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Mr. Kita’s bonsai

November 2, 2012 by Jonas Dupuich

Last fall’s visit to Mr. Kita’s bonsai collection was a real treat – I can only imagine how nice it would be to see such a scene in one’s own backyard.

Boon, white pine, Peter

Boon Manakitivipart, a white pine, and Peter Tea

Hornbeam

A towering hornbeam

Few gardens include large Chojubai like the specimen below.

Japanese quince 'Chojubai'

Japanese quince ‘Chojubai’

Kita’s garden had two.

Pair of Chojubai

A stately pair of Chojubai

The hinoki in Kita’s garden offered examples of what we aim for when we develop trees with similar growth habits.

Hinoki

Hinoki

Beneath the foliage of each pad lie scores of thin branches that lead back to each primary branch – development that requires both time and technique.

Hinoki branch pads

Well-developed branch pads

Hinoki branch pads

Hinoki branch pads – side view

Hinoki

Hinoki

It was also clear that these trees received a lot of food. In many cases, fertilizer baskets completely lined the perimeters of the pots.

Fertilizer baskets

Fertilizer baskets

In keeping with the aesthetic of the synthetic turf that lined the ground, the trees were displayed on cement tables I’d seen in a number of Japanese enthusiasts’ yards. The tables can let water drain or pool to retain moisture as the season requires.

Popular bonsai table

Cement bonsai table

These details, however, received little notice – we were too busy with trees like the famous white pine below.

White pine

White pine

Broadleaf

Tekka Kazura – Trachelospurmum asiaticum

Black pine

Black pine

Persimmon

Persimmon

Chinese quince

Chinese quince

Hawthorn

Hawthorn

Eleagnus

Eleagnus

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Filed Under: Excursions Tagged With: Japan

Previous Post: « Mr. Kita’s junipers
Next Post: Highlights from Moriyama’s bonsai collection »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John DeMaegd says

    November 2, 2012 at 5:55 am

    All I can say is WOW! And what a great way to make tables for Bonsai out of cement with areas to either have water or let it drain out! I may be making some for my collection.

  2. Jay Miller says

    November 3, 2012 at 6:53 pm

    Echo on the “WOW!!!”. It appears that these magnificent bonsai are in a rooftop garden. That’s a considerable weight. Did Mr. Kita reinforce his roof?
    Jay Miller

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