The back pine below appeared on the turntable and I was asked to make the tree “more beautiful.” What an unusual tree! Twisted pine Before looking very closely, I immediately got to work plucking old needles. That gave me a chance to study the tree and let me put off figuring out what to do […]
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Youkakai – 8 Auction
The barker calls bids before a small crowd on a patch of dirt on a bright day in Inazawa, Aichi-ken. Lots speed by at a rate of two per minute. The trees are going fast. Youkakai Youkakai, or 8th day auction, is a local event held on the 8th day of each month at Kouyo-en. The […]
Wiring a large Japanese black pine
As summer growth hardens on Japanese black pines, the time comes to pluck needles, cut extra shoots and wire branches that need moving. I recently worked on the black pine below with Boon Manakitivipart at the Shinpukuji Temple near Okazaki in Aichi, Japan. Black pine in Fall I’m used to doing fall work on Japanese […]
New bonsai tool – dish soap
When bonsai exhibits come around, bonsai enthusiasts love moss. They drive around town with their eyes on gutters and puddles in hopes of finding patches that can be scraped up and used as top dressing for their trees. But when moss grows into pine bark, the story changes. The goal is to find a way […]
GSBF Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt
I stopped by the Golden State Bonsai Federation’s Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt after visiting the East Bay Bonsai Society’s 50th Anniversary Show. The weather was perfect for a stroll through the garden. Here are some of the trees that were on display. San Jose juniper Seiju elm grove Hinoki cypress Flowering apricot Monterey cypress […]