This little monster was posted by Andrea Valori. HIs caption reads: E si continua a lavorare sugli shohin autoctoni. The machine translation: And we continue to work on native shohin. This and the other photos shown here are all from a FB group called Shohin Art.

Here's another one that was posted by Andre Valori. The caption says: Kinsai dopo potatura; Kinsai after pruning. Kinsai is a Satsuki azalea cultivar.

This shohin Pyracantha was posted by Alberto Reghini.

This one and the next two were posted by Massimilano Moscatelli. The caption reads: Ligustro shohin stile kabudachi - cm 16 - quest’anno ha deciso di regalarmi un’abbondante fioritura; Kabudachi-style privet shohin - 16 cm (6 & 1/4") - this year has decided to give me abundant flowering. Even if you squint the flowers are hard to see.

This muscular little tree almost looks a hippo. Nice pot too. Posted by Massimilano Moscatelli as is the one above and the one just below. The caption reads: Ilex serrata shohin, cm 14 (5 & 1/2"). In attesa della floritura; Waiting for flowers.

Evonimus Sieboldii shohin - cm 13- anche quest’anno ottima ripresa post rinvaso; Euonymus Sieboldii shohin - 13 cm (5") - also this year excellent recovery after repotting.

Here's another one that was posted by Andrea Valori. Caption: La piccola kinsai come ogni anno; The little kinsai like every year. Kinsai is a popular Satsuki azalea cultivar. Maybe the rest is saying that it looks like this every year.

Finally, Biagio Puzone posted this one. Nothing else provided.

This defoliated Taiwanese bonsai posses a rare combination of sheer power and remarkably fine ramification.  

This Cloroleucon carabobensis is the handiwork of Nacho Marin a gifted Venezuelan artist who specializes in large dramatic bonsai. 

I found these three on Bonsai Boon's timeline where he wrote that he is proud to see his students Bonsai at BSF convention in Orlando,Florida.

This elegant Sumac was posted by Valentin Brose.

Once again our friend Michael Hagedorn is waxing (does waxing make sense without a modifying adverb?) about a companion plant: Hawkweed, genus Hieracium. This plant loves to live in a pot. Be sure to deadhead or it will start coming up in ALL your pots… The light green leaves are a saxifrage.

Ah, simple beauty. It belongs to Michael and here's part of its story: Red Maple, Acer rubrum, designed by the great Anne Spencer. About 32 years old now, it’s been a delight to have it in the garden for the last 10 years. 

Three's a charm. This Cupressus sempervirens was posted by Bruno Proietti Tocca. What you see above is the result of its third styling. Below are a couple of earlier shots.  

This shot must have been taken before the first styling.

Here's a personal touch with Bruno during the third styling. I suspect the tree is a bit bigger than you imagined. 

Harry Harrington's Prunus mahaleb/Mahaleb Cherry or St Lucie Cherry, It was collected by Nik Rozman in Slovenia and purchased by Harry 3 years ago at The Trophy Bonsai Exhibition. Here's a piece of what Harry wrote about it: "This has fast become a favourite bonsai of mine, not least because of the natural deadwood and memories of The Trophy, but also the fantastic pot combination by British master potter Victor Harris. The tree was also given full exposure in last year’s BBC filming."

We've got some of Harry Harrington's bonsai for you today. Not only is Harry one of the most prolific bonsai artists we know, his unique take on bonsai is both refreshing and inspiring.

A Korean Hornbeam neagari/exposed root-style bonsai, after pruning back.

If you've been following Harry, you've no doubt noticed how forthcoming he is when it comes to each tree's story, this one is no exception: "This stunning European Hornbeam bonsai returned to the garden on Friday. A nursery stock tree originally, I have developed it since 2009 with its original owner, and now it’s new owner. I’m writing a full progression series on it for a forthcoming magazine article and chapter in my next book. On Friday I moved the tree from a temporary Japanese pot into the original from Victor Harris. At the same time, we took the opportunity to reveal some new areas of nebari that has developed since the last repot. As can be seen, the nebari has improved in appearance."

Harry's Siberian elm freshly pruned. The pot is by Victor Harris of Erin Pottery.

A Silver birch waiting to be styled.

Harry's caption: "Just 6 years of development has taken this newly collected Hornbeam to where it’s at now. Excellent work Mimo Krištof! As he says in his own text here*, learn the methods that work and bonsai is then easy and rewarding."

One of Harry's Japanese maples and an important lesson by Harry on pruning that comes along with the tree: "Two really important points to make about the pruning of Spring growth; firstly new shoots are pruned back to the existing silhouette of the tree. This means that shoots emerging from the tips of an old branch are automatically pruned hard but new growth emerging from the interior are allowed to keep their new extension out to the silhouette. This helps to strengthen inner branches and in the long term builds better branch taper. Secondly, new shoots in the lower third of the branch structure are left alone for at least another couple of weeks to ensure that they are more vigorous and dominant than branches higher up on the tree."

Another of Harry's Japanese maples. This one is a threadleaf variety (Acer palmatum var. Dissectum).

That's Harry.

Today's photos all came to us via Bonsai Boon Manakitivipart's FB timeline. They're from an event hosted by Shibuya Spring and Autumn and held at Tokyo's Ueno Green Club from April 22 to 24. No information on the tree is listed.

A look at the venue.

Looks like the vendor's section was held outdoors. That small figure on the right looks like it might be Kimura, though I can't be sure.

Speaking of Kimura, this looks like it might be one of his famous Shimpaku on a constructed rock. Again, no information is given, so we can't be sure.

Another piece of the venue.

No name, but easy enough to tell what this one is.

Display with scroll and companions.

