After a long wait, I confirmed this year that my oldest princess persimmon can bear fruit.

Young princess persimmon – with fruit!

Growing princess persimmon from seed is an inefficient approach as there’s no way to determine whether a seed will produce a male or female plant. As most enthusiasts grow princess persimmon for the fruit, raising a tree for five, six, seven, or more years before learning whether or not it will fruit can be a disheartening process.

The most efficient way to propagate princess persimmon is by root cutting – the method I used to create the above tree. As soon as a fruiting tree produces pencil-sized roots, these can be removed to create new plants.

Princess persimmon fruit

As it happens, most of the young princess persimmons in my garden started from seeds, not cuttings. At the time, I didn’t have access at the time to fruiting trees from which I could make root cuttings. Am hoping I’ll start seeing signs one way or the other over the next several years.

The post How not to propagate princess persimmon appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

I had the opportunity to visit Michael Hagedorn’s garden in September. It had been a while since I’d last been there and I was pleased to see so many changes. There were more new trees than I could count and the trees I remember are coming along so quickly that they almost looked new again.

Strolling through the garden was a great reminder of lessons I try to keep in mind as I think about my own collection. For example, how great it is to see a variety of mature deciduous species.

Zelkova, ginkgo, and chojubai bonsai

You can never have too much movement.

Twisty pine

Not every plant in the garden needs to be a bonsai.

Equisetum

It’s fun to think outside the box.

Floating juniper

Floating pine

If you’re going to work with collected material, select material with outstanding characteristics.

Fantastic movement

Awesome deadwood

Dynamic movement

Appreciate pines thick and thin.

Black pine

Delicate pine

Grow moss whenever possible.

Mosses, lichens, and sundry elements adorning the surface of the soil

If you’re going to collect pots, collect good ones.

An assortment of bonsai pots

There’s always room on the bench for unique trees.

Cascading juniper

Be on the lookout for Michael’s forthcoming book, Bonsai Heresy, next year, and on the off chance you aren’t already reading it, I highly recommend following Michael’s work on his blog.

The post Lessons from a visit to a bonsai garden appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

I’ve set a simple goal for a group of cutting-grown plums: avoid straight growth.

The idea is to produce trunks with undulating movement. Each year these plums produce new shoots in spring. I typically wire these shoots in summer and then shorten them in fall. If I find anything straight, I shorten it or wire it.

I’m not sure how large I want these trees to become, but I’ll have some flexibility as long as the trees have interesting movement and taper.

The plums below were trimmed and wired by students in a recent Development workshop. After getting comfortable with the pattern, the students worked quickly. Here are the trees after cutback and limited wiring.

Tree #1

Tree #2

Tree #3

Tree #4

Tree #5

Tree #6

Tree #7

Tree #8

This seasonal work will continue for the next several years until I’m happy with the size of the trunks. At that stage I’ll shift focus to the branches and work to better ramify the trees.

Related Post

Fall cutback on young Japanese plum bonsai

See more posts in the Bonsai Development Series here.

The post Bonsai Development Series #12: Avoid growing trunks with straight sections appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

Toward the end of last winter I repotted a large Sierra juniper. Because it was planted at an angle, I used blocks to support the tree and keep if from tipping out of the pot. Now that the roots have grown in, it’s time to remove the supports.

Sierra juniper – 32″

Support blocks

After removing the blocks

I also removed the fence that held extra soil mounded above roots that were sticking up on the left side.

Fenced-in soil

After removing the extra soil

This exposed a few small roots so I covered them with white sphagnum moss.

Exposed roots

Roots covered with white sphagnum moss

These small roots aren’t important for the health of the tree but I’d like to keep them alive until I repot when I’ll have a better sense of what I can cut.

The next step will be to define the lifeline and clean up the deadwood. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy seeing the tree without the blocks.

Sierra juniper supporting itself

Related Post

Repotting a collected Sierra juniper

The post A small step: removing supports on a collected Sierra juniper appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

It’s not uncommon to spot fall color on broadleaf evergreen species like satsuki azalea. As azaleas focus their resources on newer foliage, the older foliage can turn orange, red, purple, or yellow. Most of the satsuki in my garden have dark green foliage, but some sport brighter colors.

Shisen with green and yellow leaves

I’m not concerned by the colored foliage as the newest leaves remain a healthy green.

Yellow and green leaves

In some cases, the fall color coincides with purpling that occurs when the weather cools.

