Mid-Michigan Bonsai Message Corner

Our first meeting of 2026 on January 15th, 2026 at 7pm - 9pm (gathering at 6:30pm for socializing) at the Foster Community Center, Room 211

Mark Takagishi, will be providing a presentation to the club on his recent travels to Japan. Mark will be presenting on many bonsai and bonsai-related topics from Japanese landscape gardens to Niwaki. Mark and his family also made their way to the remote island of Yakushima where 1000+ year old Cryptomeria (Japanese cedars) are found.  Yakushima is a UNESCO World Heritage location.  

 

Container Selection for Spruce Bonsai

Last week our bonsai society had a special meeting on spruce bonsai. Harvey Carapella, Marc Arpag and I presented simultaneous  demonstrations, in addition to a formal display of one of our personal spruce bonsai.  

Autumn Bonsai Live Q&A Sunday

Home again after a perfect stay in Spain. Switching temperatures to about 15 degrees C makes the autumn very present.

Shohin olive ground-layer

About a year ago I received a small olive with an unusual feature – the lower part of the trunk didn’t seem to be alive. The tree continued to grow, but slowly.

The vanishing video from last week…

As a small business owner I spend an extraordinary amount of time chasing gremlins.

60th Anniversary Toronto Bonsai Exhibition

The Toronto Bonsai Society will soon be celebrating their 60th Anniversary Exhibition and Sale on October 11-13, 2024, at the Toronto Botanical Garden in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Achieving 60 years is a significant milestone that few other bonsai organizations have established a bonsai community yet.

Limber Pine: REWORK

This week’s post takes a second look at a Limber Pine first styled in 2019. With a mop of new shoots there is the potential to fully clothe the tree this time.

Bending trunks. Is it possible?

Bending trunks or thick branches demands some special techniques; in this lecture, I show you how to manage that.

The Magic of Puttering in the Bonsai Garden

In a rush we can still take care of the necessary, like putting on clothes. In a rush we do tend to notice the obvious things. That the home is on fire. That a flood is coming down the stairs. That our partner’s hair is now magenta, not green.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to judge the Minnesota Bonsai Society’s annual show held at the state fair. An amazing crowd of 225,000 people attended the fair that day, and many of them lined up to see the bonsai on display, a club tradition dating back to 1975.

Protected: 2024 Autumn Open House & Sale

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