I’d like to return, for a bit, to Boon Manakitivipart’s visit to Japan this past fall. Among his photos were a handful from a familiar garden, that of Mr. Okamoto in Central Japan. Okamoto is among the top bonsai professionals in the area. Over the years he has produced and worked on many famous trees and his garden is among my favorites in Japan.
Needle juniper
The garden is laid out like a nursery – the conifers share conifer benches and the deciduous varieties share deciduous benches. Such organization is rare in the Japanese bonsai gardens I’ve visited. It’s also rare to see such a broad variety of trees in a single garden. Okamoto produces beautiful specimens of many varieties, and the photos here offer but a sample of his collection. Thanks go to Boon for the photos.
Trident maple
Needle juniper
Black pine
Shimpaku
Gardenia
Pines
Maples
Gardenia
Gardenia
A few of the photos document a grafting technique that’s new to me. The grafting bags are left open but are filled with moss to preserve moisture around the scion. Based on the healthy scion growth, the technique appears to work well with white pine.
Scion wrapped in moss
Scion in open bag with moss
Japanese maple
Needle juniper
Japanese maple
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Thomdec says
Beautiful photos. The rain really helps showoff the color and texture of the trees. Thanks for sharing. I was particularly taken with the exquisite Gardenias and am wondering if you have any insight regarding Fuchsia as bonsai. I have a fondness for flowering trees and am experimenting with an old Fuchsia I collected last year. The shrub was in the ground for over 25 years and has incredible exposed cane like roots and a trunk that make for a pretty interesting shape / structure. My biggest challenge is going to be the wiring and training of the new growth, as it’s very tender and brittle. Any suggestions or tips when training? Thanks again.
Jonas Dupuich says
Good question about using fuchsia for bonsai. I think you’re right that the general tenderness could make it tricky, but if there’s a good trunk to start with, it could make for a fun tree. If the shoots are too brittle for wiring, clip-and-grow may be the best bet.