Yata-no-kagami

Purple and red foliage

Red and purple leaves

The fall color in older leaves likely reflects a lack of fertilizer. When nitrogen becomes limited, a plant can send it where it’s most needed, typically to the newest leaves. Deficiencies of immobile nutrients like calcium or iron show up in new foliage and old.

Azaleas with adequate nitrogen and healthy soil conditions are more likely to stay green through winter.

Healthy azalea foliage

When I apply fertilizer at this time of year, I use products like bone meal that are low in nitrogen as I don’t want to encourage new growth in winter. Depending on the weather, I typically start using higher nitrogen fertilizers in February.

For those of you who grow satsuki, you’ve likely noticed that a few flowers can open this time of year. Most of my azaleas have at least one or two flowers open now – a nice suggestion of the colors to watch for in spring.

Pink flower

White flowers

The post Fall color on satsuki azaleas appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

I’ll be taking a break from the blog for the next few weeks, but new posts will return mid-December. In the meantime, here are some photos from the 2011 Taikan-ten exhibit. See you next month!

Bunjin black pine

Massive shimpaku

Formal upright black pine

Flaky bark

Root over rock chojubai

Accent with moss and selaginella

Ume

Bunjin shimpaku

Japanese maple ‘Shishigashira’

Cascade black pine

Semi-cascade shimpaku

Satsuki azalea

The post Fall vacation edition – photos from Taikan-ten appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

A few months ago, I brought a small Chinese quince into the garden.

Chinese quince

The tree is relatively refined, but the branch structure has a ways to go. The best way to fix it is to cut the branches back to short stubs. Before doing this, however, I want to make sure the tree is healthy and growing well. For the time being, I’ll perform minor cutback by reducing the long shoots that lack ramification and then repot the tree. Once I have a better idea of what the roots look like, I’ll make a plan for the more invasive work.

After cutback – 10″

The attractive container was made by Stephanie Walker. It’s my first pot of hers so I’ve enjoyed having it in the garden. Will have to keep my eyes out for more!

Stephanie Walker bonsai pot

The post Cutback on Chinese quince appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

About ten years ago, I picked up a young dwarf wisteria made from air layer by Boon Manakitivipart. Boon had grown the parent tree for some time before it bloomed, and when it did, he started several layers. The tree below is one of those layers.

Dwarf wisteria – 2009

To offer an idea of how quickly the species grows, here’s a photo from spring of 2017.

May, 2017 – pot by Victoria Chamberlain

After cutback

Just a year later, the tree looked exactly the same as it did a year before.

May, 2018

Here’s a better view of the branches without leaves.

December, 2018

After cutback – 13″

The tree has yet to bloom for me, but I’ve found it to be a fun species to have in the garden as the leaves have a unique texture.

What is the actual species? That’s a question to which I have yet to find a satisfying answer. A number of nurseries offer plants with the name Wisteria sinensis ‘Kofuji.’ I’ve also seen similar plants with the name Millettia japonica or sometimes Millettia japonica ‘Hime fuji.’

Both Wisteria sinensis (“Chinese wisteria”) and Millettia japonica (“Japanese millettia”) are listed as independent taxons, that is, independent types of plants. They are related as both are in the tribe (one rank higher than genus) Millettieae, a member of the bean family. Here’s where I found some interesting connections between the species.

A synonym for Millettia japonica is Wisteria japonica (“Japanese wisteria”). A synonym for Wisteria sinensis is Millettia sinensis. Given these synonyms, millettia and wisteria are interchangeable, but the distinction is preserved between the Japanese and Chinese species.

These synonyms highlight similarities between wisteria and millettia, but they don’t help with identifying the dwarf cultivar or cultivars. The suggested cultivar names don’t help much either. ‘Kofuji’ is Japanese for small wisteria, making Wisteria sinensis ‘Kofuji’ translate to “Chinese wisteria, small Japanese wisteria.” Likewise for ‘Hime fuji’ which also means small wisteria in Japanese.

If any budding – or professional – taxonomists can shed some light on whether or not there are one or two dwarf “wisterias,” feel free to let us know in the comments and cite any relevant sources.

In my recent research, I found many references to how good the vine is for development as bonsai. I agree, but have been surprised that I’ve seen so few developed specimens over the years. If you know of some beauties, please share!

Workshop Dates Set for 2019

If you’re interested in attending workshops next year, check the Workshop page to learn more and sign up online.

The post A dwarf wisteria bonsai appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

This week I received a lot of hints, clues, and suggestions for the botanical name for dwarf wisteria. For everyone who contributed, thank you!

