Novel displays at Bonsai Society of San Francisco’s annual exhibit

You know it’s a good day when a bonsai display makes you do a double take.

Slant-style spruce

Yep, the tree is sitting on a sheet of glass. Better yet, the glass is supported – balanced no less – by two grooved wood slats.

Spruce display by Eric Schrader

The display is part of the Bonsai Society of San Francisco’s annual exhibit at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. The garden show – and the exhibit – run through this weekend. I highly recommend visiting if you can make it!

It’s worth noting that the wire in the above composition isn’t needed for balance – it’s protection against inadvertent contact by visitors. This is in contrast to another of Eric’s displays in which the wire is an integral element of the composition.

Ponderosa pine

In this case, the tree sits on a black panel suspended by wires within a slender frame.

Ponderosa pine supported by copper wires

The more conventional displays merited just as much attention as the innovative displays as the overall quality of trees in the exhibit was high.

Coast live oak

Japanese black pine

Japanese maples planted on a large stone

The exhibit display labels revealed that two impressive junipers started as sub-ten-dollar nursery material thirty years ago.

San Jose juniper

Shimpaku juniper

A visitor closely examining each display might find a skull-shaped stone, a bone, a scrap of barbed wire and a giant pastry.

A few of these are pictured here – the rest are best appreciated at the event. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the highlights below!

Shimpaku juniper

Catlin elm

Pygmy cypress

Semi-cascade shimpaku juniper

San Jose juniper

Larch

Olive

Black pine and olive

Tim Kong’s coast redwood display