Author: Farrand

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The ‘Mugo’ team

The mugo pine is an extraordinary example of a yamadori, an impressive trunk with some natural shari and lots of compacted branches on top. A real challenge for Matt and Tyler

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Walking branches

When Andrea Meriggioli dived into the fascinating world of the Japanese maple, he learned all the techniques of how to prune, grow and maintain.

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The big picture

Follow Martin Nielsen as he takes a simple tree to a bonsai with character It’s a quite an ordinary tree, a locally collected larch of around 70 cm in height, with a trunk thickness of…...

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A corky type

The challenge is to create bonsai from scratch 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…...

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Prickly situation

Jean-Philippe Hoareau (JP) works with the prickly juniper The needle juniper or Juniperus rigida, is a far more rugged tree than the Chinese ‘shimpaku’. Its deadwood is spikier and so is its foliage, too. You…...

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Is it just one blob of green?

Manuel Germade re-styles an Itoigawa juniper This very compact juniper, grafted with Itoigawa foliage, has grown out of proportion. The shape of the trunk with its deadwood is very attractive. The main task for Manuel…...

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Wearing my signature

The bonsai passion of Jörg Derlien Styling and care for the tree should fit together like a hand in a glove, according to Jörg Derlien I bought a few seeds and pots, but this went […]

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Is this worth spending time ?

Prunus spinosa/blackthorn as bonsai Harry Harrington explores the virtues of the blackthorn with its white flowers contrasting beautifully against its dark black bark Prunus spinosa is a tree species native to the UK and Northern […]

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I will burn all my trees

François Jeker’s 31-year-journey growing a bonsai forest When we make a bonsai forest, we think we are the Creator. We are under the illusion that we decide everything, the choice of the trees and their…...

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Is this too right?

The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch Here’s how to make bonsai with rare, interesting and promising species through the process of taking cuttings. The complete process, from selecting the material…...

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Why does he want to break free

Massimo Bandera wants to work unhindered by convention For Massimo Bandera bonsai is very much an art form. The bonsai artist should be free from conventions and rules. In the process of creating an extraordinary…...

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The shohin geisha’s

The meaning and thought behind the display of shohin, or Seki-kazari Morten Albek takes time to go through some of the shohin displays from the World Bonsai Convention in Japan, held in spring of 2017…....

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Can Kimura dance with a shari?

Masahiko Kimura rearranges the foliage around a dancing shari Exploring the artistic sensitivity of Mr Kimura, we take a look at the material he will work on. The transformation is not tremendously dramatic, however the…...

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A wooden base?

A practical case study of trident maple by Andrea Meriggioli Andrea: I want to show you how correct timing and techniques may turn initially poor material into a good tree you can work on over…...

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Intimidated by its age

François Jeker styles a venerable 500-year-old Buxus ‘When about to style an impressive old Buxus like this, you are so intimidated that you approach it with trembling hands . . . Over the years, though,…...

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How to ‘crack’ a white pine

Masayuki Fujikawa transforms a white pine by changing the angle and compacting an elongated trunk. One of the best characteristics of this tree is the aged appearance of the bark, making it look as though…...

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A good omen

It is a deciduous tree of the Fagaceae family and grows naturally in the mountains of various parts of Japan, also on the coastline on the side of the Sea of Japan. The oak’s local…...

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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…...

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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…...

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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…...

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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…...

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