By far the most detailed information came from Bill Valavanis who published an article on the species Millettia japonica ‘Microphylla’ in International Bonsai (2004, No.1).

The article, “The Care & Training of Dwarf Wisteria Bonsai” by Toshihiko Myokan (trans. Craig W. Risser), is a great primer on the variety. It includes photos of mature specimens as well as a detail shot featuring the small white flowers on Boon’s specimen.

One of the more interesting details from the article was that the author mentioned a bonsai hobbyist who planted his millettia in the ground hoping it would help the tree bloom. Although he didn’t get flowers, he found that one branch reverted back to the species, Millettia japonica (Summer wisteria) – a good indication that the tree is a dwarf form of millettia.

Bill also sent along a few photos of dwarf wisteria bonsai that do a good job conveying the size and character of the foliage.

Dwarf wisteria – Millettia japonica ‘Microphylla’
Photo courtesy William N. Valavanis

Dwarf wisteria display
Photo courtesy William N. Valavanis

Dwarf wisteria
Photo courtesy William N. Valavanis

The name Millettia japonica var. Microphylla appears in several databases, including the International Legume Database & Information Service. A number of these sources point to a reference in Flora of Japan, 1965 (p. 573), that describes the plant as a non-flowering variety with the common names Hime-fuji or Mekura-fuji. “Mekura” is Japanese for “blind,” a common appellation for non-flowering plants.

I’m happy to know with relative certainty that the tree is a millettia. I’ll continue to use dwarf wisteria and dwarf millettia as common names, but from here on out, the botanical name will be Millettia.

The post More Millettia bonsai appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

Common wisdom holds that the best time to repot bonsai is in early spring. This is good advice, but it’s not very specific. If I were to refine the statement, I’d suggest that a good time to repot bonsai is when they begin to wake from dormancy.

The idea is that different species respond to changes in the seasons on their own schedules. When we begin to see signs of new growth in winter or spring, it’s a good indication that it’s time to repot.

Winter, if it can be called that, is mild in the San Francisco Bay Area which means that many temperate species start growing early. By early, I mean that they send out new growth toward the end of December.

December 30, 2018 – new bud emerging on a Chinese quince

Some trees, like coast redwoods, grow year-round in my garden. When this is the case, I try to repot when the days are the shortest and temperatures are cool – the closest the trees will come to being dormant.

For other species, I take note of when new shoots appear and try to repot species by species as the trees wake up. Typically, that means I need to start repotting in December. This year, the Chinese quince, Japanese flowering quince, crabapple, plum, and Yaupon holly in my garden all started to grow before January 1st.

Chinese Quince

Crabapple

Japanese flowering quince

Plum

Yaupon holly

My oldest plum opens early every year so I typically repot it first.

Plum sp. 15″, Japanese pot

I expect to be repotting different species through February and into March, if all goes well, but not too much later than that.

Some basic repotting notes:

• If you live where winter is cold (snow and ice!) you may find that the repotting window is very short as temperatures can warm quickly in spring triggering rapid growth
• If you expect hard freezes (temperatures below 28 degrees F) after repotting, shelter your trees to prevent damage to recently cut roots
• Most temperate species can handle mild freezes after repotting and can remain outdoors when temperatures are in the low 30s

Do note that trees can break dormancy at different times in different years. Changes in the weather or to a tree’s health can affect when new shoots first appear, so some attention is required to make sure trees are repotted at the right time. And if you miss the window by a bit, no problem. The sooner you can repot after a tree starts growing, the better.

About This Series

The idea for this series is to provide starting points to help you figure out what’s best for your trees. Published information can be a great starting point, but it doesn’t always apply to the trees in our gardens. If you have ideas for topics, feel free to post them below.

The post Teach Yourself Bonsai #1: When do I repot my bonsai? appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

Years ago, my ume bonsai grew upright as an informal upright tree. After losing all but one of the branches several years ago, I decided to change the tree to a semi-cascade style. When it was ready to go back into a bonsai pot, I found I didn’t have any good options for it. The pot below was somewhat of a placeholder until I could find something better.

Ume, 10″ tall , 22″ wide – Japanese pot

After removing the tree from the pot and working on the roots, I lined up the available options and tried them out.

After root-work

The container I was the most curious about was made by Jan Rentenaar. It may not be an obvious selection for a flowering tree, but it made a surprisingly good match. Were it a bit smaller, I might have gone with this option.

