Author: Farrand

Ficus by FarrandMar 29, 201921:50

A ‘root over statue’

Angkor Wat inspired Jerome Kellerhals to create a ‘root over statue’. Jerome guides you through the techniques of wiring, defoliating, pruning, repotting and maintenance to achieve denser foliage and smaller leaves on a Ficus. This...

Seed by FarrandMar 22, 201920:31

Apple of my eye

Grow ’em yourself right from the start. The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch. In this series we look at creating bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods using interesting and...

Styling by FarrandMar 15, 201920:46

RAW…and too many branches

Solving the problems on a satsuki azalea Osamu Fukudate’s (Shunkaen Bonsai Museum) first entry into the Sakkafu-ten received the Satsuki award. He also won recognition from the judges at the 43rd Nippon Bonsai Sakkafu-ten. As...

Styling by FarrandMar 8, 201916:59

Another vision

Chiharu Imai looks back on some of his remarkable works Chiharu Imai is a well-known bonsai Master in the west, famed for his sensitivity and excellence of technique. Here he looks back on some of...

Harry Harrington by FarrandMar 1, 201912:13

Fabulous feet

Thread and approach grafting new roots to improve the nebari: Harry Harrington guides you through Many enthusiasts would like to improve the nebari of their bonsai. By using thread grafting and approach grafting techniques this...

Ficus by FarrandFeb 22, 201922:05

The bonsai friend

As bonsai the Ficus is just greatFigs are keystone species in many tropical forest ecosystems. Figs have figured prominently in some human cultures, such as Buddhism, objects of worship and many practical uses. For bonsai...

Acer palmatum by FarrandFeb 15, 201911:28

The first cut is…

If the branches only have twigs at the tips it is time for drastic measures. Andrea Meriggioli, author of ‘Bonsai Maples’, explains how to create a denser ramified maple using graft techniques A Japanese maple...

Seed by FarrandFeb 8, 201921:18

Celtis sinensis

The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch In this series we look at creating bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods with interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations...

Masterclass by FarrandFeb 8, 201911:02

Graphic designer goes bonsai

A graphics designer becomes a bonsai Master, which, in short, is the story of Naoki Maeoka. Having graduated from the Kouka-en nursery, he now finds his way in world of international bonsaiNaoki Maeoka (46) isn’t...

Picea jezoensis by FarrandFeb 7, 201912:30

Between the rocks

Christophe Hager’s spruce was a sensation at the Mulhouse BCI of 2018 A spruce from the mountains had much potential and was growing with great fervour. However, when its design became dull Christophe sought a...

Garden visit by FarrandFeb 1, 201921:17

The home of display,

The essence of bonsai display. By Masahiro Tokuo Through the gate one enters into another world of bonsaiDisplay in a traditional setting, the esoteric mysteries of Japanese beauty.Throughout the world the word ‘Bonsai’ is used...

Styling by FarrandJan 27, 201915:21

Just one option

Ken Fujiwara dares to take the risk Here’s a very strange, fantastic-looking white pine, where the lower branches have died and the top has been allowed to grow wild. There are few enthusiasts who would...

Step by Step by FarrandJan 20, 201918:15

Give me space

Understanding the basics of repotting through the example of a young tree One of the big objectives in repotting is to remove a tree’s old roots to provide more space for new roots to grow...

Pots by FarrandJan 7, 201910:52

Make the most of it

The ceramic journey of Victor Harris. Victor just dropped by a local bonsai show and was fascinated by it. From that moment things moved fast and when his bonsai became more mature, making pots was...

Column by FarrandJan 6, 201914:56

I dreamed a dream

My 28-year-old niece recently viewed my bonsai collection and I was fascinated by her reactions to the trees. She is creative and inquisitive and was captivated by many of the plants. And yet curiously, neither...

Free by FarrandNov 27, 201816:26

A large Scots

One of the amazing bonsai from the collection of Mauro Stemberger, the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). A massive tree with such refined branch setting and small needles. Maybe soon on one of the Big Events...

Column by FarrandNov 22, 201822:02

Abstract bonsai, possible?

Contemporary Western art requires that focus be given not only to the aesthetic but also the intellectual contemplation of a work. It follows the belief that the artistic experience happens in the contemplative space between...

Design Sketch by FarrandNov 18, 201810:49

Multi-trunked Colossus

Jan Culek sketches options for the yew of Coen Huisman Coen Huisman acquired this rough and bushy tree from a bonsai nursery. ‘I wondered what Jan Culek’s ideas would be for this material, which isn’t...

Juniperus itoigawa by FarrandNov 14, 201822:25

The king’s new clothes

Juniper scion grafting for foliage replacement, a project by Mauro Stemberger Changing the foliage of junipers is becoming more and more common in the bonsai scene. Mauro Stemberger talks about his juniper projects using scions...

Column by FarrandNov 11, 201809:39

The end, or a new beginning?

I don’t know if it’s a generation issue, or simply that the first wave of serious bonsai enthusiasts in Europe has reached an age whereby they cannot maintain their collections, or simply want to move...

Masterclass by FarrandNov 4, 201810:31

Back to the future

Bjorn Bjorholm reworks the tree he styled in Japan. A bonsai is never finished, over the years it will mature, perhaps even grow out of its original style. This is what happened with a juniper...

Report by FarrandOct 23, 201810:47

Peter in Sweden

This year the Swedish Bonsai Society’s annual Bonsai Event took place in the Culture Centre in Västra Frölunda, between 27-28 of May. The society is not very big, comprising about 100 members, but we are...

Report by FarrandOct 18, 201811:39

The ‘all in one’ show

An unique event at the Folie Fleur Mulhouse, France. Held during October 12 tru 14, 2018. It was a spectacular show were many bonsai events came together in the town of Mulhouse in the north...

Suiseki by FarrandSep 24, 201814:42

Stones and paint

The Suiseki Art of Mas Nakajima

Styling by FarrandSep 9, 201813:23

Cuabilla de Costa

Suriana, or Cuabilla de Costa as it’s known in Cuba, has well-hidden qualities, as Jorge Pensado discovered Jorge: ‘My first step in cultivating bonsai was in 1996. I was self-taught since there was a complete lack...