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Martin Nielsen tells his story of the broom style The broom style or whatever you would like to call it – maybe ‘Hokidachi’, as the Japanese say, even ‘mop top’. It is up to you to decide. You could also refer to it as the style of The Tree. The…...
Harry Harrington sums up the tasks for late summer and early autumn July in the Northern Hemisphere sees the last flushes of growth in most of the broadleaf and deciduous trees. After the vigorous growth of spring months and a pause for midsummer, these last flushes of growth are typically…...
Harry Harrington’s helps you to create and use deadwood features on deciduous and broadleaf bonsai As discussed in part one my favoured approach to creating deciduous and broadleaf deadwood is one originally pioneered by UK bonsai artist, Kevin Willson. The deadwood is given a blackened hollow core surrounded by a…...
Ryan Neil vs huge garden tree This bulky juniper (Juniperus chinensis) was originally meant to end up in a Japanese garden. Could it be made into a bonsai? Its massive proportions indicated that it would be a tough job, but perfect for Ryan Neil. However, styling it into bonsai proportions…...
How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods with interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations we will see how to take a piece of material through to completion The pear A large deciduous tree in the pear genus of the Rosaceae family. It is found…...
Sharing was the theme at the 13th edition of the International Bonsai & Suiseki event or, in short, the Crespi Cup. The International bonsai & Suiseki meeting has become one of the most important and prestigious events in the world of bonsai, initiated by Crespi Bonsai. The development over the…...
Hervé Dora, the ‘Best New Style’ winner at Bonsai San Saulieu (FR) 2019 had an education in art and philosophy, which explains his different approach to bonsai. What was your training? I have Beaux-Arts training and a General Academic Studies Degree in philosophy. At 40 years of age I became…...
On the 22, 23 and 24 November 2019, the 3rd Bonsai Charity Exhibition, organized by the Club Amigos del Bonsai de Parla, was held in Parla, Madrid. As you see in the photographs, we exhibited trees of the highest quality from members of the club, amateurs and professionals.The money raised…...
A group of French bonsai enthusiasts teamed up to visit one another’s bonsai gardens The Mitomo Team is a bonsai group that uses the summer period to visit one another’s gardens. It is an opportunity for us to discover the members’ bonsai collections and to discuss collectively the work to…...
The bonsai passion of Antony Smith Antony was instantly hooked when given a bonsai. All things changed from that moment What was your training? I studied Landscape Technology at the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria. I am not the best at theory and prefer to have hands-on experience in…...
Can orchids be just like bonsai? Growing epiphytic orchids is an art in its own right, especially in Japan.Epiphytes are plants that grow anchored to other plants, they can grow on the trunks of trees, sometimes in the canopy of a tree. They are non-parasitic and absorb their water and…...
This deep relationship between artist and juniper spans over 20 years The Nippon Bonsai Saku-futen is a special exhibition that allows professional bonsai artists to display their skill and personal style. At the judging this incredible juniper, which no-one really knew of, caught the eye. It was up against some…...
A ‘small’ show with large impact The II UBE Bonsai Exhibition was held at the famous venue of the Royal Site of Aranjuez, near Madrid, on 24 to 26 January last and it was officially opened by his Excellency the Ambassador of Japan together with the city’s Mayor This edition
Sean Smith sticks with the formal style of Japanese art In 1994 Sean Smith took his 25-year passion for bonsai and suiseki, plus his extensive background in carpentry and put all them together to start up his own business. He currently creates bonsai display tables and he carves daiza for…...
Simple adjustments can make a big difference Kenichi Suzuki (Onari-en) is very much into shohin-size bonsai. With simple material he demonstrates how you can change the design by adjusting the planting angle, or the pot. Deshojo maple on rock A tree planted on a rock that Kenichi Suzuki acquired last…...
Jerome Kellerhals has his bonsai garden in sunny Florida USA, where he mainly works on semi-tropicals. This time he talks about the many virtues of the sea hibiscus acquired from a special friend. This old-world tropical tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus) is a member of the mallow family. It has heart-shaped leaves
Why plants don´t like to grow in pots Jens Lindworsky: ‘Sometimes too hot, sometimes too cold, never enough space and no ground water to be found. If you want roots to flourish in such an unnatural environment some knowledge about their functionality is very useful’. The stress begins as soon…...
The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods withinteresting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations we will see how to take a piece of material through to completion. Prunus lannesiana A deciduous broad-leaved small or…...
There is almost no material that is completely useless David Soto: ‘My students, often try to mimic the work of great masters. It’s only natural, and if you don’t own one of those very high quality pieces of material that we are accustomed to see in different articles or during…...
The bonsai tables of Doug Mudd ‘The table should reflect the age of the bonsai,’ says perfectionist Doug who works on wood with the knowhow to create the best results. How did it all start? When I first became interested in bonsai, I was fortunate enough to be close to…...
Untangling the dense foliage canopy of a sabina juniper Valentin Brose, former apprentice of Kunio Kobayashi, is a refined artist. The sabina juniper has such a dense canopy that all is hidden away from the eye. Valentin knows what is needed to open it up and show off its qualities…...
Making the most of a bad pine Masayuki Fujikawa brings out the hidden character of a white pine (Pinus parviflora) Looking at the four photos below, there is nothing of note that one feels makes this a tree worth working on. The position of the apex goes both ways and…...
The hollow trunk of a Satsuki is made to be a feature rather than hidden Takahiro Yamazaki (Yamazaki Satsuki-en, Nasushiobara City) works on a damaged, but characteristic azalea. The material, a Satsuki azalea that Takahiro Yamazaki will style, has a hollow section in the lower trunk and lots of damage…...
