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Cascade
The trunk
The second essential element in bonsai is the trunk, or Kokejun. A trunk should taper to the top and it also determines the movement of the tree.
Trachelospermum asiaticum
How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods using interesting and unusual species…
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 it was just collected from the mountains. Additionally, the leaf characteristics and the power in…...
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 you can still enjoy the same aged character, or get the feel of a larger-sized…...
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 Switzerland. From the very beginning, I was enamoured with its winding, twisting trunk and from…...
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 with long, straight trunks, so what to do with it? The pine has three trunks…....
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 sake of showing off the skills required to do so, but to make the most…...
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 bark. With these excellent characteristics an impressive bonsai can be created’The cork oak was collected…...
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 yews, junipers and olives — all Mediterranean trees that require a different approach from the…...
The himalaya rose
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. This time we create a semi cascade style from cotoneaster cuttings A semi deciduous shrub in the…...
Keep it natural
The bonsai passion of Valter Giuliano Hidden in the Piëdmont mountains of Italy, you can find a small bonsai paradise. It’s the work of Valter Giuliano, who likes to keep things natural What is your professional education? I’m from the 3rd generation of a bakery family. I retired 4 years…...
Little princess
Orihime and Maihime are two maple varieties with very tiny leaves With the discovery of a very small-leafed variety comes a new chapter for the maple bonsai. Mr Katsumi Komiya (Shofu-en) guides you through the specific techniques needed for small leaf maples There are a number of very small-leaf varieties…...
Fan of naked trees
The bonsai passion of Sergio Cuan A huge fan of deciduous trees, Sergio Cuan, at first thought that bonsai might be just too difficult to grow. Sergio Cuan Born in: Havana, Cuba Married to: Laura Cuan Children: Isabella and Madeleine Education: Bachelor in Fine Arts, the Pratt Institute, New York…...
Adenium
Jerome Kellerhals’ bonsai garden is in sunny Florida, where he mainly works on semi-tropicals. The Ademium, or desert rose, is one of his favourites and, surprisingly, has much to offer as material for bonsai. I am going to talk about the styling and caring of Adenium. It contains about 12
Pimped juniper
A dull juniper is matched with a rock full of character A rather dull juniper can become very striking when a rock with lots of character is added, Nishikawa Tomoya (Shirasagi-en, Himeji) shows how that is done. Chuhin-sized semi-cascade and a standing rock. Over recent years rock planting and other…...
A perfect fit for kengai
Giacomo Pappalardo shows the many variations of the cascade style One of the most dramatic styles in bonsai is the kengai, or cascade. It has many variations and its style options are almost endless. Trees that cannot be made into any other style are a perfect fit for kengai. Junipers…...
On the edge
Creative genius, Ryan Neil, turns bonsai upside down You can give Ryan Neil almost any kind of material to work on and he will create something special from it. Here Ryan is confronted by an extremely chunky yew that appears to have only faults. Ryan’s creative eye soon sees possibilities…...
A consistent club
The ‘Midden Nederland‘ Bonsai Association annual show in Leersum NL. They are one of the most active societies in Holland, the show is always a guarantee for high quality bonsai. Fine displays with shohin and mid-sized trees. Maples, larch, junipers and pines and many native varieties. Enjoy the small video
Rocking the pine
Todd Schlafer works on a Scots pine With a background as a rock musician Todd’s career as a bonsai artist is a big hit. We met Todd during Michael Tran’s Generation Bonsai event l and asked him to work on a yamadori Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) I ‘ve a degree…...
Ficus
Figs 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 they are a great source of material with many style options Majestic appearance Ficus are exceptionally interesting trees. Their appearance grabs