One trend stood out clearly at this year’s US National Bonsai Exhibition: the prevalence of North American natives. Despite their growing popularity over the past ten to fifteen years, natives have made up a relatively small portion of the trees at the National Exhibition. This is likely because it takes time to train bonsai to […]
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Highlights from the 8th US National Bonsai Exhibition – part 1
Last month, William N. Valavanis hosted the 8th US National Bonsai Exhibition in East Rochester, New York. At the start of the event, Bill reviewed all of the exhibits and seminars he’s hosted over the years and determined that this was the 100th show he’s staged. This is impossible sounding achievement deserves massive congratulations – […]
Wiring at decandling time
Fall and winter are my favorite times to wire black pines. The trees are relatively dormant, the foliage is mature, and I have a long time before spring to get the work done. I can also do this work when I decandle, but I don’t always make the time for it. As a result, I’ve […]
Cutback at decandling time
Decandling season is a good time to do cutback on black pines. Although we can’t cut past green needles and expect buds to pop on old wood, we can cut anywhere else as long as there is healthy foliage on the branch. (See “A cutback decandling technique” for details.) Here’s an exposed root black pine […]
A visit to Bonsai Mirai
It’s always a treat when I get to visit bonsai gardens that I don’t see very often. Although it’s thrilling to see great trees for the first time, revisiting favorites can be particularly satisfying. I had both experiences on a recent trip to Ryan Neil’s garden, Bonsai Mirai. Since my last visit seven years ago, […]