Unless you live in Vermont, or a similarly colorful place like Rochester NY, you might not know that spring color is almost as dramatic as full color. A little more subtle for sure, but stunningly beautiful nevertheless. This lovely Siegen Japanese maple with scroll and companion is pretty good example of spring splendor. It belongs to Bill Valavanis, as does everything shown in this post.
Time to visit Bill Valavanis, one of our favorites when it comes to all things bonsai. And when I say all things bonsai, I mean pretty much whatever you might imagine. I won’t mention them all here (you can do your own research by visiting his site, his blog and his FB pages - links are provided below), but you can get a petty good idea from the photos.
One thing I do want to mention and emphasize is Bill’s U.S. National Bonsai Exhibitions. The 7th is coming up this fall (September 11-12, we’ve got a link below for that too). A year late (thank you covid) but well worth the wait. Anyway, September will be here sooner than you think. Time to start making plans!
Meanwhile, here are a few photos I picked up off Bill fb pages.
Another one with scroll and companion. This time it’s an Oto hime Japanese maple.
Flashback to fall color. Another one of Bill’s famous maples.
An American larch that Bill collected in Canada 30 years ago.
The same larch in Bill’s tokonoma.
Bill’s online magazine.
From Bill’s print magazine now in its 100th year (just kidding, it’s really only been 30 some years).
What must it be like to have a collection like Bill’s. And this is only the tip of bonsaiberg.
Bill’s work space is often happily peopled. That’s Bill himself behind the forest.
Welcoming the spring!
Early spring maple buds.
Another Oto hime Japanese maple. I think Bill raised this one from a cutting. Once upon a time, we called them Koto hime. Now it’s Oto hime.
TIME TO MAKE YOUR PLANS! Here’s you link.
And here’s your link to Bill’s website
Bill’s blog
Bill’s facebook pages
and to his magazine
