One of the best ways to refine your sense of which pots are a good match for a given tree is to try out different alternatives. This is especially true for trees with unusual shapes or features. In the case of the ume below, I can use a deep round (or square, or hexagonal) pot […]
Display
Bonsai is meant to be displayed. The Display posts cover how to present bonsai at exhibits, the Accents with which bonsai are displayed, and the criteria we use when selecting Bonsai Pots.
Bonsai display basics
A number of conventions guide the way bonsai are displayed at exhibits around the world. This post covers the basics. The Space Bonsai displays at Japanese exhibits are commonly six feet wide – about the length of one tatami mat. As most bonsai are anywhere between a few inches tall and up to three or […]
Pot selection exercise – cork oak
One of the best things about repotting season is that it provides an opportunity for us to select new containers for our trees. When we move trees from training pots or poorly matched containers to something better, it can be like having a new tree in the yard. One tree that stumped me this year […]
Small and medium displays at the Pacific Bonsai Expo
Let’s wrap up our initial tour of the Expo with some examples of medium and shohin displays. Given a standard exhibit space that’s six feet wide, it’s common to fill the area with two or more trees depending on their size. For medium-sized trees under 18″, we expect to see displays featuring two bonsai and […]
Bonsai stand conventions
Bonsai stands are small tables used to display bonsai. They’re commonly found in exhibits or in formal indoor displays. We rarely see them in the garden as few stands are built to last outdoors. Why use stands at all? More than anything else, we use stands to raise bonsai above standard table height so they’re […]