This month’s Bay Island Bonsai meeting focused on Japanese maple. After studying how and when to pluck, prune and pinch maples, we worked on a maple display. Bay Island Bonsai meeting at Boon’s workshop The tree to be displayed is in the large category – it’s over 16-18 inches tall – so the idea was […]
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.
Pot selection for a dwarf wisteria
What’s all the fuss about selecting the right pot for bonsai? A pot that’s too big can make a powerful tree look small. A pot that’s too bright can be distracting. Pots can accentuate foliage or flowers, and they can clash with or complement other pots with which they are displayed. Maybe we’ve searched for […]
Pot selection follow-up
Thanks to all who attended this past weekend’s Bay Island Bonsai exhibit. It was a fun event and I’ll have plenty to share about starting this Friday. Today I wanted to revisit last week’s pot selection exercise. I really appreciate all of the suggestions and wanted to respond before getting to the rest of the […]
Pot selection – exposed root black pine
One of my favorite activities relating to bonsai display is pot selection. I’ll be showing a young black pine at tomorrow’s Bay Island Bonsai exhibit and the pot used for the past year isn’t exactly show quality. 13 year-old black pine in colander Here are 11 options for the tree. Some look great to me, others […]
Displaying a Korean hornbeam
I’m working, this week, on my submission for the Artisans Cup coming to Portland, Oregon, in September. Haven’t submitted a tree yet? No problem, there are still 3 days left. The requirements are simple – a few photos of your tree, a photo of the intended display, and a few words describing your intention behind […]