Although Daisaku Nomoto is well known for his pine work, he’s also a big fan of junipers and deciduous varieties. Walking through his nursery was a great opportunity to see trees that were well developed next to trees still in the project phase. Large shimpaku Shimpaku Shimpaku with great deadwood Shimpaku […]
Search Results for: pine
Nomoto Chinshou-en
For those curious about my visits to so many Kyushu bonsai gardens, the answer is simple – Daisaku Nomoto. In addition to hosting the Kyushu portion of my recent visit to Japan, long-time friend and teacher Nomoto designed an itinerary to suit my interest in developing bonsai from scratch. So instead of visiting some of the top […]
Chojubai
In addition to growing white and black pines, Mr. Iwakiri has a fondness for deciduous trees – chojubai in particular. Japanese flowering quince – chojubai Iwakiri offered some details about how he’s developed these trees. Many of the clump-style specimens are actually bundles of cuttings from the same tree that have grown together for 20-30 years. […]
In praise of colanders
I’ve been growing black pines in colanders for years. Thanks to Bonsai Today issue #20 and Boon Manakitivipart, many enthusiasts have been doing the same. Sizes are convenient, drainage is great, and the cost is reasonable. I have yet to find pots that make it easier to keep black pines healthy. In general, I’ve grown […]
Creating the trunk – charting future growth
Is there a way to determine whether or not my wiring is suitable for creating the bonsai in my mind’s eye? Yes! I learned about it in Mr. Iwakiri’s garden. Iwakiri recommends modeling the trunk line before wiring actual trees. He demonstrated the idea with newspaper and aluminum wire. The idea is to create a […]