Jan Rentenaar

I next tried out a pot by Sara Rayner. The size, color, and texture provide good contrast to the tree, but the straight sides make me thing a sturdier tree would be a better match.

Sara Rayner

A glazed pot by Ashland ceramicist Denny Takeda was a little bit small, but I thought the color was a good match. If the sides had some curves to them, I might have selected it.

Denny Takeda

The pot below from the Ikko kiln is a bit too big.

Ikko

Likewise the old Chinese pot. Were it a bit smaller I think it would be a good match.

Old Chinese pot

A second generation Yamaaki is a good size and style for the tree, but I’d prefer to go with a glazed pot if possible.

2nd generation Yamaaki, Koshosen

A second container by Jan Rentenaar prompted attempts from several angles. The side below shows a lot of color, but the tree doesn’t look particularly stable this way.

Jan Rentenaar

The other side of the container provided better visual stability, but it still felt too wide, especially if I filled the entire space within the container walls with soil.

Jan Rentenaar from the other side

I ended up going with the unglazed Koshosen as it’s a good size and style for the tree. I’ll keep looking for a glazed option, but will see how I like the unglazed clay body when the tree leafs out in spring.

Koshosen

In the meantime, I’ll see what I can do to improve the ramification on the slender low branch and encourage flower buds on the upper branches.

The post Pot selection exercise – semi-cascade ume appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

The small Japanese maple below has proved to be quite vigorous. In an effort to slow the tree down and produce shorter internodes, this past year I pinched spring growth, applied very little fertilizer, and fully defoliated the leaves and cut back the branches in spring. Here’s the result.

Japanese maple

Overall there are lots of new branches and the internodes are shorter than they were in each of the previous two years.

Relatively short internodes

The back buds that appeared after defoliating the tree have yet to open but they still look good. We’ll see how many of them open this year.

Back buds

I noticed that branches I cut back frequently produced four shoots from the same spot. Because branches that split into two are more attractive than branches that split into four, I plan to thin these areas to two branches or to remove them completely.

Four new shoots emerging from the same spot

In weaker areas, I saw the same four shoots but with much smaller internodes.

Four very short shoots

These shoots are shorter than I’d like which means I’ve finally dialed back the vigor to an acceptable level. I’ll let these areas with four shoots each grow freely until May or June when I’ll consider defoliating again.

Looking at the underside of a branch, I found an old wound that didn’t heal properly. I cleaned the area with a grafting knife and applied cut paste to help it heal.

Old wound

After cleaning the wound

After applying cut paste

The current focus is to build branch density. If the tree continues to grow like this for several years, I’ll have enough density to let me start thinning the branches and refining the tree’s outline.

After minor cutback – 6″ tall, 13″ wide

Branches seen from above

Related Posts

Defoliating a shohin Japanese maple

Follow-up – defoliating a shohin Japanese maple

Pinching spring buds on Japanese maple

The post Reducing internodes on Japanese maple appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

I’ve been pruning and wiring my young quince twice a year – once in spring and once in fall or winter. I’ve been doing this work to set the shape of the trunk before I let the trees grow on and thicken up.

Five year-old Chinese quince

Reducing sacrifice branches early keeps wounds small so they heal quickly. I start by shortening these branches but leave small stubs that I can clean up later.

After cutback

Sometimes I leave the stubs in place for up to a year before removing them. Other times I remove them right away. I generally leave stubs that are near the base of weak branches or along thin portions of the trunk. If the trunk is big enough in relation to the stub, I remove it.

Branch reduced to a stub

After removing the stub and cleaning the wound with a grafting knife

After applying cut paste to the wound

Here’s the quince after cutback and wiring a few branches.

After wiring and cleaning wounds – 13″ to top of highest wire

I’ll let the tree grow freely until May or June at which point I’ll repeat the process.

The post Cutback on young quince appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

The first batch of cascade black pines I started are now five years old. After decandling the trees last spring, it’s time for cutback and wiring.

Five year-old cascade black pine

Right side

There are a number of spots along the trunk where too many branches emerge. Ideally, no more than a single branch would split off from the trunk at any given point. Rather than remove all of the extra branches now, I’m thinning back to two or three branches per intersection. This will reduce the foliage by about half which is enough cutback for now. Were I to remove any more, I’d expect the tree to produce very long shoots after decandling.

Here’s the apex before and after cutback.

Upper branches

Upper branches after thinning

Upper branches seen from above

The work is similar for the rest of the tree. Here are the center branches seen from the side.

