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Our semi-annual bonsai tour to the Japanese bonsai world began a couple a few days ago. Kora Dalager and I have been introducing friends from around the globe to the Japanese bonsai world for over 25 years. 

The bonsai are slowly going into dormancy. Low temperatures the next days here will help them on their way.

The deciduous bonsai on display at this year’s expo included some fantastic trees. When considered together, they offer a great opportunity for discovering what you like best about this group of trees.

I love unusual plants for their distinctive sizes, structures, foliage, fruit and growth characteristics. About ten years ago Darlene Hutt from Ohio posted her Ryusen weeping Japanese maple garden tree on the Bonsai Nut Forum. The severe winter of 2014 decimated her weeping Japanese landscape garden tree and all that was alive was the lower branch. All the dead branches were removed and all she had now was a tree with a weeping branch. She potted it and posted an image of it calling it a potted tree, not bonsai.

The common admonition “Turn Your Trees!” is a good one. It’s even better when framed by a few qualifications. 

The autumn 2024 colors have come and gone (almost as there are about 10 Dwarf maple bonsai masterpieces which have not completely changed color.)

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It is not easy for me to impartial about this course, which, being partly about my teacher Shinji Suzuki, I naturally think must be good. But it is good.

In the hours just before the judging period for the 2024 Pacific Bonsai Expo, we received a request to change the category of one of the entries, a coast redwood. Due to a clerical error on our part (on my part!) stemming from this change, the redwood, which received top marks for its category, didn’t get recorded as the winner.

As the crisp autumn air settles in and the leaves begin to change, there’s a special charm that graces our bonsai collections. Among the most captivating sights are the vibrant autumn berries that adorn small shohin bonsai. These tiny fruits not only add a splash of color but also bring a sense of seasonal magic to your miniature trees.