Accents displayed at the 94th Kokufu-ten

If you look next to every great tree at the Kokufu bonsai exhibit, you’ll find a small companion plant at its side.

Korean hornbeam display

Accent plants, or shitakusa (“under weeds”) as they are known in Japanese, accompany every display at the Kokufu-ten.

Accents can feature one or more species, and they are typically planted in pots or on stones or roof tiles.

Here’s a close-up of the accent that accompanied the Korean hornbeam above.

Accent planting in a shallow pot – selaginella and pyrrhosia

You’ll notice the accent above completely fills the pot. Fullness is typical of accents at Kokufu. This is just as true for accents featuring single species as it is for mixed plantings.

Pyrrhosia and fern on a stone

Rabbit-foot fern on a ceramic tile sitting on a wood slab

Larger trees tend to have larger accents. This maintains the balance between display elements.

Large pyrrhosia

Accents featuring pyrrhosia ferns are common at Kokufu. They appear on their own as well in group plantings.

Mixed planting on a roof tile

Mixed planting on a stone

Accent containers are typically subtle, especially for large bonsai, but occasionally bright colors show up.

Pyrrhosia, willow, selaginella, and ardisia

Pyrrhosia, willow, selaginella, and ardisia

This year I found a few flowerless azaelas planted on stones. The tiny foliage provided a nice contrast to the larger-leaved pyrrhosia and gaultheria accents.

Azalea

The accent that most closely resembled a landscape planting was the stone accent below. It’s a nice mix of selaginella, moss, and pyrrhosia, and I like the way it sat on a wood disc.

Pyrrhosia, selaginella, and moss on a stone

Up next: more from Japan.

New Online Course from Bonsai Empire – Developing Coniferous Bonsai

The latest release from Bonsai Empire features European professionals Walter Pall, Mauro Stemberger, and Harry Harrington (with bonus content from Jan Culek) in an online course aimed at conifer enthusiasts.

“Developing Coniferous Bonsai” is a collection of twenty-three videos – over ten hours of information about pre-bonsai, basic development techniques, and conifer refinement techniques.

I have yet to review the course in depth, but I expect the content and production quality to be on par with Bonsai Empire’s previous courses. Learn more and view sample content for Developing Coniferous Bonsai.

Jan Culek creating a stone planting