Apart from the overall beauty of the place, the most memorable feature of Ritsurin Garden its collection of pines. Each is old and well cared for, like Tsurukame-matsu (crane and tortoise) below. From the park brochure, “A black pine tree resembling the shape of a crane spreading its wings planted in a turtle-shaped stone planter […]
Search Results for: pine
Ponderosa pines at Elandan Gardens
Dan Robinson has been growing pine bonsai for a long time. Some of trees on display at Elandan Gardens started from seeds Dan collected in Korea when he was in the service. Most, however, were collected from the mountains, including the awesome specimens below. All text accompanying the images comes from signs displayed with the trees. […]
Ponderosa pine deadwood
For good reason, horticultural endeavors don’t often focus on death. Bonsai is an exception. Exposed deadwood on old trees can reveal hardship and character that defines a tree better than any other feature. One of the best places to appreciate deadwood on bonsai is Elandan Gardens in Bremerton, Washington. Elandan is an amazing expression of […]
Decandling a shohin black pine
The last of my pines to be decandled this year are the smallest of the bunch. Giving these trees less time to recover helps keep summer growth in check and needles short. I removed all but the smallest spring shoots, and then removed extra needles, leaving around 5 pairs on each branch. Shohin black pine […]
Treating a successful approach graft on black pine
Here’s how to treat a successful approach graft on black pine. The first step is removing any tape holding the graft in place. Tape holding graft in place After removing tape Next, remove the stub with concave cutters. Removing the stub A chisel can be used to further gouge out the stub to ensure that […]