If you ask me what my favorite time of year in the garden is, I’ll say early spring, right after repotting. It’s the one time of year when everything looks good and there’s little work to do. Or so I used to think. In recent years, I’ve found that spring is a busy time for […]
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Repotting Strategy
As I go into repotting season, I think about how my plants grew the previous year and whether I want to change the soil mix I use for the upcoming growing season. Last year, summer was mild which meant that many of my trees didn’t dry out between waterings. Among the pines, a few trees […]
Takeaways from the second Shohin School Winter Seminar
Last month, Andrew Robson and I hosted a Shohin Seminar in Milwaukie, Oregon, featuring Japanese professional Daisaku Nomoto. Around fifty participants from seven states enjoyed two days of shohin education focused on how to create and display small trees. The event was a ton of fun and participants had the opportunity to shop from a […]
Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyukai 60th Annual Winter Silhouettes Show Highlights
On January 13th and 14th, the Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyukai hosted their 60th Annual Winter Silhouettes Show in Arcadia, California. Winter silhouette shows are a treat as there aren’t many around and it’s great to see exhibits that celebrate deciduous trees without their leaves. Why the focus on trees with no leaves? To appreciate the trunks […]
A visit to Bill Valavanis’ bonsai garden
The day after this year’s US National Bonsai Exhibition, Bill Valavanis hosted a workshop at his garden, The International Bonsai Arboretum, while volunteers unloaded trucks and visitors (like me) enjoyed the trees! Bill’s garden is one of the must see bonsai gardens in North America, and it’s been among my favorites since I first visited […]