Last year I started working on a Japanese black pine that was developed as a landscape tree (here’s Part 1 and Part 2 of the story). This year’s work was less exciting than last year’s, but it made me much happier. Why? Because I’m now committed to a design direction (i.e. I cut off most […]
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Preparing a black pine for exhibit
Not long before last month’s Bay Island Bonsai exhibit, Boon mentioned that there was room for more trees if I was interested. I looked around my backyard for candidates and found that one of my black pines had filled in nicely after the previous year’s decandling. I brought it to workshop to see if it […]
Air layering shishigashira at BIB meeting
The topic for this month’s Bay Island Bonsai meeting was air layering. It’s a fast way to create new bonsai – much faster than starting trees from seed or cutting. It’s also a great way to correct defective roots as layering typically produces a good radial root base. Boon described for us two approaches to […]
Shopping for bonsai
I’ve enjoyed bonsai auctions for a long time. You never know what material will show up or how much it will go for. They are a great way to gauge the market for given trees within a given audience and can be a great source for new material. Auction trees! Bay Island Bonsai holds an […]
Companion plants
Instead of showing bonsai on their own, Bay Island Bonsai exhibits trees in 6 foot displays with companion or accent plants. The addition of companion plants to a composition helps suggest a season or scene. My favorite accents typically feature a mix of varieties and just barely fit in their containers. Which are your favorites? […]