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 […]
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.
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 […]
Kokufu scoring exercise part 2: multi-point displays
This week’s topic is scoring multi-point displays – displays that feature more than one bonsai within a six-foot space. This is the most common approach to displaying small and medium-sized bonsai, trees that are up to 8″ and 18″ tall respectively. While it’s relatively easy to come up with a system that accounts for characteristics […]
Suggestions for studying bonsai with exhibit books
When I think back to my earliest memories of studying bonsai with Boon Manakitivipart, I remember there were Kokufu books everywhere. We’d look at them in the workshop, at lunch, and after dinner. They were a constant reminder of what was possible if we kept at it long enough. After studying with Boon for several […]