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.  

 

Red maple forest fall cleanup

The most consistent fall color in my garden each year can be found on a red maple forest planting that was started by a friend’s father back in the early 80s.

11th Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo 2023

The highly regarded and anticipated Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo was again held at the North Carolina Research Center in Kannapolis, outside Charlotte, NC, on December 2-3, 2023.

Fall Pruning GIF

A GIF makes it easier to visualize branch removal.
Here’s a Chojubai as an example of fall pruning. The pruning shown here may be applied to many shrubs.

Autumn 2023 Japan Bonsai Exploration- Part 4

Shunka-en Bonsai Museum of Kunio Kobayashi, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo

Autumn 2023 Japan Bonsai Exploration- Part 6

Nippon Bonsai Taikan Ten Exhibition, November 24-27, 2023, Miyako Messe, Kyoto

Autumn 2023 Japan Bonsai Exploration- Part 7

Nippon Bonsai Taikan Ten Exhibition- Part 2
Musk Maple, Premna japonica

Autumn 2023 Japan Bonsai Exploration- Part 8

World Heritage Kiyomizu Temple Bonsai Suiseki Exhibition, November 24-27, 2023 Kyoto, Japan.

Cold snap Q&A Thursday

Temperatures are dropping these days. Not a lot but freezing it is and this demands some caretaking bringing shohin bonsai into the storage room. After a very wet period, cold can be very destructive. Soil filled with water freezing can both harm not-so-strong pots, and it will often damage the roots. We will look into that in the Live Zoom Q&A on Thursday at 8 PM (UTC +1). Also, topics like balancing the tree in the pot and how to add direction a topics to be put in the spotlight.

Pruning Japanese Maples And Clumps

This specimen offered a couple key points about Japanese Maple pruning, and pruning forests and clumps.

Autumn 2023 Japan Bonsai Exploration- Part 1

This year, like the past 25 years, Kora Dalager and I have been leading exciting tours to the Japanese bonsai world. Attached are a few photos to share with followers to my blog,