The bonsai garden upgraded to version 2.0.

6 years ago we moved to this plot. With an uncontrolled wild garden neglected for some years. A lot of work has been put into changing it to what now is a calm and peaceful bonsai garden.

Everything takes time with a full-time job, a lot of bonsai teaching and rebuilding the house as well. Therefore it was a great pleasure to take the (almost) final steps for the bonsai garden. A few loose ends to tie up during summer. And changes always will happen over time. But the basic concept is now fullfilled. A video is on its way for Almost Friday later this month.

The Tokonoma side building for Shohin

A new side building at the Tokonoma is created to display a single Shohin bonsai, Suiseki or a Kusamono (grass or flower arrangement). More trees added to Kisetsu-en demanded more space. A clean but still lush and simple environment is what we aim for in the garden.

Hawthorn with beautiful double red flowers. Shohin bonsai I made from ordinary nursery material more than 20 years ago. Crataegus laevigata.

The newly added fences add a clean backdrop to the trees framing the scenery.

The main Tokonoma was built five years ago and worked very well up til now. I did feel a need to also add a smaller room for Shohin bonsai without having that large space needing a full rack and several trees.

The room is deliberately different from the main room, having a special mood.

Overall this adds a special spirit to the bonsai garden.

The boxwood

In the last BONSAI ON episode, we took another step forward in the development of a Boxwood, Buxus sempevirens. Members will know the full story covered in detail.

A great way to make Shohin bonsai is using air layering techniques. Air layering is a special technique where a string of bark and cambium layer is removed to provoke new roots to grow at the desired place. Later the branch or trunk part can be separated and a new tree is born. All of this covered uín more examples and is ready to watch in the BONSAI ON archive.

This is a pretty fast way to make a new promising bonsai when the right material is available. The next step for the boxwood is to wait until autumn and then the styling can begin. First roots need to establish and get stronger after the spring repotting.

Air layering can be challenging because every step needs careful attention to succeed. When it does, there are great possibilities. This Boxwood will be a fine Shohin bonsai in just a few seasons because it has several branches available in the right positions now.

There are few shortcuts in bonsai. This moment seems to be one of them.