My visit to Japan last fall included a number of visits to Mr. Moriyama’s garden. Often there were trees to pick up or drop off so we’d swing by on our way elsewhere. Other days we’d stay awhile – like the day we helped reorganize a section of the garden and tied trees to benches. […]
Japan
Highlights from Moriyama’s bonsai collection
Mr. Moriyama is prominent among Nagoya bonsai collectors for good reason. He has an outstanding collection and he is a great supporter of both local and regional bonsai events, his trees featuring in at least five of the exhibits I visited last fall. At home, these trees are crowded into a beautiful garden setting. If […]
Mr. Kita’s bonsai
Last fall’s visit to Mr. Kita’s bonsai collection was a real treat – I can only imagine how nice it would be to see such a scene in one’s own backyard. Boon Manakitivipart, a white pine, and Peter Tea A towering hornbeam Few gardens include large Chojubai like the specimen below. Japanese quince ‘Chojubai’ Kita’s […]
Mr. Kita’s junipers
On our way to visit Ishii’s nursery last fall, Akio Kondo took Boon, Peter and myself to visit one of his customers – Mr. Kita. Kita has a small, but impressive, bonsai collection. Trees like the juniper below. Large shimpaku Impressive, yes, but was this the front? The other side, too, has great features. The […]
Beech – on top of the mountain
As we approached the pass near the top of White Mountain Forest Road, the flora signaled a change in elevation – fir gave way to pine, maples to beech. Maples added golden hues to beech-covered hillsides until they dropped away, leaving the silvery-bronze beech and a scattering of white pines. I found the beech impressive […]




