Before and after pine by Suthin Sukosolvisit. No variety is listed

 It has been a while since we visited Suthin, one of our favorites. And even though he promised he was retiring to become a full time nanny to his grandchildren, somehow he still finds time to weave his bonsai magic

After the miraculous transformation. And as a finishing touch, it's on a slab no less. As far as you can get from its original deep cascade pot

Before. It must have taken years to get from here to where it is now

A closer look at the trunk 

The original after photo, fence and all

Three Larches that I recently moved from the ground into Tie Pots. You can see how the little posts and wire are used to anchor the trees. One of the best parts about this process is how quick and easy it is, and how secure the trees are in the pots. Not a millimeter of movement

Three weeks ago I potted about 50 American larches into our Tie Pots and I'm blown away by how easy it is once you get going. Using wire and the little tie posts to secure the trees is a real breakthrough. It takes less than half the time it would take to pot into conventional bonsai training pots with less disturbance to the roots.

This fall after the new roots are well developed, I'll start using the tie post for styling as well as anchoring. We'll keep you posted (no pun intended)
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All 50 larches* plus a few others two to three weeks after transplanting into our Tie Pots. All survived and almost all resumed growing immediately. The were a handful that were a little more stressed from digging, but these are recovering nicely
*American Larch (Larix laricina), aka Tamarack here in Vermont

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One advantage to using the same pot and the same soil (our Professional mix) on a whole group of trees is watering is much easier, with drying down times similar from tree to tree (if you grow bonsai, you'll know that it's never 100% the same from tree to tree, but in this case, it's close). 

Another great Tie Pot feature  is air pruning. The next three photos from Tie Pot's facebook timeline are living proof

This photo and the follownig quote are from Tie Pots facebook timeline..."One year of air pruning – a first result. This field maple was in a Tie Pot for over a year. Time to examine the roots!
In a normal pot you would expect an Acer campestre (Field maple) to grow circling roots of up to one meter length.
In this case the air pruning worked without exception: every single root grew to a hole – as hoped. Due to contact with the dry air outside the pot, the root stopped growing in length and made side branches instead.
I loosened up the root ball and was perfectly happy with the result: a dense, fine branched root ball. Not even one root had grown excessively long.
So I trimmed the roots a little and put the tree back in the pot with a little fresh substrate. The amount of lost roots was minimal – in this case this is perfect because the tree is supposed to continue growing quickly. I did not want it to loose speed due to any disturbance of the roots.
I surely could have planted the tree in a much smaller pot at this point without weakening the tree."

Same maple from the bottom

Close up

Three larch trunks in one Tie Pot and growing strong 

About half the trunk on this Larch was underground and covered with roots. Fortunately, there were just enough roots underneath the base of the trunk. Because of the extra stress, the top growth is  a little behind our other larches, but  it's recovering nicely. By the way, the shape of the trunk is just luck. No wire, just Mother Nature

This one is a Crabapple that I dug up this year. It's the one tree so far where I've used wire for shaping as well as stabilizing. Just one strand pulling a branch down, but it's a start

Tie Pots are now on special at Stone Lantern

Nice tree, well photographed. And the shears add perspective. The artist is Paolo Selemi. Here's his mixed Italian and English caption... "Burgeriano in coltivazione da svariati anni, pane radicale pronto per vaso basso, work in progess!"  And here's the machine translation... "Burgeriano in cultivation for several years, radical bread (!?) ready for low vase, work in progress!"  By the way, I like his Italian-ized botanical name, Burgeriano for Trident maple

Today, I had the good fortune to stumble upon the bonsai of Paolo Salemi. Lots of good photos of high quality trees, some with Paolo included but each tree had at least one shot with just the tree. 

Another plus is Paolo is new to me. It's always good to discover someone new with bonsai chops
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Another Burgeriano (Trident maple)

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On most days it's fairly easy to find good photos of top quality bonsai. But sometimes they are elusive. On those days nothing is good enough. Trees lack the requisite power or elegance or the photos are mediocre with cluttered backgrounds, poor lighting, or someone's mug distracting from the tree, or often even obscuring parts.

Not that I mind proud artists next to their trees, as long as there are photos of just the trees as well. Otherwise it would be like going to a museum where every painting has the artist standing next to it, often with their head blocking one corner. 

No identification given, but this powerful and craggy old tree looks a lot like a European olive. 

