The more I look at this photo by Caleb Clemena, the more I see. So many different levels, surface materials, types of plants, etc. And then there's the macro environment. Based on what we can see and how far along the plants are (assuming the photo is recent) I'm placing it in somewhere with a mild climate...

Continuing our long time series on backyard bonsai (the first was in 2009), here's what Caleb Clemena wrote about the photo above... "Our backyard bonsai haven. I still have empty space up the steps right by the storage shed. Hmmm...
"Who says bonsai is addicting? I won't be surprised if my wife stages an intervention. 🤣🤣🤣
"Kidding aside, she loves my hobby...whenever she needs me, she knows where to find me."

Here are a few more backyards that I borrowed from our archives... 

I like it when people offer a peek into their inner worlds. It's a generous act. This one belongs to Zdenek Svoboda. Zdenek lives in  Skalica Slovakia, a place that's a mystery to me

Harmut Muenchebach's brilliant Bavarian backyard bonsai garden. It wouldn't be hard to indulge in a little envy here, but better to just enjoy

This isn’t necessarily the best shot of this garden.
I picked it because I think the mountain in the background
gives a good sense of place (somewhere in Italy).
It belongs to Antonio Gesualdi. From a post we did in 2011

Another shot of Antonio Gesualdi's garden. Perhaps a little more seductive than the shot above

Okay. I know it's spring, but I couldn't resist all the fall color in Harvey Carapella's backyard.
I borrowed this shot from Bill Valavanis' timeline, Here's what Bill wrote about it... "Enjoy the colorful bonsai garden of Harvey Carapella. His outstanding private bonsai collection is a joy to appreciate, especially at this time of year. I'm quite proud of my friend's bonsai talent and accomplishments. WOW!" 

 Here's your link to Caleb on Internet Bonsai Club

John Kirby's Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora var Kokone) in a Haramatsu-Tosui container and on a perfectly matched rosewood table by David Knittle. This display was featured at the 2018 Mid Atlantic Bonsai Festival, where it was awarded the Best in Show, People's Choice & the American Bonsai Society's award

This year's Mid Atlantic Bonsai Spring Festival was planned for next weekend (April 17-19). But we know that the best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray, and if there ever was time when plans big and small have gone astray, this is it. 

This photos you see here are is taken from two posts we did last year, one of which was designed to encourage people to visit the 2019 Mid Atlantic Bonsai Spring Festival. I'm reposting them now so you can enjoy some of David Knittle's masterfully designed and constructed bonsai stands

Ponderosa Pine bonsai displayed by Mike Andrews at the 2018 Mid Atlantic Bonsai Festival and awarded the President's Award. The sculpture is bronze hares frolicking in springtime by Paul Jenkins. The stand is by David Knittle

Here's David Knittle's caption for this remarkable display: "Honduras rosewood table, 20" x 8.5" x 4" high. It was built for this juniper rock planting displayed at the San Diego Bonsai Club's Fall 2016 show."

David's caption for this elegant walnut stand... "Walnut moon stand - 24" x 24" x 6" deep. The Trident maple and Black pine are from the Goldstein Collection"

Quoting David again... "Two tiered stand I built using wenge, a wood from Africa. 30" x 8.5" x 18" high. Black pine displayed by Louise Leister at the Artisans Cup. Beautiful tree and display Louise."

Here's a close up of the tree at the top of this post, I particularly like how the very well chosen pot stands out in this shot and how its color suits both the tree and David's Rosewood stand

David Knittle at work 

Here's your link to David on Facebook 

Shimpaku juniper before and after by Suthin Sukosolvisit 

You can learn a lot by  examining before and after shots of bonsai. Especially when they're by an artist as accomplished as Suthin. In this case, we only have the before and afters, no intermediate shots. But still, just trying to imagine the steps to get from there to here is a useful exercise

You might start this exercise by examining what has been removed. And then what has been changed and ask yourself how the change was accomplished

In the case of the first b&a, the most obvious change is the pot. This was clearly the right move. The round pot works well with the rounded trunk and soft rounded lines of the crown, and the pot's much smaller size enhances the power of the trunk and the rest of the tree, simply by contrast
Continued below...

 Before. A closer look at how the ground cover was obscuring the base of the trunk

Continued from above...
It's also easy to see that the ground cover was removed to reveal the base of the trunk. Simple enough. Ditto for how the crown was restyled, with more weight added to the left, better balancing the whole planting

The deadwood provides another example of change. Some of the wood was reduced and enhanced by carving and all of it was cleaned up and treated with lime sulfur, which brightens and protects deadwood from rotting  

After, the new pot enhances the power of the tree and exposing the base of the trunk is another plus

Shimpaku juniper number 2 before and after by Suthin Sukosolvisit  

This second b&a shares a lot with the first one. The deadwood has been carved and enhanced and protected with lime sulfur, and the crown has been restyled. And of course the 'pot' has been dramatically changed

We'll leave the rest to you...

