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For years I’ve been impressed with the bold root growth in boxes with collected yamadori, in 100% pumice. Trees as distinct as Pine and Maple have predictably strong root growth.

This is a forest of Vine Maples, Acer circinatum, that came to the studio recently. Last week we took it apart and redesigned it.

Two recent Northern California bonsai events – the Bay Area Bonsai Associates annual show and the California Shohin Seminar – featured some great trees. Here are some of the highlights along with comments about the trees’ designs.

This year, like many others, the exhibition was held in two parts. Part 1 February 8-11, and Part 2 February 13-16, 2025. On Wednesday all the bonsai were replaced with fresh masterpieces so another 200 trees could be enjoyed. Yes, I know both the English and Japanese guides say 154. However, those are the exhibit areas, not the number of individual bonsai. Many of the shohin bonsai compositions displayed six or more trees and the medium size bonsai were usually two and sometimes three individual trees.

Not far off the I-5 interstate south of Seattle is a public bonsai collection gem, Pacific Bonsai Museum. Full of diverse and top-notch specimens, for years it has served as a locus to inspire and educate us about bonsai. 

The 99th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition is being held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan. It is considered to be the world’s finest bonsai exhibition. Part1 is being held on February 8-11, 2025, while Part 2 runs from February 13-16, 2025. On Wednesday, February 12 the exhibition is closed to the public while every bonsai is replaced with fresh trees, it is actually another new exhibition.

In our latest video tutorial, we continue our journey with the Itoigawa Juniper, focusing on the crucial second step: refining the tree’s form and balance. After the intricate deadwood work in the previous episode, it’s time to shrink the size to Shohin bonsai measures and find the best form and balance for this beautiful tree.

WARNING, this entry is not about bonsai, but rather saga of my trip. So please feel free to skip this entry. 

One of the best ways to refine your sense of which pots are a good match for a given tree is to try out different alternatives. This is especially true for trees with unusual shapes or features.