More than a few friends and family members have asked what it was like living as a bonsai apprentice in Japan for 6 weeks. Some days were filled with mochi parties and antique shows. Other days involved lifting, carrying, and more lifting. There was a lot of sitting in the car as we drove as […]
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Styling a white pine
One of the last trees I worked on at Aichi-en last fall was a mid-sized white pine. My styling guidance was simple – I was told to make the tree look nicer. Beyond that, Mr. Tanaka told me not to cut too much. Cutting large branches can trigger vigorous growth and one of the primary […]
How to wire a bonsai pot
In preparation for repotting season, Boon brought several pots to January’s Bay Island Bonsai meeting that exemplified the proper way to prepare pots for repotting. The technique differ slightly for pots with one, two, three or four drainage holes. First cover drainage holes with screen to keep soil in and insects out. The examples below […]
Bonsai stamps
The USPS unveiled a new series of bonsai stamps last month. The artist, John D. Dawson of Hawaii, came out to Sacramento’s McKinley Park for the “first day issue” rollout. Had I known, I might have attended. I first heard about the project 18 months ago when the USPS wanted to license the image of […]
Pines and junipers at Meifu-ten
Central Japan will not run out of pine or juniper bonsai anytime soon. The trees below comprise about a fifth of the bonsai displayed at this year’s Meifu-ten in Nagoya, Japan. As a hobbyist exhibit, Meifu-ten shows off some of the best work done by local hobbyists and collectors. Although many of trees were prepped for the […]