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.
Revisiting a Nurse Log Composition
At the start of the pandemic in April of 2020 my apprentice at the time, John Eads, and I took off for a burn area in a forest. We were seeking a charred log for a new project. We planted native plants on one we’d…
Summer Chojubai Trim
Summer is a good time to look at dwarf flowering quince ‘Chojubai’ and determine what, if anything, needs trimming. Younger Chojubai, about 12 years from a cutting, in early July (Northern Hemisphere). Shoot growth has…
A Simple Guide To Directional Pruning
While conifers are often wired for minute adjustment of twigs, the approach for deciduous trees is often with scissors. This is a Stewartia. First cut suggested by red line. In directional pruning we cut to a shoot…
So You Want A Moss Garden?
Many of us want moss in our bonsai garden—a green carpet we can walk on to visit our royals on their posts and benches. The bewildering array of mosses can leave us at a loss for what to use. There’s pincushion moss, a…
Foemina Juniper Styling
This is not a juniper variety we see often these days, Foemina. It was really popular back in John Naka’s day, in fact his brilliant “Goshin”—part of the National Bonsai Collection—is made of Foemina. This Foemina was…
A Podcast Episode on Shade Cloth
A couple weeks ago on the Bonsai Wire podcast Carmen Leskoviansky and I covered “Shade Cloth”. Carmen and I gave the subject our best thoughts. Or so we thought… I listened to it last week and realized one thing we…
Videos Of Crataegus Bonsai
This week, a few videos we’ve made over the years, and a few that others have made. Perhaps there’s one or two you haven’t seen yet. Enjoy! Above, an older video from 2016 that I enjoy, done by my friend Alan Thompson.…
When Does Wood Swell?
If we wire our trees, we might wonder this. We notice that there are times of the year that wire bites in. And there are times that it doesn’t. When should we be most alert? Here are a few pointers: Every year, trees…
20 year anniversary gratulations from Esprit Bonsai
Bonsai Esprit / LR Presse send this video for which I am grateful. Michéle Corbihan also is the editor and publisher of the Shohin Bonsai Books I write. The post 20 year anniversary gratulations from Esprit Bonsai first…
Shohin bonsai Cherry Plum feast
Eat the tree! Every time the Cherry Plum has fruits it’s a special delicacy to pluck and eat. A maximum of five guests, and one cherry each. Eaten with respect! Started this as a simple nursery material in 1998 and…
Summer drought in Mame bonsai depth
At the moment the sun is shining unstoppably from a clear sky and the heat is on. No rain in sight making it one of the driest periods in many seasons. The national weather office measures this in the top layer of the…
Cascade and semi-cascade bonsai and Azalea flower mutation
Cascade and semi-cascade bonsai are excellent styles for Shohin bonsai displays. cascade and semi-cascade add the possibility to elevate trees within the display area adding tension and balance. Both coniferous,…
Japanese Black Pine decandling and prep for styling
Timing and detail are everything when we deal with the Japanese Black Pine. And here comes a confession. Up til now, I haven’t supported the Japanese Black Pine for Shohin bonsai in Northern Europe, because the climate…
Satsuki Azalea flower on display
It´s flower time for Satsuki Azalea. This season two of them are showing changing colors. Usually, all flowers are white but some branches are more or less stepping back to a stronger genetic. Pots are Japanese, and…
Noren curtain and Japanese maples
The traditional Japanese Noren curtain is now hanging at the entrance to the bonsai workshop in the garden. The classic Japanese Noren curtain The classic Noren curtain has been used in Japan to keep curious eyes from…
Japanese black pines heat and growth
The Shohin bonsai summer has been hot, then wet, and then looking to be warm again. It’s the middle of summer and the second growing period pushes new growth. The Japanese Black Pine is ready for adjustments and…
Rosa Eijitsu and Juniper deadwood
Do you know what a Rose and a Juniper bonsai have in common? Why it makes sense to talk about two so different species at the same time? Why you should grow so different trees in your bonsai garden? One of the reasons I…
Roland visit in the garden starts the summer holidays
Well-known Shohin bonsai creator Roland Schatzer from Italy visited the Kisetsu-en garden—a perfect start on the holidays here. Holidays just add more time to write on the next Shohin bonsai book, so hours will be used…
Growing a Bonsai from a Cutting
In this lecture Michael explains how to successfully propagate trees from cuttings. Most broadleaf evergreens as well as junipers are very easy to propagate using cuttings. Hardwood cuttings can be planted in fall,…
Pietro Sampirisi demo at Trophy 2023
In this live Bonsai demonstration at the 2023 Trophy event, Pietro Sampirisi styles this Olivastro Maiorchino Bonsai with help from his assistants Matthew Mifsud and Oliver Pace. Serious about growing your own Bonsai…
Highlights from the 37th REBS bonsai show – part 1
This past weekend over 1,100 visitors attended the Redwood Empire Bonsai Society’s 37th annual show at the Rohnert Park Community Center in Rohnert Park, California. The event featured workshops and demonstrations by…
Manseien Bonsai garden #shorts
In this short video we tour the wonderful Mansei-en Bonsai garden, located in the Omiya Bonsai Village in Japan. The full video will soon be available in 4K. If you want to learn more about Bonsai, consider enrolling in…
Creating redwood bonsai: reducing the sacrifice branch
When developing primary branches on bonsai with large trunks, it’s common to create them with sacrifice branches that grow freely until they reach the desired thickness. Once the branch is big enough, it’s time to…
Natural landscapes crafted on stone #shorts
#bonsai #bonsaitree #bonsaiartist