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How to wire a Y branch intersection
Wiring is a fundamental bonsai technique. It helps us guide new growth and rearrange existing growth. Its application can be difficult, and even removing wire from branches can be trying when there’s...
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Tips for anchoring bonsai wire
At the outset of this series, I mentioned that nine of the ten items we’d cover are easy and that one is difficult. Number nine is difficult: learning what it means to properly anchor your wire. This...
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Finding a go-to resource when you need to learn more
So – my trees are pest free, properly watered, and well situated in my garden. I can tell the difference between merely healthy and vigorously growing bonsai. My trees are secure in their containers...
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Correcting faulty roots on young hawthorn bonsai
For years, I drove by a hawthorn on my way to work. The tree wasn’t particularly striking, but the fine branches were very dense. In fall, however, the tree was covered with bright, red, fruit. One day...
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Pot selection exercise – Yaupon holly
I’ve always been surprised at how different pots can elicit such different feelings from a given tree. I’ve previously posted several pot options for an Ilex vomitoria and found that a variety of...
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Exposed root black pine – the first wire
A couple of years ago I planted several young pines in deep containers with the objective of creating exposed root bonsai (see “Repotting 1 year-old black pine seedlings“). These young trees have grown...
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Developing a new leader on exposed root pines
A few years ago I started a batch of exposed root pines – black and red. I let them grow for several years without wiring and they now look like this. Black pine trained in the exposed root style...
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Improving exposed root pine bonsai with a single bend
As a number of you noticed in the last post, using a straight cylinder for creating exposed root pine bonsai can lead to a fairly uninteresting trunk line. This can be fixed easily – here’s how. Below...
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Different approaches to exposed root pine bonsai
After discussing exposed root pines for the last few posts, I thought I’d wrap up the series with a few photos showing some different approaches to the style. The tree below is 23 years old. About...
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Prize-winning trees at Bay Island Bonsai’s 18th annual exhibit
This past weekend, Bay Island Bonsai held their 18th annual exhibit at the Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland, California. Following the club’s tradition, the membership recognized the top tree in each...
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Large and medium-sized bonsai at Bay Island Bonsai’s 18th exhibit
I had a great time at this year’s Bay Island Bonsai exhibit. It was fun to catch up with friends and visitors from Northern California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, Minnesota, Connecticut...
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Shohin displays at BIB’s 18th annual exhibit
Two displays at this year’s Bay Island Bonsai exhibit featured mini-sized bonsai. The first used a narrow box stand that held five trees with a semi-cascade bittersweet and accent on the right side....
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Demonstrations at the 18th Noelanders Trophy
Last weekend the city of Genk, Belgium, hosted the 18th Noelanders Trophy. This year’s event was paired with the European Bonsai Association exhibit making for a huge, 200+ display event. It was my...
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Traders at the 18th Noelanders Trophy
When I arrived at the Noelanders Trophy last Saturday, I headed straight for the exhibit. I was surprised, however, to find the exhibit hall fairly empty. Where were the hundreds of guests who waited...
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The trees of Bonsai Shohin Japan
Bonsai Shohin Japan was one of the many traders at this year’s Noelanders Trophy. As their name suggests, the nursery specializes in small bonsai imported from Japan. Ume Shimpaku The nursery is run by...
View ArticleAward-winning bonsai at the 18th Noelanders Trophy
What can bonsai look like outside of Japan? The Noelanders Trophy provides a compelling answer: pretty great. This year’s award winners are a mix of European and Japanese varieties. The judges had many...
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Creating cascade Japanese black pine
After creating many Japanese black pines in a variety of styles, I realized, last year, that I hadn’t made many cascade pines. When it came time to wire a batch of young trees, I wired several trunks...
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Replacing a sacrifice branch
I have a number of Japanese black pines that are transitioning from the development stage to the refinement stage. The trunk has thickened to the desired size and I’m starting to focus on branch...
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Removing the last sacrifice branch
Once the trunk on a pine in development reaches the desired size, it’s time to focus on the branches. After 13 years in development, the pine below is now ready for the refinement stage. 13 year-old...
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Pinching spring buds on Japanese maple
Spring is a busy time for keeping after refined Japanese maples. In order to keep internodes short, I pinch new shoots as soon as they emerge. Shohin Japanese maple – 6.5″ tall, 13″ wide Because the...
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