The Kokufu-ten is Japan’s top bonsai exhibit. It’s presented in two halves. One hundred and fifty-one displays are set up for a few days, then another one hundred and fifty-one displays are set up after a day-off to facilitate the change. The quality of the trees on display is outstanding. I could share photos of […]
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Recent Posts
A historic spruce at the 94th Kokufu exhibition
This year’s Kokufu exhibition featured a special display of books and posters from early exhibits. Posters from early Kokufu exhibitions I only glanced at the posters on my first visit to the show before quickly moving on to the next display. On my second pass through the exhibit, I looked closely at the tree displayed […]
Evergreen highlights and displays from the 17th Shohin Seminar
Junipers and pines were the most common evergreen species at the California Shohin Society’s 17th biennial Seminar exhibition. Here are a few that were display. Japanese black pine Shimpaku juniper Shimpaku juniper Exposed root black pine Kinzu Juniper Cork-bark black pine Cypress I only have a few photos of the displays themselves. Most of the […]
Deciduous highlights at the 2020 California Shohin Seminar
Last weekend the California Shohin Society hosted the 17th Biennial Shohin Seminar in Santa Nella, California. The event is about as fun as bonsai events can be. Friday features demonstrations, attendees participate in workshops on Saturday, and Sunday features shohin-themed lectures or demonstrations. I spoke about shohin development techniques Sunday morning and Kathy Shaner provided […]
Defining the branch structure on a Korean hornbeam
I often begin the styling process by considering how well the branches complement the trunk. On the Korean hornbeam below, a slender trunk supports a relatively full silhouette. Korean hornbeam Full silhouettes make sense to me on trees with more substantial trunks. This got me thinking about opportunities to improve the branch structure by reducing […]