Spotted in the Wild
Historical Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and RSS posts previously curated by the club (2017–present). Not authored by the club — preserved here since the original source feeds no longer carry this history.
What Bonsai Are Worked On In June?
And, what do we do with them? This photo essay offers several answers. June and July are Satsuki Azalea months. After flowering the entire flower, with the ovary, is removed. Another Satsuki losing its flowers. Carmen…
The mystery of Japanese maples shifting leaf colours in summer
In the Kisetsu-en bonsai collection, there are several pieces of the beloved Japanese maple, Acer palmatum . They all have slightly different habits of leaf development in spring and some colours up differently in…
Timeline for preparing bonsai for exhibit
Years ago, I remember pulling trees off the bench for their final prep ahead of a Bay Island Bonsai exhibit when I started thinking about what trees I’d show the following year. We had a rule in the club that we…
Yellow Needles On Conifers: Trouble?
This is a common worry, so if you’ve worried about it, you’re not alone. Mountain Hemlock as an example, though what we’ll talk about can be applied to many conifers. The newer needles are pale, which indicates…
Experience Japanese Culture, Gardens & Bonsai In A Small Group
Have you ever considered to visit the Japan bonsai community and to experience Japanese culture? Here is your opportunity to experience the Taikan Bonsai Exhibition, visit private bonsai collections, and Kyoto gardens.…
Cork oak branch development
Healthy oaks can grow quickly in spring. When the spring flush hardens off, it’s a good time to prune. Cork oak – container by Sara Rayner I last worked on the tree in August. Because it’s grown so much since then, I…
Shade Cloth Part II: What Color?
Most shade cloth is black. But there is also green. Red. Grey. White. Silver. And we might wonder, there a difference, other than looks? A few experiments have shown that shade cloth color can influence plant growth.…
Bonsai display Live Q&A
Thursday at 8 PM (UTC +2) Copenhagen time, the monthly Live Q&A on Zoom is focused on two main questions. You are still welcome to add your questions, but we will use some time on the two main subjects. Question one is…
Mame bonsai is fun
The smallest bonsai is categorized as Shohin bonsai and a subcategory is Mame (bean) bonsai, only measuring up to 10 cm / 4 Inches. Shohin bonsai measures a maximum of 20cm/10 inches from the rim of the pot to the top…
Wisteria Bonsai
Wisteria creates an outstanding splash of color in the spring garden with their sweet fragrance, especially when trained for bonsai. The autumn season brings a clear yellow foliage display. There are two main species…
Trimming leaves and flowers on bonsai
The summer is here in a moment. Although the calendar mentions spring as the official season now the weather says summer, which influences the growth of the bonsai. Japanese maples Especially Japanese maples are a…
Shade Cloth Part 1: A Sliding Scale
Years ago in the bonsai garden I put up what I thought was the best guess for shade cloth: 30%, meaning, 70% of the light passed through. After several years it was apparent that was not enough, and we switched it with…
Bonsai in Ueno park in Tokyo
One of my friends who is not a bonsai man is in Japan to visit family who stay there for a period to study. He always sends me pictures when he stumbles upon bonsai wherever he is. This time Preben and his wife Kirsten…
Old Study Suggests Plastic Wrap Closes Wounds
Passing on here a study of wound closure from the 1970’s by one of the great arboriculturists, Alex Shigo. I wish to thank local arborist Rick Till for bringing it to my attention. Alex Shigo Shigo applied both clear…
A two-year air-layer project
Two years ago, I picked up a field-grown Korean hornbeam salvaged from the fire that struck Telperion Farms in 2020. The tree had a fun trunk but there was room to improve the roots so I started an air-layer. After…
International Bonsai Spring 2024 Open House & Sale
The spring weather has finally arrived (and hopefully will persist) and the maples and other flowering specimens are in their glorious spring brilliance. The International Bonsai Arboretum will be hosting the Spring…
Pushing bonsai ideas
Pushing bonsai ideas is the most important part of my bonsai teaching. Techniques and caretaking are equally important parts of any workshop, but I try not to pressure certain styles or ways of designing a bonsai onto…
Whist-eria
Guest post by Carmen Leskoviansky My second visit to Crataegus bonsai was in the spring of 2018 for the spring Seasonal. It was a glorious day in late May, and after some tea and rousing conversation around the dining…
Stimulating new buds on cork oak
One of the best things about working with cork oak bonsai is that you can cut almost anywhere on the tree and expect new buds to pop. The buds don’t always appear where you want them, but there are usually enough to…
Do We Seal Both Conifer and Deciduous Cuts?
My bonsai garden is a long-term experiment with tree technique. Often this is a conscious thing, sometimes it isn’t. For the most part over the last two decades I’ve sealed cuts on both conifer and deciduous.…
A brief visit to Bonsai Mirai
I had the opportunity to visit Ryan Neil’s garden, Bonsai Mirai, last week. It was a perfectly beautiful day and the trees looked fantastic with fresh spring growth. Visiting gardens like Mirai gives me the opportunity…
The private bonsai collection of Samuel Thompson
At the recent Australian bonsai event, I was headlining with Marija Hajdic there was time for an evening visit after the workshops were done during the day. Despite having a narrow time slot and being busy all day we…
Live Q&A Thursday with John Paton bonsai collection
The live Q&A Zoom meeting on Thursday has different subjects planned including the John Paton bonsai collection which I visited last week in Australia. Send in your questions now for better preparation and adding…
MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies 2024 Spring Festival
The MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies held their annual spring festival on April 19-21, 2024, at the Holiday Inn in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public…