Mid-Michigan Bonsai Message Corner

July 17th, 2025 - BYOT (Bring Your Own Tree) - Foster Community Center Room 109

This is an opportunity to further work on your bonsai, kusamono and accent plants in preparation for the MMBC August Show at Van Attas.  Get advice and recommendations on how to further develop your bonsai.

Selecting trees for exhibit one year out

It’s been fun to start planning for next year’s Pacific Bonsai Expo. Setting the date, selecting the space, and figuring out how everything will work has been the main focus so far. Now it’s time to start thinking about the trees!

Autumn 2021 at the International Bonsai Arboretum

The bright autumn colors of my maple bonsai arrived about two weeks late this season. But I think the short delay was worth the wait. The colors are not always as vibrant, note few damaged leaves. The bonsai have been especially well cared for this spring/summer, last time I watered was in early May. A special thanks to Diane, Alan and my Monday Senior Crew for their dedication and attention to detail!

2021 Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo

ery soon people will travel to North Carolina for Steve Zeisel’s annual Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo on December 4-5, 2021. Kindly wear a mask.

Twelve month countdown to the Pacific Bonsai Expo

Twelve months from today, the doors will open for the Pacific Bonsai Expo. This makes today a great day to look at your garden and see what your trees look like at this time of year.

Wiring a Ponderosa pine

For the past three years, I’ve been working on a Ponderosa pine with large branches on the upper half of the trunk. I spent the first two years getting the tree healthy enough to work on and I lightly pruned and repotted it last year. The tree responded well and is now ready for styling.

Fall cutback on a root over rock trident maple

When most of the leaves on deciduous trees have turned color or fallen away, it’s time for fall cutback.

Yamato Bonsai Kai’s 50th exhibition

Last weekend the Yamato Bonsai Kai hosted their 50th annual exhibition in Union City, California. The event featured demonstrations both days by club sensei Johnny Uchida, vendors, club sales, and a fun mix of show trees – several of which are among my favorites in the Bay Area.

New Guide – Troubleshooting yellow foliage on black pine

Over the years I’ve written about various causes of yellow foliage on black pines. In an effort to record all of this information in one place, I’ve created a new guide that provides info on the following categories of yellow foliage:

The bonsai pottery of Nao Tokutake

One of the highlights of attending the U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, held every other year in Rochester, New York, is meeting and catching up with people from across the bonsai community.

Short interviews at the 7th US National Bonsai Exhibition

During a stroll through the 7th National Bonsai Exhibition last month in Rochester, New York, Andrew Robson and I took the opportunity to talk record conversations with a number of friends for a new episode of the Bonsai Wire Podcast.