Author: Farrand

Shohin by FarrandSep 24, 202111:59

The new big

Koji Hiramatsu works on a black pine Shohin and the slightly larger Kifu-sized bonsai have become ever more popular. This because they are much easier to enjoy and appreciate compared with the larger trees and...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Masterclass by FarrandSep 24, 202110:45

no bonsai stays the same

A juniper update, Chiharu Imai works on a masterpiece Itoigawa juniper Working on a very ancient and treasured juniper, Chiharu Imai realises that no bonsai stays the same and so he respectfully gives the tree...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Summer by FarrandSep 16, 202115:05

Repot, or not?

When we acquire plants or young tree material, we plant them in pots to let them develop further to allow them to adjust to growing conditions at home. But what do we do when we...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Spring by FarrandSep 16, 202111:26

A fruitful day

How to pollinate flowering bonsai Under the guidance of Hiroki Miura, Japanese popstar Ayaka Yamamoto tries her luck with fruiting fruit-bearing trees. The fruit of a tree is not always produced when it flowers. If...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Summer by FarrandSep 16, 202110:36

Growth never stops

Maintenance work on a mountain cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) During summer you need to deal with the dead leaves formed inside the branches of this very dense-growing conifer. They are removed to prevent ‘stuffiness’. This is...

This content is for Basic and Plus members only.
Log In Join Now

Technique by FarrandSep 10, 202114:21

Like Frankenstein?

Shigeo Ebihara’s unbelievable method of trunk shortening This operation on an old maple took more than four and a half years to complete. The tree has one major fault that is impossible to solve using...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Case History by FarrandSep 2, 202115:10

The tree with no name

Nacho Marín works on a tree giving both power and delicacy This tree variety with its special forms shaped by nature and the large amount of deadwood juxtaposing with its delicate foliage, has been Nacho’s...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Garden visit by FarrandSep 2, 202113:32

The Green Temple

A greenhouse with only saikei forest and rock landscapes Saikai is an interpretation of landscapes in miniature. Master gardener Karl-Härtl and his son Florian create this art form with native shrubs and perennials. At their...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Technique by FarrandAug 27, 202115:42

Kengai

How to make a cascade-style bonsai A kengai or cascade is inspired by trees found in harsh mountainous conditions, growing on rocky cliffs. It is this which makes it one of the most dramatic and...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Free by FarrandAug 26, 202115:27

Small imperfections

The bonsai passion of Francesco Santini Francesco learned bonsai from an early age. He has a veryoutspoken approach to bonsai and that’s not only about the material side of things What was your training? I’ve...

This content is for Free, Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Workshop by FarrandAug 20, 202116:46

One became two

Martin Nielsen divides a Japanese maple into two new trees Martin describes his work with a Japanese maple where one tree becomes two. It’s a tree with a fine nebari grown from a seed in...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Styling by FarrandAug 20, 202112:30

This one?

Jörg Derlien’s all too familiar struggle to find the right pot fit for his larch The larch depicted here, a Larix decidua, was acquired in 2009 and obtained from the Alpine region of Wallis in...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Masterclass by FarrandAug 13, 202109:58

Can it grow upside down?

To get the best results Masahiko Kimura flips a juniper upside down Just turn it upside down, a brilliant idea, which for many would be an impossible option; not so for Masahiko Kimura Another upside...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Styling by FarrandAug 12, 202110:56

All-American pine

Bjorn Bjorholm works on a pine grown from seed Bjorn gives an initial styling to a more than 50-year-old pine, grown from seed. This classic informal upright bonsai has a long and much told history...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Technique by FarrandJul 30, 202116:06

The branch doctor

Master Oota is the expert on grafting new branches on junipers From grafting branches to finishing a tree and his selection of famous needle junipers, these are trees that have been created by Nobuharu Oota...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Video by FarrandJul 23, 202115:23

Just too long

Jan Culek copes with a tree that is almost impossible to style The pine Jan has chosen to work on (Pinus sylvestris) hasn’t the most ideal branch setting and trunk shape. It is a clump...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Seed by FarrandJul 16, 202116:02

Larch from seed

How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods using interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations we will see how to take a piece of material through to completion. Here we...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Workshop by FarrandJul 16, 202112:23

Upside down

From moyogi to kengai, Martin Nielsen can’t wait to try I got this tree some years ago from one of my old bonsai friends, Kurt Andersen. It’s a locally native tree, Juniperus communis of approximately...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Technique by FarrandJul 15, 202116:39

Doing the opposite

Instead of compacting and downsizing, David Soto opens and unfolds cramped branches We are used to seeing how branches and trunks are bent to bring the green areas closer to the interior, compress them and...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Case History by FarrandJul 11, 202112:51

A matter of taste?

