Tuesday, I posted photos of trees from Weyerhaeuser’s Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection that were planted in less formal pots – ovals, a round pot, and slabs. Here are some of the trees on display in more formal pots – rectangles, a square, and a six-sided pot. Chinese Juniper on Sierra Juniper Korean Hornbeam Korean Hornbeam […]
Excursions
Excursion posts feature visits to bonsai gardens in the U.S. and in Japan, visits to the Kyoto's Most Renown Gardens, and trips into the mountains to see junipers and pines in their natural setting.
Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Weyerhaeuser’s Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection in Federal Way, Washington, where curator David De Groot and volunteers maintain trees from six Pacific Rim nations. The collection is open year round and is definitely worth a visit. Below is a selection of bonsai that were on display when I visited. […]
Akio Kondo bonsai critique
This month’s Bay Island Bonsai meeting featured a critique by Akio Kondo. Members brought the trees and Kondo provided guidance about topics ranging from care, to styling to display. Here are some highlights from the event. Western juniper Kondo appreciated the thinness of the two trunks, and liked that the shorter trunk was thinner than […]
Japanese maple project
This past weekend, Bay Island Bonsai hosted workshops by visiting Japanese bonsai professional Akio Kondo. Six of us brought a variety of trees that Kondo helped clip, wire, and bend. The shaggiest of the lot was a Japanese maple that belongs to Jeff. It’s an old tree undergoing an extensive makeover. Here’s what it looked […]
Juniper deadwood at Elandan Gardens
The bonsai at Elandan Gardens are displayed against the attractive backdrop of Puget Sound and the fantastical background of the gardens themselves. Dan Robinson has adorned the reclaimed land with stones, trees, and even deadwood collected from the mountains in an effort to create an experience that evokes alpine beauty. It’s a great spot to […]