Last weekend the East Bay Bonsai Society hosted their 58th Annual Show at Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland, California. The event featured a mix of conventional displays along with a few less-traditional set-ups.
Most of the trees were displayed on wooden stands with scrolls or accents.
Shimpaku juniper with scroll and accent
Lodgepole pine with pyracantha and accent
Bunjin shimpaku with suiseki
Pine with accent
One relatively traditional display featured a scroll that spelled out the scene. It read: “Making dry creekbeds glisten/awakens hills/first autumn rain.”
Leyland cypress with scroll, gravel, and grass accent
The artist suggested that the accent represented the hills that green up after the first rains of the season.
Another display featured a clear box-stand that made the display elements appear to float in space. It was a great example of how to arrange display elements at different heights.
Small bonsai display – no two elements line up horizontally
One of my favorite displays featured two unconventional pines.
Double pine display
The arrangement was a nod to teacher Dennis Makishima who gave these trees their starts.
Although it might break “rules” to include such similar trees in the same display, I appreciated that the arrangement caused me to look for differences and similarities between the trees that I might have otherwise missed.
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Lars says
Great pictures Jonas. One thing that has always bothered me about traditional shohin tables is that sometimes the trees on the lower levels are so shaded by the above levels you can’t see them well. That clear stand takes care of that issue.
Lars
Jonas Dupuich says
Thanks Lars! Getting light to the lower trees is one of the biggest challenges in vertically oriented displays. This is a fun solution – I look forward to seeing more alternatives to traditional box displays going forward.
Antonius G Nijhuis says
Interesting that’s the first Leylandii that I have seen done as a bonsai. I just planted 1,000 Leylandii plugs into 1 gallons for hedging. I have 1 that no one wanted for hedging – really messed up in a 5 gallon pot. Will give that a try – very inspiring the display works for me. Thanks
Jonas Dupuich says
Hi Anton! I haven’t seen them used for bonsai either so it’ll be fun to see how they develop ramification over time.
That’s quite a hedge row, btw – maybe there will be some nice trunks after a few years 🙂
Ryan Huston says
I love to see the traditional and non-traditional displays you guys are up to down in SF! Lots of good inspiration for the rest of us.
Jonas Dupuich says
Thanks Ryan!