Center branches before cutback

After shortening the center branches

And here’s the same process on the lowest branches.

Terminal branches

After thinning

Here’s what the tree looked like after cutback and removing some of the old needles.

After cutback and thinning old needles

The trunk already has some movement in it, but I’d like for the cascading trunk to extend lower. After wiring the trunk, I’ll add bends that move up and down and from side to side.

Wired trunk from above

After wiring – 9″ top to bottom, 13″wide

I’m not sure how much farther I’d like the cascading branch to grow, but for the time being, it can go back on the bench and grow for another year.

The post Developing cascade black pine appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

For those who have worked with a lot of collected junipers, this post can be summed up with two photos.

Sierra juniper before repotting- 31″ tall

Sierra juniper after repotting

I acquired this tree in the pot pictured at top so I assumed there were some important roots that emerged quite a ways from the trunk. The hope is always that there are some roots closer in which would facilitate planting the tree in a smaller container.

When I took the tree out of its container, I was happy to see lots of fine roots everywhere. The question remained, however, where the roots came from.

I began my investigation on the left side of the rootball as it was the furthest point from the base of the trunk.

Fine roots at the end of a long root on the left side

I found that I could shorten the trunk a few inches without losing many roots.

The end section of the long root

Further investigation revealed a significant root with a lot of fine roots attached. I was curious of there were other significant roots so I followed the main root back to the trunk. Along the way, I no additional roots.

The long root on the left side

The right side also proved to be a bust. Although the deadwood is nice on that side, there is no active lifeline.

Right side of the rootball – the fine roots all emerge from the big root at the far end of the tree

As soon as I realized the tree was far from ready for a bonsai pot, I planted it in a narrow wooden box where it can grow for a year or two before I line up some root grafts. In the meantime, I can start thinking about how to design a compact tree around the deadwood along the trunk.

Trunk detail

The post Repotting a collected Sierra juniper appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

It was fantastic to visit a ceramics competition in Japan and see Roy Minarai of Kawauso Pottery recognized for his work. Roy took second in the glazed category for this year’s pottery competition held at the 2019 Gafu-ten exhibit held in Kyoto, Japan.

Minarai display

Roy entered three pots, a blue glazed mokko, a green oval, and a red square.

Blue glazed mokko

Red square

Green oval

It’s quite an accomplishment for any potter, let alone one who started making pots just a few years ago.

Minarai bio – anyone up for a translation?

The top prize in the glazed category went to a Taiwanese potter.

First in the glazed category

Blues with pink highlights

Brown with tiny starbursts and decorated feet

Miniature squares

All of the entries in the competition were fun to look at. Here are a few others that stood out.

Glazed, arched, rectangle

Third place in the glazed category

Small pot by Kazuhiro Watanabe of the Ikko Kiln

Painted Ikko

Competition overview

Competition overview

Congratulations and all the best to Roy – we’re all looking forward to seeing what you produce next!

Coming up, bonsai from the 2019 Gafu-ten exhibit.

The post Roy Minarai pots at the Gafu-ten pottery competition appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

One of the first displays to catch my attention at this year’s Gafu-ten exhibit featured six trees and an accent plant.

Award-winning display at the 2019 Gafu-ten held in Kyoto, Japan

Unlike the display of larger bonsai, shohin display entails complex relationships among all of the trees in the composition. As the number of trees in a display increases, the complexity of the display also increases.

A lot of this complexity arises from the convention of providing contrast in a display. Displaying different species together is one of many forms of possible contrast. A list of the most basic forms of contrast in a shohin display might include:

1. Different species
2. Different styles
3. Different pot colors
4. Different pot shapes
5. Different stands

The arrangement of display elements offers another layer of complexity.

1. Aim to display trees that are relatively equivalent in size
2. Aim to display each tree at a different level
3. Aim to display trees without leaves next to trees with leaves
4. Ensure each pair of trees on a shelf point toward each other
5. Ensure the top tree and the tree off to one side point toward each other

The display above does a great job meeting each of these criteria. On top of that, each tree is a great example of its species.

Black pine in a tiny unglazed pot

Chojubai with swirling exposed roots

Dwarf jasmine with full silhouette and dense branching

Kinzu full of ripe fruit

Trident maple with incredible branch ramification and interesting roots

Shimpaku with dynamic movement and delicate deadwood

An attractive accent to denote the season – selaginella and pyrrosia

After spending a few minutes studying this display, I reminded myself that I was in a room full of such displays. More highlights from the 2019 Gafu-ten coming up next week.

