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Highlights from the Bay Area Suiseki and Shohin Show

July 5, 2019 by Jonas Dupuich

I’ve always enjoyed visiting bonsai exhibits as they’re both fun and educational. I study the trees I like to see what makes them work. Later, when I’m back in the garden, I try to make use of what I’ve learned.

Here are some of the characteristics I liked about a selection of trees on display at last weekend’s Bay Area Suiseki and Shohin Show in Oakland, California.

What I liked about a willow leaf ficus:

  • Great roots
  • Great trunk
  • Full, healthy canopy
Ficus

Willow leaf ficus

What I liked about a very small coast live oak:

  • Great density for a very small tree
  • Healthy foliage
  • Lots of slender branches
Coast live oak

Coast live oak

What I liked about a shohin black pine:

  • Unbelievably healthy for such a small pot!
  • Huge trunk for such a small pot!
  • Good color and even density
Black pine

Black pine

What I liked about a trident maple:

  • It looks like a larger tree
  • No major scars on the trunk
  • Good surface roots
Trident maple

Trident maple

What I liked about a shohin shimpaku:

  • It’s one of very few small trees I know of that successfully evokes a larger juniper growing in the mountains
  • Deadwood is in scale with the tree
  • Fantastic movement in the trunk
Shimpaku

Shimpaku

What I liked about a princess persimmon:

  • The ripening fruit indicates the season
  • The style is a good match for the shape of the trunk
  • The blue pot is a great match for the tree
Princess persimmon

Princess persimmon

What I liked about a small hinoki:

  • The miniature foliage is a great fit for a small tree
  • The canopy is full and dense
  • Despite the tree’s small size, there are lots of branches
Hinoki

Hinoki

What I liked about a black pine:

  • The shape of the silhouette is a great match for the trunk
  • The needle size (last year’s needles) is good for the tree
  • The tree is impressively healthy for a mature shohin in a small pot!
Black pine

Black pine

Up next: photos of shohin displays.

Dates Set for Upcoming Bonsai Development Intensives

After hosting a session focused on deciduous bonsai and pine technique last month, I’ve added dates for future Development Intensives:

  • Summer: August 9-11
  • Fall: November 1-3
  • Fall: November 15-17

For more information and the complete schedule through 2020, click here.

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Filed Under: Exhibits Tagged With: Shohin

Previous Post: « Viewing stones at the Bay Area Suiseki and Shohin Show
Next Post: Bonsai displays at the Bay Area Suiseki and Shohin Show »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lee Bates says

    July 5, 2019 at 5:39 pm

    My favorite is the Trident. Great balance between trre and pot. To me; Shohin is not a contest to see who can put the tree in the smallest pot.. The Black pines make me feel claustrophobic.

    • Jonas Dupuich says

      July 5, 2019 at 5:51 pm

      Thanks Lee – I agree about the trident and its pot. The vigor of the pines is a testament to the great care they receive though I think they will be a better match for their containers after decandling.

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