I drew a lot of inspiration from my visit to Tom Vuong’s bonsai garden. It wasn’t just the trees, but the way he handled them.

California juniper

Semi-cascade California juniper

Tom came up with many the techniques he uses on his own. This extends to the way he collects junipers, bends large branches, and works on deadwood. He air layers black pines – even cork barks – regularly, and has perfected a method for grafting pines using candles before they’re fully open. Over time, Tom’s hard work has produced a large number of (large) trees that wouldn’t be bonsai without his vision and novel techniques.

California juniper

Cork bark pine

Rows of shimpaku with full silhouettes, many grafted over the years, offered contrast to the deadwood-focused designs of the garden’s California junipers.

Shimpaku

The largest of the olives are more than three feet in diameter at the base.

A massive olive

What might look like an average to large-size bonsai in Tom’s garden would stand out as giants in most collections.

Extra-large California juniper

Tom standing next to the tree for scale

That’s right – a number of the trees in Tom’s garden are over six feet tall.

A tall California juniper

Deadwood detail

While I wandered through his garden, Tom generously answered questions and pointed out examples of whatever we were talking about. He’s a fantastic guy and I highly recommend a visit to his garden if you find yourself looking for dramatic additions to your collection.

Junipers with ancient deadwood features