Last weekend, Bay Island Bonsai held its 11th annual exhibit in Pleasanton, CA. It was a huge success. After 10 years of hosting our exhibit in Hayward, we were uncertain about switching venues. Turns out this was our top-attended event. Thanks to all who visited and all who helped. I’ll be writing a number of […]
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Repotting a trident maple: root-work
Part 3 of 5 I’ve seen it first-hand. Visiting bonsai teachers come to town and whip trees into spectacular shape only to leave the trees’ owners with ticking time-bombs. Until a tree is in outstanding health, it’s a poor candidate for even the most basic bonsai tasks. Great bonsai work requires great health, and great […]
Judging bonsai at REBS
The most intriguing new feature of REBS’ 26th Annual Show was its endeavor to teach visitors about judging bonsai. I get excited about educational efforts in this area because I believe they can lead, ultimately, to better trees. Teaching bonsai evaluation is analogous to teaching art or music appreciation – it’s a vehicle for conveying […]
Three more from Urushibata
A juniper, a pine, and another pine from Urushibata’s garden: Shimpaku What stood out on this shimpaku was the extensive carving. I don’t know if it is still in process or if this is it. It will be interesting to see the tree in a couple of years when the foliage and deadwood are further […]
Ooishi’s deciduous work
Ooishi’s deciduous work is remarkable – and not just because his trees look good. In most cases he created his collection from scratch, by air-layering, grafting and careful wiring and cutback over the years. Although I don’t know the ages of the trees below, Ooishi suggested that trees like this can be developed from cuttings […]