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I have waited to create this thread until I’ve had a change to show this tree at the Winter Silohette show in Kannapolis. And I’m glad I did. Bill Valavanis was there, and he knows more about the history of the tree than even the prior owner! So here it is in it’s leafless glory: This is...

Here’s a tree I bought from Plant City many years ago. They bought from a vendor at the California Shohin Convention, and that vendor had said Peter Tea had styled it. So, when I bought it, it had Peter’s cut paste all over the apex area. (Peter used Japanese wall paper paste as cut paste!)...

Ok, folks, here is one for educational purposes! My beautiful Formal Upright JBP nearly died. It was out in California for two summers where it experienced two summers of extreme heat and fungus. I was able to get it home last fall. But when I got it, most of the needles were “burnt”. Many...

I’ve had this Japanese Maple a couple years now. I purchased from a guy who was getting out of bonsai. He had it in this plastic pot that he had drilled holes in the side to try to make it act like a colander. I don’t think it worked. It’s frustrated me because when it grows out, it makes long...

My apologies to Sergio for starting a thread on deciduous. As everyone knows, I’m a pine guy. But, for some strange, unknown reason, I also like Zelkova Serrata. Not Chinese Elms, not wing-bark elm, not water elm... Zelkova. I don’t know why. Broom style. I guess it could be a center line...

Here is an excellent article by Michael Ryan Bell about patina: https://japanesebonsaipots.net/2021/03/15/patina/?fbclid=IwAR3OgI5T6hBOwbN7cpZ3GjFbii5Dkk85Y6zq_n_n1_2a2UOmXQftpxgnkik

I sifted soil components! Ugh! This the least fun job in bonsai. I was able to make batches of 3 sizes: large, medium and small. I have too much large, and too much small. I will have to make another set of batches so that I will have enough medium. And, unfortunately, a lot of the...

Yesterday, I started wiring my Ezo Spruce. I wired for an hour or two in the morning, then came back in the afternoon, and gave it another couple hours. Relaxing, taking my time. This tree is another “two Fronted Tree”, and I got both sides of the lower foliage masses done. Began doing the...

Mino Yatsabusa Trident Maple:

Here’s a bit of a challenge. I have this Green Atlas Cedar, that’s been a bit neglected for a while. I’ll share it’s story in a follow-up post. But, I now have it at home where I can take the time to study it to figure out how to improve it. First off, let’s take a look at it from the side...

This one is a work in progress. I just thinned it out, and gave it some wire. It’s still coarse, but it’s beginning to develop some shape. Two possible fronts. Which do you prefer? Oh, by the way, this particular tree appears to backbud easily, so I expect I’ll be able to develop dense...

Here they are: Gotta get the broom... Oh! The tree? It’s a little larger than Shohin JBP: It could possibly work as an “off the stand” tree next to the box stand. I’ve pulled the old needles. The apex area is still too dense. Lots of shoots with more needles than the ones down lower...

I spent some time yesterday wiring up a shoo-in JBP. It’s exactly 8” tall above the rim.

I just happened to have this video come in to my YouTube feed, and I watched it, and thought it was worth sharing:

So, I am known (and scorned by some) for having “rules” to style bonsai. And indeed, most of the time, I do try to apply the rules because I have found that the results are pretty good. But every now and again, it’s best to look past the rules. And so it is with this tree: The rule I’m...

There are many threads about wiring trees. Very few about removing wire. Removing wire is just as important as putting it on. The question of when to do is often asked, and, of course, the answer is: “it depends!” Remove it when it just starts to cut in a but. Most conifers will easily repair...

Here’s the tree: A Japanese White Pine, “Nano”. Accompanied with a California Pinot Noir. “Pino Noir” translates to “Black Pine”, so I think I’m definitely violating some rule here. A white wine would be better perchance? I wonder if @William N. Valavanis knows the correct protocol? I...

I’m sure Bill Valavanis will confirm this, but I just heard that the National show scheduled for September 2020 has been postponed for a year.

Are you kidding? You want ME to explain this? No, Bjorn does it just fine! Have a watch: I will add: One thing he did not mention is the possibility of there being pollen cones at the base of the strongest candles. If you’re not careful, it’s possible to mistake them for needles, and when...

I know, some of you love the stuff. And it’s a staple of many professionals. But hear me out. It’s really a problem... it’s the shape of the particles. Pine bark is flat on two sides. Oh, when you first mix up your soil, their orientation is random. But, every time you water, you create a...

Here is a link to a Facebook post where Boon documented the HBR procedure: https://www.facebook.com/groups/685141798229107/permalink/1184248028318479/

Let’s start with the Dawn Redwood. Bill Valavanis @made me an offer I couldn’t refuse” last December at the Winter Silohette Show. See the broken pot? He told me that’s what my knees would look like if I didn’t take it! I repotted it about two weeks ago. Before: This one was so “Redneck”...

It’s held in Day Hall at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Piedmont Park on Saturday and Sunday. Setup is Friday afternoon. Admission to the show is free, but you would have to pay for admission to the Botanical Gardens. Peter Tea is the guest artist this year. More information is available at...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/685141798229107/permalink/2690297224380211/ It’s a link to a Facebook post. He documented the process to repot an established juniper. Note: this is NOT the half bare root process. This is just a normal repot.

We get snow, from time to time. But usually not 5 inches! It’s not that cold, about 34 degrees. What usually happens is the snow stops, then we get warmer, light rain, that freezes on top of the snow, making a light, fluffy snow into a hard crust on top that can persist for days. Well, to...