The post Anatomy of a shohin display appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

At Gafu-ten, Japan’s premier shohin exhibit, there are a number of different judging categories. This allows the judges to recognize the best contributions for a particular type of tree or display. Some of the key categories include:

• • Over 70 cm (the box stand for the display is 80 cm wide)
  • 70 cm (the box stand is 70 cm wide)
  • 60 cm (the box stand is 60 cm wide)

• Mini (the box stand is 45 cm wide)
• Medium-sized bonsai (bonsai up to 45 cm tall)
• Toko kazari (bonsai displays typically featuring kifu-sized trees over 20 cm tall with scrolls)
• Bunjin bonsai (displays featuring literati-style bonsai)
• Suiseki (displays featuring viewing stones)
• Pot display (displays featuring pots without trees)

This list is not exhaustive, but it offers a glimpse of how we might group small trees on display.

Shohin displays

In some cases the differences are subtle. Below, for example, are displays featuring box stands that are 60 cm and 70 cm wide.

60 cm and 70 cm displays

The largest category is for trees up to 20 cm tall measured from the top of the pot to the top of the foliage. Here is the prize winning display from this category.

Over 70 cm display

The next largest category featured a display by Italian bonsai enthusiast Giuseppe Cristallino.

70 cm display by Giuseppe Cristallino

The smallest categories feature bonsai grown on a very small scale.

Mini display

At the other end of the spectrum are the medium-sized bonsai – trees up to 45 cm tall. These trees are sometimes, but not always, displayed with scrolls.

Medium display

The toko kazari category features a tree or trees and scroll as they would appear if they were they displayed in a home’s alcove or tokonoma. These trees are typically kifu-size, roughly 20 cm to 30 cm tall.

Toko Kazari category

Bunjin bonsai displayed at Gafu-ten can be much larger than 20 cm but they typically take delicate forms.

Bunjin display

Gafu-ten also features displays without trees. Suiseki displays include scrolls and accents. Pot displays include stands but don’t always feature plants.

Suiseki display

Pot display

Next up, a look at displays featuring different numbers of trees.

Related Post

Anatomy of a shohin display

The post Shohin judging categories at Gafu-ten appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

The idea of exhibiting six shohin bonsai in a single display can be daunting. Fortunately there are good alternatives that accommodate smaller numbers of bonsai in the display.

At Gafu-ten, the most common single-tree displays feature bunjin bonsai. These trees have little visual weight for their size but fill the display area well.

Bunjin camellia with figure

Two-tree displays can be simple arrangements featuring a single elevated stand. By raising the level of one of the two trees, the composition can take advantage of the upper part of the display area.

Two tree display with elevated stand – elm and princess persimmon

Two tree display – deciduous bonsai and kinzu

A simple box stand can achieve the same effect.

Two tree display with box stand – ilex and shimpaku

If you have scrolls available, they can be displayed with one or two trees to create attractive tokonoma-style displays.

Two tree display with scroll – black pine and trident maple

Two tree display with scroll – chojubai and white pine

Two tree display with scroll – deciduous bonsai and red pine

When you are ready for displays featuring larger numbers of trees, the four-tree box stand can be a good alternative to the five-tree box stand. It’s especially popular for larger shohin or kifu-size bonsai.

Five tree display featuring small trees

Five tree display with larger trees

Five tree display

When simple displays fail to deliver the intended effect, more creative arrangements are a good alternative. Here are two that use elements found less frequently in shohin displays.

Bonsai display with walled box stand

Creative display

Related Posts

Shohin judging categories at Gafu-ten

Anatomy of a shohin display

The post Alternatives to shohin box displays appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.

Over the years I’ve come to expect directional bonsai to be displayed next to shohin box displays.

Box display with shimpaku that leans toward the center of the display

At Gafu-ten, I was surprised by how many of these trees shared their own stand with the accent plant.

Box display with an additional stand

Close-up of shimpaku and accent on secondary stand

As I looked at more of these stands and slabs, I began to appreciate how they provided additional visual weight to the side of the box stands, particularly for the larger sized shohin displays.

When viewed on their own, they make pleasantly complete mini-displays. Here are several of my favorites from the exhibit.

Crabapple

Jasmine

Princess persimmon

Shimpaku

Related Posts

Alternatives to shohin box displays

Shohin judging categories at Gafu-ten

Anatomy of a shohin display

The post Combining elements to balance shohin displays  appeared first on Bonsai Tonight.