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Refining young pines
A number of my young black pines are now 10 – almost 11 – years old. Depending on what they look like, I’m making cuts, repotting or letting them grow. The pine below has a number of exposed roots. As...
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Selected highlights from the 2011 Taikan ten
For the Thanksgiving weekend I thought I’d share a few of the highlights from the 2011 Takian ten. The event is held annually in Kyoto at this time of year. For those who missed previous posts from the...
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Refining a 10 year-old pine
Rather than make long term goals for trees, I’ll often make short to medium-term plans based on the current condition of the tree. This is true for many of the black pines I’ve been growing from seed,...
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Winter watering
I find watering this time of year to be challenging. Yesterday only about 6 of my trees needed water – the others were fine. Before and after work it is dark out. This morning the hose was frozen and...
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Signs of health
A friend brought a healthy California juniper to a Bay Island Bonsai workshop last weekend. I don’t think I’d ever seen such a healthy specimen. Healthy California juniper Junipers tell you when...
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Keeping a root in place
Bonsai regularly provides us with opportunities for creative problem solving. I was impressed, at a recent Bay Island Bonsai workshop, by an effort to keep an errant root close to the stone over which...
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Removing an air layer
About a year and a half ago, I started an air layer on a Japanese maple (see “Air layering a Japanese maple“). I checked on the layer’s progress the following winter and found that the wound had...
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Refining a black pine
One of my longer term projects has been a black pine grown in the ground at Lone Pine Gardens. It looks like a somewhat normal tree save for a few extraneous over-size branches. The large branch in the...
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Making a big cut
While maintenance work like minor cutback or wiring can make a tree shine, it’s the larger cuts that really speed along development. Of course, we don’t always enter workshops expecting to make these...
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Pot selection
As the run-up to Bay Island Bonsai’s 15th annual exhibit continues, more attention is given to the pots in which our trees are planted. Here are three options for an old elm – have a preference? Pot...
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A pot for an elm
Last week I posted three pot alternatives for an old elm. The voting was mixed, but as of last night, pot #1 proved the favorite with 9 votes, while #2 and #3 received roughly 6 and 7 votes...
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Repotting a shore pine
The shore pine is kin to the lodgepole pine. Both are native to California and parts north, but the exact relationship is open to some debate (see Pinus contorta for details). Shore pine bark is great,...
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A pot for a dwarf wisteria
I’ve been growing a dwarf wisteria made from air layer for some time and am now ready to show it. The tree is still young and I have yet to see it bloom, but it might make a nice second tree in a...
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Preparing a small pine for exhibit
Two years ago, I showed a young black pine at Bay Island Bonsai’s 13th annual exhibit. Shohin black pine – January 2012 The tree has continued to develop, so I thought I’d show it again at BIB’s 15th...
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Yaupon holly
A good rootball is fun to work with. This is especially true for varieties that produce fine roots like Yaupon holly. After removing the tree from its pot and starting to comb through the roots, I...
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Bonsai auction tomorrow at BIB’s 15th annual exhibit
Bay Island Bonsai’s annual exhibit features a plant sale and vendors including Deer Meadow Bonsai and Deadwood Bonsai. Plus, on the first day of the exhibit, there’s a live auction (preview at noon,...
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A bonsai show comes together
Putting on some final touches Trees and supplies More trees Backdrops go up Connecting backdrops Skirting in place Preparing for photography Trees A tree in place Looking for more trees Small and...
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Bay Island Bonsai’s 15th annual exhibit
The theme for Bay Island Bonsai’s 15th annual exhibit was Born in the USA. It was an exhibit with no imported trees. Honestly, we weren’t totally sure how things would turn out a few years ago when we...
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More from BIB’s 15th annual exhibit
Here are some more photos from Bay Island Bonsai’s 15th annual exhibit – Born in the USA – an exhibit with no imported trees. California juniper Live oak Shimpaku Cedar Ezo spruce Sawara cypress Accent...
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A final stroll through BIB’s 15th annual exhibit
Here’s a final look at some of the trees on exhibit at Bay Island Bonsai’s 15th annual exhibit – I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour! Ponderosa pine Shimpaku Sierra juniper Accent – mixed planting White...
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