It’s when I see good material that I most think about what lies ahead for a tree. This year’s REBS exhibit featured some pretty fine conifer bonsai. In time these trees will only get better. Recently collected material will develop refined branching while deciduous trees will continue to ramify and develop more fine branches. For example, […]
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Thoughts on shopping for bonsai
I’m excited – tomorrow I’m heading up to the largest bonsai exhibit and sale in Northern California – the Redwood Empire Bonsai Society’s 32nd Annual Show. Coast redwood as displayed at the REBS 29th annual show There are only a handful of events in the area that provide a good opportunity to shop for quality […]
Portland Japanese Garden
On a recent trip to Oregon I had a chance to visit the Portland Japanese Garden. Set in the hills overlooking Portland – not far from the museum hosting next month’s Artisans Cup – the garden is well worth a visit. On the day I visited the weather was perfect. Sunlight through Japanese maple foliage Designed in 1963, […]
The study of bonsai design
This month’s Bay Island Bonsai meeting focused on bonsai design. Members brought trees for critique and designed trees on paper. Both exercises focus on the criteria we use to design attractive bonsai and help to refine the stylistic sensibilities that inform the decisions we make when we work on our trees. The critique also provided […]
Why are my trees yellow?
I was puzzled, this year, by the appearance of yellow foliage on some of my young pines. Yellow foliage is common on weak trees and often results from bad soil, under-feeding or various kinds of infestation. All of my pines are in the same soil, get the same sunlight and fertilizer and show no signs of infestation. […]