Menu
Kengai
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…...
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 exciting styles. We will explain how to create a convincing cascade using coniferous and deciduous…...
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…....
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 40 cm height. I always enjoyed looking at this particular tree, a tree that he,…...
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…...
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…...
Wild from the garden
Garden material can be an interesting source for bonsai. It can also be very challenging because it was not really grown for the purpose. Bruno Wijman checks out a garden yew. The yew (Taxus baccata) to which Bruno is going to give a whole new style, originated from a private…...
Did it snap?
Enrico Savini twists, bends and turns a sabina into a graceful cascade Enrico’s garden, close to Bologna, Italy, is where he meticulously works on all kinds of ingenious techniques. With these techniques his trees are styled and refined over a period of a couple of years, not created in just…...
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…...
The masterplan
An impossible pine just perfect for a cascade Giacomo Pappalardo likes the dramatic moves of the cascading pines you encounter in the mountains. An unsightly pine with a very long pale trunk seems to be just perfect to transform into a cascade. Taking it step by step, it took almost…...
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 more daring approach. During the Mulhouse BCI event this new daring was rewarded by the…...
Kengai | Cascade style
Cascade style – In nature, this tree grows on a rock face and, because of snow and wind, it first grows downwards and then upwards again. In Kengai the leaves grow lower than the pot. A general term for tree shapes whose branch tips are below the pot edge. It…...