Last weekend the Bay Area Bonsai Associates, affectionately known as BABA, held their 40th Anniversary exhibition at the Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland, California. Below are some of the trees on display with brief notes about what made them good choices for the exhibit. Shimpaku juniper The juniper above is a great example of a […]
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Conifers vs. deciduous bonsai: evaluating different species
For this fall’s Pacific Bonsai Expo, we have some judging categories for narrow groups of trees (Best Large Conifer is an example) and other categories (like Best Medium Bonsai Display) that include a broad diversity of species. For these latter categories, it can be difficult to compare species as different as pine and beech. One […]
Judging categories at the Pacific Bonsai Expo
The award categories for next year’s Pacific Bonsai Expo are set: Best in Show Best Large Broadleaf Evergreen Bonsai Best Large Conifer Bonsai Best Large Deciduous Bonsai Best Medium Bonsai Display Best Shohin Bonsai Display (You can learn more about sponsoring awards at the Expo here.) Large bonsai are trees that are over 18″ tall […]
How to determine the direction or flow of a bonsai
Some trees point left, others point right. White pine that points to the left(This and subsequent photos are from the 2020 Kokufu exhibition) Korean hornbeam that slants to the right There are a number of ways to indicate direction or flow in bonsai. In the above examples, the line of the trunk (from the base […]
Twelve month countdown to the Pacific Bonsai Expo
Twelve months from today, the doors will open for the Pacific Bonsai Expo. This makes today a great day to look at your garden and see what your trees look like at this time of year. Preparing bonsai for exhibits often starts one or more years ahead of the event. By checking your trees twelve […]