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And the winner is….
This years edition of the big bonsai show: The Trophy 2023
Pinus Nigra
Austrian pines make great bonsai; their rugged bark and dark green needles give them a special character.
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…....
No beating about the bush
A very bushy juniper for Mauro Stemberger to style It was January 2020 when I arrived at the small city of Marostica at the foot of the Italian Alps for a demo with Mauro Stemberger. In the studio of Enrico Pavin, Mauro, together with his team, was ready to transform…...
Douglas fir
Douglas fir is flexible and has amazing small needles Seen less often, the Douglas fir has real potential for bonsai. Dominique Bosch discovers the virtues step by step. A fir that is not a fir This is a Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga), also known as Oregon fir, which we bought at…...
Two Masters, one pine
Marco Invernizzi reworks a very old mugo pine, which has a story to tell. Marco Invernizzi fell in love with the remarkable shapes of this Italian mugo pine (Pinus mugo). Although already touched by another Italian Master, Sandro Segneri, he felt challenged to work on it. In Alexandre Escudero’s studio…...
True to your Style
A garden filled with forests inspired by Saburo Kato Julio Carretero Álvarez and his wife, Yolanda Peña, fell in love with bonsai in an instant, but decided to approach it in a different way. The result is a garden full of almost man-sized forests. In 2010 I was really overwhelmed…...
Sweat and tears
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…...
French curves
With almost two branches only, Mauro Stembergercreates one of his best pines Mauro Stemberger’s very full agenda allowed just a tiny opening to work on one of his favourite trees, so he teamed up with his best students to create another stunning bonsai. As Mauro explains: ‘This time I am…...
Positively viral
The spirit of ‘The Trophy’ was not infected by the coronavirus, it may even have made it stronger. An impression of The Trophy, the International Bonsai Show held over the weekend of 29 February/1st of March 2020 in Genk, Belgium. This year’s edition had special guests from all corners of
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 shari never shown
European Bonsai-san Show Saulieu (FR) At the 7th edition of the European Bonsai-san Show in Saulieu, Bonsai Focus magazine aimed to look for a bonsai which stands out in style, meaning that the tree itself has to be different from the custom styles you normally see, and not its way
Puzzling it out
Manuel Germade shows us how he solves the puzzle of this juniper. You can read and watch him working on the tree. This is all about making choices. Which branch is too long, too much, or not necessary for the final design? Manuel Germade clearly explains branch by branch whether…...
Bonsai on the red carpet
An impression of the Bonsai-san Show which was held in the weekend of 12 – 13 October 2019, Saulieu, France. Guest of Honour Mauro Stemberger. Demonstrations were held by Bjorn Bjorholm (USA), Jan Culek (CZ) and Mauro Stemberger (IT). The show was held in the fantastic venue in Saulieu, which
Can this become a bonsai?
Garden material can be most interesting for bonsai. It can also be very challenging because it was not really grown for bonsai purposes. Bruno checks out a garden hinoki cypress to see if it can be made into a good-looking bonsai. This tree originated from a garden centre some time…...
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…...
Too dominant at the top
The charm of the Fagus crenata – Japanese beech The Japanese beech is always an exhibition eye catcher. Its smooth grey-white bark and muscled trunk give the tree a most majestic appearance. Easy to work on, as seen in this example. With just a little pruning and wiring you can…...
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
Nature guide
Inspired by nature, Kenichi Abe shows us how to work on a pine. Styling a pine into a bonsai is a balance between pruning and wiring, as Kenichi Abe, Master of pines from the Azuma Mountains explains. A simple and clear vision is what he stands for. Kenichi Abe lives…...
The knot of El Tim
Like smooth machinery, El Tim (The Team, consisting of Leo, Alberto and Luis) work on amazing material and produce stunning bonsai. Initially, the Scots pine specially donated by Michael Tran’s Minoru bonsai, looks like a bunch of tangled branches. Teamwork on a Pinus sylvestris El Tim Alberto tends to serve…...