trying to catch up from vacation so it’s archive time again. I used to have a 30 hour a week office person, but now it’s just me (with a little help from a friend), so keeping up, let alone catching up, requires more time, though new technology and other innovations help, but only to a point. The photo at the top of this post originally … Continue reading Brilliant Bonsai in Full Fall Colors & Other Famous Trees

One Sweet Little Tree While Waiting for More

Our first photo from the just completed 2018 European Bonsai Sans Show. The tree belongs to Carlos Beto. I couldn’t find the species or size, but it looks like a Sohin (small) Cotoneaster. In any case, it’s got all the right stuff; heavy trunk with good movement, a strong nebari, and attractive little berries with a pot to match (red pots are on rise!). The moss is good too, with enough variation in texture and color to create interest (this is an often overlooked feature… slapping some moss on or just using sand or gravel isn’t good enough for a top show). Some might … Continue reading One Sweet Little Tree While Waiting for More

Mixed Media Bonsai from Down Under

This unusual mixed media bonsai presentation was posted by the National Bonsai & Penjing Collection of Australia. Here’s part of the caption… “Chinese Junipers set among moss, ferns and stones have been carefully trained for thirty years by Australian artist Syd Green to create this tranquil Penjing. Inspired by the beauty, digital artist Jane Long has transferred the Junipers into a magical realm…” Here’s your link if you’d like to read more I don’t mind bonsai as part of mixed media settings. Experimentation is part of any art, though some experiments work better than others. In this case, I think the bonsai part of the … Continue reading Mixed Media Bonsai from Down Under

Ginkgo Bonsai – Spring, Summer & Fall

I’m not so sure about the apex or the way it’s so crowded in this photo, but I like the tree anyway. Especially that gnarly old trunk. It’s a Chi Chi, a small leaf Ginkgo cultivar. As you can see, it’s from Lakeshore Bonsai (Toronto area). Here’s Lakeshore’s caption: “Ginkgo biloba ‘chi-chi’, 7 years in development from imported raw material. Probably started as an air layer in Japan.” Finally home last night from vacation. Now to attack and vanquish two weeks worth of accumulated loose ends. Meanwhile, to save a little time, we’re resurrecting a post we did back in … Continue reading Ginkgo Bonsai – Spring, Summer & Fall

Nature’s Wild Bonsai

A Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) sculpted by wind and snow. It lives near Granite Lake at 8,500 feet in the Emmigrant Wilderness (near Yosemite in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains). This photo and the next two are borrowed from Bonsai Society San Francisco. Thanks to Terry Davis of Mullet Wrapper fame for the suggestion Tomorrow and Sunday are travel days, so today is our last full day of vacation. To save time I decided to resurrect this post from April of this year. It relates to what we’ve been up the last five days (Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce and environs), though we didn’t see any trees quite as dramatic as … Continue reading Nature’s Wild Bonsai

Nature’s Bonsai Growing Out of Rocks in Some of the Most Sensational Surroundings Anywhere

In this part of the world (Grand Canyon, Zion & Brice National Parks and surroundings) it’s not unusual to see trees like this growing out of rocks. Somewhere there has to be some soil or duff, but often you can’t see it. The magnificent old tree is a pine (see below) and the dramatic backdrop is the Grand Canyon. The photo was borrowed from Bonsai Mania The photos shown here are from a post we did back December 2010, a while after my last trip to the Grand Canyon. It was the South Rim then. Now it’s the North Rim as well as … Continue reading Nature’s Bonsai Growing Out of Rocks in Some of the Most Sensational Surroundings Anywhere

Brilliant Bonsai & Grand Canyon Fall Color

Brilliant fall color. Sweet tree too. It belongs to Harry Harrington. Here’s his caption: “A quick shot of my English or Field Elm bonsai today (Ulmus minor), showing autumn colour. Height 17″/42cm. Developed from an airlayered branch 12 years ago, some of you may recognise from my book Bonsai Inspirations 1. Pot by Victor Harris of Erin Bonsai.” Still on vacation so we’ll dig back into our archives again. This one originally appeared in November, 2016. It’s in keeping with our somewhat current fall color theme. As a bonus, we’ve got a photo of full fall color Aspen from near the rim of … Continue reading Brilliant Bonsai & Grand Canyon Fall Color