Bartosz Warwas takes a garden centre Juniperus squamata to the big bonsai show This juniper will probably forever remain the least valuable, yet most important tree in my collection. You probably can guess why it’s...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Shohin by FarrandJul 10, 202115:07

A powerhouse

Mike Lane gives an in-depth look at the venerable Sea Hibiscus An unassuming bonsai subject at first glance, the sea hibiscus appears to lack any of the desirable traits we pursue when looking for good...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Shohin by FarrandJul 2, 202112:31

Fine and fiddly

Yukio Hirose guides you through the defoliation and wiring of maples and elms Yukio Hirose: ‘First I will introduce this tree, a trident maple (Acer buergerianum) that is halfway through its development. The reason for...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Shohin by FarrandJul 1, 202116:29

Can you feel it?

Yukio Hirose creates the windswept style from a juniper Hirose Yukio is a shohin expert who shows you here how to create from simple material, a tree shaped by the wind The material that Yukio...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Free by FarrandJun 25, 202115:29

Sansui, birds and beasts

Reijaku from Taiwan, is the artist who knows all about Japan’s favourite paintings and creates beauty with her own work. In recent years, the popularity of painted pots has increased. In January 2010, a Taiwanese...

This content is for Free, Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Styling by FarrandJun 25, 202112:15

Left or right?

A rare Satsuki azalea is restyled

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Technique by FarrandJun 24, 202114:57

Between life and death

Carving juniper deadwood with Master Kunihiko Kanemitsu Kunihiko Kanemitsu, of the Okayama City Kanemitsu Bonsai Studio, presents a dramatic contrast between life and death within the confines of a pot. Natural raw material is almost...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Video by FarrandJun 18, 202115:54

No beating about the bush

A very bushy juniper for Mauro Stemberger to style It was January 2020 when I arrived at the small city of Marostica at the foot of the Italian Alps for a demo with Mauro Stemberger....

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Sundries by FarrandJun 11, 202115:56

It’s a ‘mossy’ world

Moss is essential for bonsai, but you can enjoy it for itself, too If you have a garden where nothing will grow, cultivating moss in pots is the solution. Enter the ‘mossy’ world of Junichi...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Technique by FarrandJun 10, 202116:40

Trick of the master

Grafting techniques taught by bonsai Masters to improve your bonsai These techniques can all boosts the quality of your bonsai. Grafting, approach grafting and some simple bending are are just a few of the options...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Display by FarrandJun 4, 202111:32

Not round, nor square

The various shapes and elements of display: Jita Round doesn’t always have to be round and square doesn’t have to be square. Jitas come in a diverse array of shapes, from rigid to organic and...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Shohin by FarrandMay 27, 202122:01

Grow ’em yourself

Nobuichi Urushibata shows how you can use juniper cuttings In Japan, material for shohin is mostly grown from cuttings, seed or by air layering. The junipers shown here come from cuttings, which is one of...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Free by FarrandMay 13, 202117:32

Quercus suber

The Sardinian coastline consists of numerous small beaches embeddedin outstretched tongues of land. No wonder this Italian island is so popular among the tourists. But if you can make the effort to travel inland you...

This content is for Free, Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Styling by FarrandMay 13, 202115:02

Get rid of undesirable features

Masayuki Fujikawa transforms boring material into a semi cascade Masayuki Fujikawa: ‘The tree shown here is too big to be considered a chuhin, but the idea is not to make it a chuhin for the...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Case History by FarrandMay 7, 202116:01

A masterpiece tree has no front

A juniper masterpiece more dead than alive, is totally restored ‘Garyuu’, the history and Kakuryu-an. The oldest photographic record of this tree is from 1962 when it was featured in the auction catalogue for the...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Styling by FarrandApr 30, 202116:48

Too obvious?

A semi-cascade for this oak was so logical René Alber: ‘This huge, but compact cork oak (Quercus suber) is ready for styling. The trunk is massive, has a wonderful curving movement and a fantastic corky...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Free by FarrandApr 23, 202111:09

An old friend

Update: Amigos of the tejos A small peek back at a tree created in 2010 by Kevin Willson. During the XX Trophy, held in February 2019, we came across an old friend, a yew styled...

This content is for Free, Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Shohin by FarrandApr 20, 202115:00

Only the little ones

The famous Gafu Ten, which only shows the best shohin from Japan...

This content is for Free, Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Pots by FarrandApr 15, 202115:03

A game of sorts

According to María José González pots should balance between function and beauty María José González never thought of making a living from ceramics. When a friend asked her to make some bonsai pots things started...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Masterclass by FarrandApr 9, 202121:37

Amigos of the tejos

How to transform a ‘pig’ of a tree into a breathtaking cascade Kevin Willson had a few years stay in sunny Alicante, Spain, where marvellous material can be found. Dug from the surrounding mountains are...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now

Styles by FarrandApr 8, 202114:37

Very delicate

Nik Rozman works for 12 years on a larch Larches are among Europe’s most delicate and feminine-looking conifers. Their fine foliage is nicely contrasted by the rugged bark of old specimens. Because of those features,...

This content is for Basic, Plus, and Premium members only.
Log In Join Now