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.
Collecting Season Ends
Reducing primary branches on coast live oak
Last spring I brought home a few coast live oaks. I repotted them in early May and found that they responded well to the work (see “ Repotting out of season “). Here’s what one of the trees looked like last week. Coast…
Refining cork oak – step two
I’m starting this series on cork oak with the second step – reducing branches that are too long or too straight. The first step is repotting the tree into bonsai soil and generating healthy roots. Last year I repotted…
Crape Myrtle Repotting
The Wonderful Challenge Of That First Bonsai Pot
2019 93rd Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Part II– Part 2
This is my last day at the exhibition and this will be last blog entry. Officials estimate that approximately 1,200 people have visited the exhibition daily. The crowds vary during the day, and sometimes its impossible…
A Walk, & Stumble, Through Kunio Kobayashi’s Shunka-en Bonsai Museum
It’s always a treat to wander through the Shunka-en Bonsai Museum in Tokyo. There are more and more and larger and larger bonsai to appreciate and learn from. Today’s wander, and stumble down the stairs did not…
2019 6th Japan Suiseki Exhibition
The 6 th Japan Suiseki Exhibition is being held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, on February 14-17, 2019. This is the same venue as the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition, but in a different gallery on…
Coast redwood – initial repot
I look forward to repotting some trees months ahead of repotting season. Sometimes it’s because the pot is falling apart or too small – other times I simply want to see the tree in a bonsai pot for the first time. All…
019 93rdKokufu Bonsai Exhibition Part 2– Part 1
The second half of this year’s 93 rd Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition is being held on February 14-17, 2019. This half is quite beautiful, one of the best ever! Many people often mention that this year, or that year are the…
A Private Visit to Omiya Bonsai Village
Yesterday the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition was closed to switch out all the bonsai masterpiece. and replace them with a couple hundred new masterpieces. It will open in a few hours for Part 2. Also opening is the 6 th Japan…
2019 93rdKokufu Bonsai Exhibition Part 1– Part 2
All the bonsai were lovingly cared for all day long. Part 1 of the 93 rd Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition ended yesterday. Today, Wednesday, all the bonsai will be replaced with new specimens for the public to enjoy and study.…
Bonsai from the Gafu-ten sales area
One of the highlights of the Gafu-ten exhibit is the sales area. Like the sales areas at other top bonsai exhibits, the Gafu-ten sales area featured bonsai at all stages of development from seedlings to show quality…
2019 93rd Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Part 1– Part I
The 93 rd edition of the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition is being held on February 9-12, 2019 in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo. This, the finest and most prestigious bonsai exhibition in the world has…
It’s Go Time – Trees Are Waking Up
BC Collecting Trip #3
Beautiful shohin at the 2019 Gafu-ten exhibit
After looking into the practice of shohin display, I thought it would be nice to focus on some of the beautiful trees at this year’s Gafu-ten. Here are some highlights. Shimpaku Zelkova Cryptomeria Chojubai Princess…
Combining elements to balance shohin displays
Over the years I’ve come to expect directional bonsai to be displayed next to shohin box displays. Box display with shimpaku that leans toward the center of the display At Gafu-ten, I was surprised by how many of these…
What To Do When Your Bonsai Misbehave
Alternatives to shohin box displays
The idea of exhibiting six shohin bonsai in a single display can be daunting. Fortunately there are good alternatives that accommodate smaller numbers of bonsai in the display. At Gafu-ten, the most common single-tree…
Shohin judging categories at Gafu-ten
At Gafu-ten, Japan’s premier shohin exhibit, there are a number of different judging categories. This allows the judges to recognize the best contributions for a particular type of tree or display. Some of the key…
Cedar Elm Work – Building Your Apex
Anatomy of a shohin display
One of the first displays to catch my attention at this year’s Gafu-ten exhibit featured six trees and an accent plant. Award-winning display at the 2019 Gafu-ten held in Kyoto, Japan Unlike the display of larger…
Roy Minarai pots at the Gafu-ten pottery competition
It was fantastic to visit a ceramics competition in Japan and see Roy Minarai of Kawauso Pottery recognized for his work. Roy took second in the glazed category for this year’s pottery competition held at the 2019…