Now this is how it's done! Sense of humor and perspective too

A little contrast in size. It's a Kishu Shimpaku juniper. 

Great tree but we'll have to settle for not knowing what kind it is

There's more where these came from, so stay posted

This Chinese quince makes its home at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. Indulge me for a second while I point out the obvious. There's the impossible to miss fruit, the lovely pot and the masterpiece stand that it all sits on. Sometimes we fix on the tree and forget the pot. Doubly so with stands, and in this case at least, that would be a shame

I've got a suggestion for this summer. Go to our nation's capital and allow yourself to experience part of our living history. And while you're there make time to visit the National Arboretum. And of course, our National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. I think you'll be happy you made the trip and if you want, you can spread the happiness by telling your friends and maybe share some photos too

Meanwhile, here are a few shots from the Japanese Collection. Soon we'll feature the North American and Chinese Collections. 

Here's a famous Japanese white pine with a story you won't soon forget 

A magnificent Toringo crabapple. The tiny fruit is easy to miss, but if you look closely...

This lovely old Hinoki cypress has been in training since 1875

You see can see age in the lined trunks. They are Cryptomeria japonica, a species native to Japan that you often find planted around temples

You don't see that many good Ginkgos. They grow just the way they want, wire or our desire notwithstanding

Japanese beech forest. We've got American beech everywhere here in Vermont, but when it comes to bonsai, they just aren't the same

The Museum logo is taken from this craggy old Shimpaku juniper (Juniperus chinensis, var sargentii)

A piece of John Naka's famous Goshin

This and the other shots shown here are from the 8th World Bonsai Convention. As you can see, part of the pot is missing. I usually like to see one photo of the entire tree, including the pot, and then close up partials, but we'll take what we can get. Besides it's a good shot of a great tree

 All the shots shown here are from the 8th World Bonsai Convention that was held in Saitama Japan (April, 2017).  Most are partials (art shots?). No varieties are given, nor are they attributed. This is common with shots from bonsai shows in Japan (elsewhere too, in many cases)

No pot at all in this shot. Still, another good tree, though pretty unconventional with almost all the foliage on one side and reverse taper on the trunk which is usually considered a no-no, but no problem here. Another feature worth noting is how the rugged live vein play a prominent roll, even though the tree is dominated by deadwood. It's not unusual to see deadwood dominated trees with only a quick peek at the live vein, or in some cases not even that

A whole tree with the pot this time. Impressive heavy trunk and rugged bark give this one an ancient look. No mention of variety, but it looks a lot like a Japanese white pine 

A partial this time that highlights the deadwood. Based on the foliage, it looks like it could be yew (Taxus)

 This strange shot might beg a question of two

One more partial. I like the way the rich foliage is draped over and around the deadwood. This tight low foliage and impressively aged deadwood give the feeling of countless years spent in harsh high elevation conditions

The photo is too cluttered, but the price is right. This famous tree is said to have sold for $900,000.00

Here's what Michael Hagedorn wrote about this tree... "Another tree from my apprenticeship days, prep work for the Kokufu show. Always liked this tree. Although arguably junipers are best with more dynamic and energy, the quiet presence of this one had a charm of its own. All I did was clarify some of the padding and make minor adjustments"  

There's something exciting or even romantic about the idea of apprenticing in Japan. However, before we get carried away, I have a strong suspicion that most of us wouldn't last a day. The excitement and romance would likely go the first moment you wake up at 5am. freezing with no heat, an empty stomach and a task you are expected to do with minimal understanding of the one syllable instructions. Don't believe me? Try Michal Hagedorn's Post-Dated (see below), the best bonsai read in the English language (it's funny too).

The bonsai shown here are from Michael's apprentice days in Japan. You can find these and others on his fb timeline and Crataegus Bonsai, his website/blog

In Michael's own words... "Another one from my apprenticeship, and yet another White Pine. I miss those White Pines. This bunjin had some fun history, as Mr. Suzuki had also wired it for show was he was an apprentice with his master, Mr. Hamano, 30 years earlier. Bonsai often float back through studios again and again, to be revisited by the same people" 

Again, Michael's caption... "Continuing sharing some photos from my yesterdays, here's another White Pine wired during my apprenticeship. Old fella, root over rock, although you can barely see the rock any more. The tree grows and the rock doesn't, what are you going to do..." 