Before. Good stock always helps, but there's still plenty to do 

 Planting on a rock presents a particular challenge; how to get enough soil to stay on rock. If you're lucky the rock has a large enough concave bowl  to support the soil. If you not so lucky, which is the case with most rocks, you have to figure out how to get the soil to stay on the rock

 Close up for a better look at the details

Here's your link to visit Suthin on fb

Speaking of Junipers
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Before and after Douglas fir

Starting with good material never hurts and this old Douglas fir has it in spades. The trunk is super strong with excellent taper, rough old bark and a little curl two thirds of the way up that adds interest. Then there's the tree's overall excellent flow and balance. Altogether a very good start
Continued below...

Before. This is already an exceptional tree

Continued from above...
Here's the challenge. In order to work with a tree like this, appreciation of what is already there and the vision and talent to enhance that are required. This is where an accomplished bonsai artist is needed. Otherwise, it might be best to leave it alone

Fortunately Todd Schlafer brought the necessary appreciation, vision and talent to the task. By eliminating excess foliage the age and power of the trunk is enhanced and by redesigning the branching, the overall flow and dynamism of the tree is also enhanced. Altogether a job well done

After. This is what you get when you combine an already great tree with a skillful human touch

Great movement doesn't hurt... 

 ... nor does ancient looking bark, something that only time can create

Here's you link to Todd's fb post for this tree 

I've long been a fan of Oscar Jonker's Bonsai Empire. Oscar and friends consistently post timely bonsai information along with beautiful photos, and their videos that are among the very best. Ditto for their bonsai courses for beginner to advanced enthusiasts. They fit right in with Bonsai Empire's overall high quality

Here's a course on conifers that we'd like we'd like to encourage you to consider

Bonsai Empire's Developing Coniferous Bonsai course is centered exclusively on Coniferous trees like Junipers, Pines and Spruces. The teachers, Walter Pall, Mauro Stemberger, Harry Harrington and Jan Culek, all highly accomplished bonsai professionals, explain and demonstrate how goals, as well as techniques, should be approached in the developmental stages of conifer bonsai

Body language! Walter Pall a long time favorite here on Bonsai Bark
performing his bonsai magic

Though the videos do show masterpiece Bonsai being worked on, the focus is mostly on younger less developed trees in the lower price ranges, which is helpful to those of us who don't have access to top quality bonsai 

Harry Harrington, another favorite of ours, uses his expert hand and eye
to illustrate all important apex development

 Some of the things discussed are; selecting suitable pre-bonsai material, setting the primary branch structure, making big bends, creating Jin and Shari (deadwood), designing the apex, selecting the right pot, wiring and more. The course consists of 23 lecture-demos, with over 10 hours of video tutorials.

Mauro Stemberger digging into the ins and outs of choosing the right pot
(and yes, Mauro is also one of our long time favorites)

The price is right! For $64.99 you get unlimited access to all the lecture-demos, without any recurring fees
or hidden costs

Harry is not afraid to make a big bend

Jan Culek putting together one of his masterpiece rock plantings  

Water & Land Penjing 

Robert Steven, long a favorite on Bonsai Bark and teacher to countless students around the world, posted the three photos* shown here on Komunitas Seniman Bonsai IndonesianIn. To his eye they all share a perspective and a mysterious illusion which he explains below

Here's what Robert wrote about the mysterious illusion...
"In Chinese aesthetic, this seven words phrase explains an essential concept in penjing (bonsai) design, namely the perspective and the “mysterious illusion” created by certain technique of composition.

"The translation of these words may sound ridiculous “The magical dragon only show the head and not the tail”; but for those who know the language, the literature, the culture and are practicing Chinese Penjing, they know how to implement the conceptual essence of these words into their artistic design works. This “abstract” concept of Chinese philosophy is difficult to define into other language in short phrase, but this is the soul of almost all oriental arts!"
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According to Robert, the hidden base in this photo has created mystery 

Robert continued from above...
"The artists who made the bonsai in these photos may not realize, but they apply and visualize the concept. See how the curving and diminishing flow of the strait on the Water & Land Penjing creates the perspective and the depth at the rear side; also see how the other two bonsai with the hiding base have created the mystery and provoke artistic illusion.

"Exposing all elements in any artistic design is not a good technique, showing everything is showing nothing !

"There are many others in bonsai design which we can apply the concept of this Chinese phrase to improve the perspective, create depth and mystery." 

Another hidden base

*Non of the photos shown here are identified, though at least two are familiar to us

Here's your link to Robert's post on fb

This writhing snake Buttonwood belongs to Ed Trout, a long time Florida bonsai artist and teacher

It’s time to revisit Buttonwoods (Conocarpus erectus), one of the few plant species that is native to three continents (North & South America and Africa). Buttonwoods are also found in the Caribbean and on some Pacific Islands. They typically grow on shorelines in tropical and sub-tropical climates, including Florida (all the ones shown here are from Florida, thus the American tropical bonsai in the title)
Continued below...

