On January 13th and 14th, the Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyukai hosted their 60th Annual Winter Silhouettes Show in Arcadia, California.
Winter silhouette shows are a treat as there aren’t many around and it’s great to see exhibits that celebrate deciduous trees without their leaves.
Why the focus on trees with no leaves? To appreciate the trunks and branch structure. Creating great deciduous bonsai requires time and the repeated application of good bonsai techniques before trees begin to look their best.
The Baikoen event definitely had a number of trees that were looking their best. Here are a few of the highlights.
Korean hornbeam by Lindsay Shiba
Corkbark elm by Michael Roberts
Chinese quince by Tom Vuong
Kiyohime Japanese maple by Tom Lau
Bittersweet by Tak Shimazu
Shohin display by Peter Macasieb
Shohin display detail
Thanks again to everyone in the Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyukai for putting on such a great show and for making me feel welcome during my visit. I look forward to visiting again soon!
To learn more about the club, check out baikoenbonsai.com.
News & Updates
The Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt reported eight trees missing on the morning of January 17th. If you come across any signs of these trees, please call or write me with information and I’ll forward it to garden staff.
Pomegranate, black pine, hawthorn, mugo pine
Top left (mugo pine, Korean hornbeam, hinoki), ume, contorted cherry
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Gerald says
Hi Jonas, some of these trees are extraordinary. I have to ask, are any of the pictured trees imports? These would certainly be welcomed to be displayed at the finest exhibitions in Japan. Wonderful long term care is very apparent.
Jonas Dupuich says
They are extraordinary! And they come from different places. The large hornbeam, for example, is an imported tree but Lindsay Shiba and his father did a lot of development work over the years. As for the impossibly dense Chinese elm, Michael Roberts created it by developing the tree from scratch – a fantastic achievement!