When I saw the following photos from Boon’s visit to Japan, there was no doubt about whose garden they belonged to. I simply do not know that any other garden contains comparable material. Carving project Ichii Bob King offered me additional photos from the same visit, and again, the photos were unmistakable. Shimpaku (Bob King […]
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.
Mansai-en bonsai garden
Here are some photos from Mansai-en Bonsai Garden in Omiya Bonsai Village. The garden is home to Hatsuji Kato and his son Haruhiko. Hatsuji is son of the late Saburo Kato, founding member and longtime chair of the Nippon Bonsai Association. The garden and home has been redesigned since my visit in 1999 – it’s […]
Maintaining a beautiful bonsai garden
Shinji Suzuki couldn’t possible maintain so many beautiful bonsai without help from several skilled apprentices. Gardens like this require a lot of effort. Suzuki’s garden Today Matt, Yusuke, and Tyler work at the Obuse garden, watering, wiring, and tirelessly carrying trees in and out of the workshop. Yusuke watering Fortunately not all of the trees […]
Suzuki’s bonsai workshop
It’s always fun to see other people’s workshops. Shinji Suzuki’s was well organized when I visited in 2009 – and that was when it was still under construction. Now fully completed, the place is one of the tidiest I’ve seen. Here are some more of Boon Manakitivipart’s photos from his visit to Suzuki’s garden in […]
Shinji Suzuki’s bonsai garden
Late summer is not the most exciting time of year in bonsai. Most conifers slow down a bit, decandled pines are busy producing new shoots, and deciduous trees aren’t looking as fresh as they did in Spring. Winter, on the other hand, is a great time to view bonsai, and Japan is a great place […]