If the collected Sierra juniper below tells a story, I’m not sure what to make of it. Nicknamed, “hermaphrodite,” the tree received a lot of attention at Bay Island Bonsai’s recent exhibit. The deadwood and shari are interesting, but not without controversy. Discussion often involves whether or not the primary branch is necessary. For now […]
Exhibits
Exhibits are where we can see bonsai at their best. Explore posts from Bonsai Exhibits in the U.S. including the U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition and Japanese events including the world-famous Kokufu and Taikan-ten exhibits.
Show trees are full trees
You’ve heard the phrase if you’ve heard Boon talk about show prep. Full trees demonstrate health and maturity. Although there are exceptions, most bonsai look their best when they’re full. Fullness means different things for different varieties. I consider the deciduous trees below from Bay Island Bonsai’s recent exhibit to be “full.” Chinese quince ‘Chojubai’ […]
Penjing
Bay Island Bonsai’s recent exhibit included a penjing display – a rare occurrence for the event. As time passes, I find I’m more concerned with improving the quality of the trees in the exhibit each year – and keeping the event fun. This piece has fun in spades. Penjing with shimpaku Shimpaku Cascade shimpaku Shimpaku island […]
Three-point displays
Eighteen inches, give or take, counts for a lot at Bay Island Bonsai exhibits. Generally, trees between 8″ and 18″ tall are considered medium bonsai and are exhibited in “three-point displays” – displays with two trees and one accent plant. Composing these displays requires care. If you haven’t set up a medium display before, imagine […]
Juniper bonsai
A lot of juniper bonsai made it into Bay Island Bonsai’s 12th annual exhibit this year. Whether common garden varieties or collected specimens from deserts or mountain ranges, the trees were impressive. Here is a selection of the junipers on display at the exhibit. Taiwanese juniper Procumbens juniper Western juniper Sierra juniper Shimpaku (grafted) Shohin […]