Without the flowing deadwood, this would be just another tree. With the deadwood, it's a true tropical gem.  It's by Robert Kempinski from his Mahogany Row Studio

Continued from above...
Buttonwoods are prized for their convoluted, weathered deadwood. Much of this character is the result of hurricanes and other violent tropical storms. In some cases they are picked up by strong winds and carried to other locations where they put down new roots, often resulting in a complete reorientation of the plant

Needless to say Buttonwoods are prized for bonsai. So prized in fact that is now illegal to collect them in Florida

This twisty bunjin style Buttonwood shows what can happen when a tenacious tree hangs onto a Florida shoreline that is ravaged by repeated tropical storms and occasional hurricanes. It belongs to Doug Hawley who had been refining it for about ten years when this photo was taken about eleven years ago 
Height 28" Pot by Sara Rayner

This tropical gem belonged to Ed Trout. The sad news about this beautiful tree
is that it was stolen in 2008 and was never recovered

This unusual dome shaped Buttonwood is by Jim Smith 
Jim was one of the original American tropical bonsai artists  

This dynamic Buttonwood is one of four trees from Florida that were selected for the Artisan's Cup, a major 2015 bonsai event that was held in Portland, Oregon. It belongs to Paul Pikel. Image courtesy of Mary Miller (Bonsai Mary of Bonsai Banter)

Another one by Robert Kempinski. Like many Buttonwoods this one is so distinctive 
that once you've seen it, you'll always recognize it

The winner of the Finest Mame Bonsai at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. It's a Willow leaf ficus (Ficus neriifolia) that belongs to Johnson Teh. No dimensions are given, but some sources list mame as up to 4" (10cm) tall. Others go a little taller. Oscar Jonker took the photo. I cropped it for a closer look. Oscar's original is below

The thinking ahead part of the title has at least two meanings. The first has to do with planning for the day you'll want your bonsai to be small (this is about growing old* something some of us have already accomplished). Small bonsai take less space for your retirement condo balcony, are easier to move for tired backs and typically cost less than large ones (think retirement income)

The other reason for planning has to do with making your arrangements for the 7th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition which will be in Rochester, NY in September. See below for more 

The winner of the Finest Shohin Bonsai Display. It belongs to John Kirby. Oscar Jonker took the photo. No varieties are given (you can find those in the 6th album). See below for a couple close ups

If the photos shown here look familiar it's because I borrowed them from a post we did last year. Or perhaps you were at the 6th National and saw the trees in person or in the 6th U.S. National Exhibition Album

The main or standard part of John Kirby's Shohin display (Nanaten tanakazari)

 The sub-stage (Maeoki or Hanadashi). I used Morten Albek's Shohin Bonsai (Stone Lantern Publishing - out of print) as a reference for the Japanese terms

Oscar's original photo of Johnson Teh's Willow leaf ficus. I think the relationship to space is better in this photo, but I like to see as much detail as possible, thus closeup at the top of the post 

Time to make your plans for the 7th U.S. National
We'll see you there!

 *Thanks to the wonders of analytics, we know that a majority of our readers and customers are either retirement or pre-retirement age. This is something we already knew based on observation, but now the algorithms have verified it

Beast of the Southern Wild. We don't know the dimensions of this monster, but we know it's a Bougainvillea. The artist is Nacho Marin

If you like large imposing bonsai, you've come to the right place... Today, it’s the bonsai of Nacho Marin, a South American artist who a few years ago burst into bonsai consciousness with intensity, daring and large doses of creativity. At the time we wrote... "Nacho is an artist who stands out in a world where new and exciting bonsai appear daily" and we haven't changed our opinion one whit since then. The photos shown here are from a post we did in November, 2017 

Here's one you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. This somewhat scary monster is a Pithecellobium unguis (Catclaw black bead), not something you often see in our Northern Hemisphere bonsai circles. I like its basic quality, with nature doing the heavy lifting and Nacho providing the finishing touches

This muscular beast is of the most impressive Buttonwoods we've seen in a while
 

Here's a massive Nea buxifolia powerhouse to knock your socks off (speaking of, stay posted for our new bonsai socks) 

This old Bougainvilla sports a rather fascinating, if somewhat grotesque looking trunk. And then there's the profusion of brilliant flowers (actually bracts, a strange thing about Bougainvillea)

VISIT STONE LANTERN FOR YOUR BONSAI ESSENTIALS

This elegant beauty resides at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Saitama, Japan

We're still in isolation and perhaps you are too. Either way, be well and I hope you enjoy these as much as we do

No captions came with these Omiya Bonsai Museum photos, so we'll leave it that way.

The only photo with a caption...  "History of bonsai in the Edo period"

 Here's you link to more exquisite photos from the Omiya Bonsai Museum