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A closer look at the Bonsai on the Bayou exhibition
Anyone unfamiliar with the Texas bonsai scene might be surprised by the broad range of species in training in the Lone Star State. Alpine species, tropicals, and a variety of Texas natives are...
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A thousand posts and counting – ten years of Bonsai Tonight
A little over ten years ago, I shared an update about a black pine I’d grown from seed (see “Recent pine work“). This was the first post in what became a bi-weekly blog about bonsai care and...
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Learning about accent plants at Bonsai on the Bayou
The exhibit at Houston’s Bonsai on the Bayou featured a special display of accent plantings. The artist behind many of these, as well as many of the other accents in the exhibit, was Sooncheng Cheah....
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Bonsai Development Series #15: removing unnecessary growth
Although I typically wait until May or June to start working on deciduous bonsai, there are a few jobs that I try to do sooner rather than later. One of these is removing unnecessary root sprouts. Root...
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Bonsai Development Series #15b: removing unnecessary growth, part 2
In the last post we looked at the benefits of removing root sprouts on developing bonsai. We can take the same approach with water sprouts. Water sprouts are shoots that emerge from the trunk and...
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Teach Yourself Bonsai #2: How to create a bonsai calendar – Japanese black pine
If you’ve been working with bonsai for several years, you may have an idea of what needs to happen when. If you’re new to bonsai, or to a given species, it can be helpful to create a calendar to keep...
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Coast redwood – repotting follow-up
Three months ago I pruned and repotted a coast redwood. Coast redwood After cutback After root work Repotting complete The tree responded well and produced new foliage. New growth three months later...
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Leaf pruning dwarf wisteria
For the last few years, I’ve taken a simple approach to refining a dwarf wisteria (Millettia japonica ‘Microphylla’). In May or June, I reduce long shoots that extend beyond the desired silhouette. The...
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Partial defoliation on shohin Japanese maple
Last year I defoliated a shohin Japanese maple in an effort to stimulate back buds (see “Defoliating a Japanese maple“). The approach worked (see the “Follow-up“). This year I want the shoots that...
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Report from the Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai’s 2019 Exhibit
The Bay Area Satsuki Aikokai held its 24th annual exhibit last weekend at the Lake Merritt Garden Center in Oakland, California. And thanks to the weather this spring, the timing of the exhibit was...
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Leaf pruning vs. partial defoliation
Spring is a good time for managing vigor on deciduous species. We can fully defoliate our strongest trees, and partially defoliate less vigorous bonsai. An alternative to defoliation for species with...
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Transitioning from trunk development to branch refinement – Japanese black pine
A common approach to developing bonsai from scratch is to focus on trunk development first and branch refinement second. When we focus on developing the trunk, we generally encourage rapid growth...
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Initial branch refinement on Japanese black pine
The pine below, grown from seed by Eric Schrader, is in the early stages of branch development. The major sacrifice branch came off a couple of years ago, and the tree has been decandled at least one...
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Bonsai on display at Sei Boku Bonsai Kai’s 36th annual exhibit
Last weekend the Sei Boku Bonsai Kai held their 36th annual exhibit at the San Mateo Garden Center in San Mateo, California. By hosting the show on the first weekend of June, Sei Boku gives members...
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Spring maintenance for a refined Korean hornbeam
After fifteen years of branch development, my Korean hornbeam has slowed down considerably. When I started working on the branches, I’d often see new shoots with ten-to-twenty new leaves all over the...
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Spring maintenance on black pine – pulling needles and decandling
I’ve been working on the black pine below for twenty years. Every year, near the end of May or the beginning of June, I remove the spring growth and reduce the number of old needles. Japanese black...
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A very twisty Sierra juniper
I had a chance this week to visit some of my favorite Sierra junipers. The best known of these trees is pictured below. A very twisty Sierra juniper The tree is compact and twisty, revealing different...
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Appreciating a massive, and ancient, Sierra juniper
One of my favorite Sierra junipers doesn’t fit neatly into any categories. It’s form is somewhere between informal upright and semi-cascade. The base of the trunk is massive, but the apical foliage...
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A natural semi-cascade juniper
I had made several visits to the Sierra junipers around Carson Pass before I first saw the giant semi-cascade. It was pretty awesome. Natural semi-cascade style Sierra juniper Much of the deadwood on...
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Sierra wildflowers – nature’s accent plants
My recent visit to the Sierra Nevada coincided with wildflower season this year. It was a great reminder of how natural it is to pair trees with companion plants that grow nearby. Here are some of the...
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