One more from Michael... "I remember the day Mr. Suzuki said, 'Here's a new front and inclination, rework it!' And this was the result; photo from a Kokufu book. You can find old photos of this White Pine as a more upright tree. Anyhow, fond memory"

I've already said my piece about Michael's book, so once again, in his own words... "My book about a bonsai apprenticeship with Mr. Shinji Suzuki of Nagano, Japan. You don’t need an interest in bonsai to enjoy this book, as it's very much a travelogue in spirit and content. You can find it at Stone Lantern"

I think it's safe to say that Michael Hagedorn's his a soft spot for his Chojubai dwarf flowering quince (both of them, see below). Here's his caption... "Chojubai in a nakawatari Chinese container, the pot about 5 times as old as the plant..."

I'm always struck by Michael Hagedorn's respect for his craft and how this respect comes through whenever I visit his website or his fb timeline. And though photos are never the same as up close and in person, they are often the best we have and far better than nothing. Especially when there are flowers 

Michael's other Chojubai. Is it only me, or are others stuck by the purity of color in quince flowers?

This one lives in Japan. Here's Michael's caption... "A well-known root-over-rock Japanese flowering quince ‘Chojubai’. 45 cm high."

The next three photos are flowering kusamono from Michael's bonsai garden. You can read his captions and see more brilliant bonsai and kusamono in his portfolio and on his blog

Close up of an old yamadori Mugo pine's trunk. It belongs to Mariusz Folda. Here's his caption... "Pinus mugo in training at IBUKI for 16 years." IBUKI is Mariusz's Bonsai and Ceramics studio in Bielsko-Biala, Poland

There’s a lot to like about this old Mugo pine. Aged bark is always a plus as is deeply fissured, naturally colored deadwood. Perhaps most striking is the way the foliage clings to the trunk and primary branches, creating a low canopy, that along with the bark and deadwood tells the story of a rugged life high in the Alps (or some other European mountains).

Though, perhaps the foliage has become too lush for our story of such depredation. Maybe sixteen years in a well tended bonsai garden is just a little too comfortable. No matter though, it's still a beautiful tree. A perfect blend of wild and tame

There's actually is a good chance that this one did come from in the Alps. Many of best Mugo pines are collected there. All the photos in this post are from Mariusz Folda’s timeline. IBUKI Bonsai and Ceramics Studio also has a facebook page.

The whole tree with a good look at how tight the foliage is and how it clings to the bones of the tree. And speaking of the bones... not so bad!

Another close look at the base of the trunk. This time you can see the moss on the soil surface. A nice touch

A piece of the garden at IBUKI

Here's what Todd Schlafer wrote about this tree and the one just below..."A couple of intense Ponderosa Pine repots. Collected and owned by @backcountrydan and designed by @bonsaimirai. My job was to get them into their first Bonsai containers"

I've got a soft spot for Ponderosa pines. Not only are they among the world's most powerful towering trees, but their bark is distinct and beautiful. Unfortunately, the bark on bonsai tends to be less dramatic than on full sized trees (see below). Still the bark on these two is impressively aged and the bonsai themselves are outstanding

I borrowed the bonsai photos and quote from Todd Schlafer's fb timeline. The other two photos are courtesy of Wikipedia

A lone towering Ponderosa. Maybe it's safer by itself. Mountain pine beetles are ravaging Ponderosas in much of their habitat. The culprit is climate change

The distinctive bark makes Ponderosa easy to identify

A real eye catcher. If you've been around bonsai for a while you'll most likely start looking for and appreciating trees with unusual designs and dramatic features, like this one. However, it does beg a question... is that wood or a man made rock?

We're always on the lookout for unusual trees and we're also looking for new and creative ideas and expressions in general. Not that old isn't good (it is bonsai after all) but new ideas, new venues, new artists, new species for bonsai, etc, can create a little excitement. Especially if the chops are there

In this case it's Mauro Stemberger's ItalianBonsaiDream Museum, and his chops are there in spades. We've been following Mauro and his Italian Bonsai Dream for years, but this is the first we've seen or heard of his museum
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I won't guess if this is a Yew (they're an abundant tree in European bonsai). T

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Here's a link to our source, Mauro's facebook timeline, here's one to his Italian Bonsai Dream website and here's a youtube video of his Museum that you might like

Part of the Museum is in a greenhouse and there's an outdoors too

 Fresh spring pine candles on a coiled snake

The pine looks good and the beast on the right speaks for itself