This one must be a Trident maple.

Another wild Wisteria.

If you can take your eyes of the Wisteria for a moment, you might notice the Herculean trunk on the Pine.

Boon at home.

Before. Here's what Will Baddeley of Wildwood Bonsai wrote about this tree: Big Olive had a little refinement carving yesterday for Mike Andrew Humphrey. Making sure sitting water had good flow away from the deadwood.

A closer look. A pretty good canvas to work with. In fact you might question why do anything with such well-aged deadwood, though I suspect the aforementioned sitting water is part of the reason.

Getting started. Looks like a Dremel. A very handy tool to have. 

Making good progress.

I think this is about as far as Will goes. At least for now.

A bit of whimsy.

A closer look. A lot of expression with a few deft touches.

Will himself, dremeling.

I found this magnificent juniper by Suthin Sukosolvisit on The Mid Atlantic Bonsai Society's FB timeline. All today's trees are via the Mid Atlantic Bonsai Society. Most are from this year's Mid Atlantic Bonsai Festival. Enjoy!


Suthin demonstrating with Bjorn Bjorholm and Kathy Shaner at this year's festival.


Here's a Willow leaf ficus by Suthin that was featured on the MABS timeline.


A shohin display also by Suthin from MABS's timeline.


A root-on-rock Colorado blue spruce by Suthin.


These four are from the display area at this year's festival. No photographers, bonsai artists or varieties are listed.


A shot of the vendor's area.


Trees for sale in the vendor's section.


One last shot of the vendor's area.

Root-on-rock Shimpaku juniper by Suthin Sukosolvisit. It's hard to imagine how such a large tree can stay healthy on that rock. Especially when it's sharing soil with the other plants.

We've got Suthin Sukosolvisit's trees today. Just in case you don't know him, Suthin is one of our truly gifted Bonsai artists and seemingly friend to everyone in our North American bonsai community.

Another Shimpaku by Suthin. You can provide your own superlatives.

This Shimpaku looks like it's more in the shohin size range. Suthin specializes in shohin but has produced plenty of larger top notch bonsai as well.

Japanese black pine.

Another black pine.

A Japanese black pine in the hand is worth...

...one on a stand.

Another shohin Japanese black pine. Over the years Suthin has grown and styled seemingly hundreds if not thousands of JBPs. Mostly, but not exclusively, shohin size.

Here's a Suthin pine that's definitely not shohin.

Another favorite of Suthin's is Willow leaf ficus (F. nerifolia). And then there's that pot. Red pots aren't that common. They tend to be expensive and can overwhelm the tree. Though in this case the tree seems to be holding its own.

Another shohin Willow leaf ficus.

And finally: an orange.

Forest planting tucked away in its cozy winter shelter at the Pacific Bonsai Museum. All of today's photos are from the PBM—they labeled some, and others they did not. Because we're swamped with spring sales, we're going to forgo most labeling. This will hopefully encourage you to dig into their archives. And do visit them in person if you get the chance, it's a trip that any bonsai lover will... love.

This magnificent forest like many other trees at the PBM are winterized right in their year round display location, which allows them to stay on display all year, and bonus no one has to move them!

Weird tree.

They've a special building for tropicals.

Beginner's bonsai class. One of the PBM's many activities. It's more than just a place to go to look at trees.

Guests are welcome year round. Winter weather is often often mild in the PNW.

The setting is magical. Little trees surrounded by towering giants.

Recognize this one? Think Larch Master Nick (and no, this one is not a larch).

I think we showed this tree recently. But not in this light! All today's photos were posted by Romini Ranasinghe. They were taken in January at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Saitama Japan. None are identified though many are familiar to Bonsai Bark. I was struck by the light and color in most. There's nothing quite like slanted light on a sunny winter day.

If you don't live in a cold climate, you might be surprised at how much conifer foliage changes color from summer to winter.

Another example of conifer color change. This must be a Cryptomeria, which are sometimes called temple trees in Japan.

Nice nebari!

This monster reminds me of California juniper. Probably not though. Most likely a native Japanese juniper.

This monster reminds me of California juniper. Probably not though. Most likely a native Japanese juniper.

Recognize this trunk? It's a piece of a famous bonsai. Bill Valavanis took this photo back in 2018.

It's of course Masahiko "The Magician" Kimura's masterpiece white pine. Here's Bill's shot of the whole tree.

Here's a photo of the same tree right after Kimura restyled it, sometime around 1996. It's the same photo that's on the cover of the May-June 1996 issue of Bonsai Today. At the time it was one of the most famous Japanese white pine bonsai in the world and it still may be. This photo is also in the White pine gallery in our Masters’ Series Pine Book.

The play of light and shadow... This photo is from the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. Here's part of the machine translation: Japanese yew, Autumn Special Exhibition: Contemporary Bonsai Masters: Masahiko Kimura; Playing with Bonsai, the Origin of His Works. Scroll down for your link to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum.

This unusual rock planting by Kimura is also featured at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. There is no caption, so we'll let it speak for itself.

Three years elapsed between these before and after shots. Masahiko Kimura styled this Ezo spruce (Picea Glehnii) planting with a high mountain stand of conifers in mind. This and the photos just below are from Bonsai Today issue 26.

This famous Hinoki planting by the even more famous Masahiko Kimura, sold at the 2018 Taikan ten bonsai show for a mere 1,800,000 Japanese yen (approx $16,000).

This multitple rock planting by Kimura fetched 4,500,000 yen (approx $40,000) at the same show.

One of Kimura's several Shimpaku single rock plantings. This one sold for 3,600,000 yen (approx $32,000), also at the 2018 Taikan ten.