• Rosa Eijitsu and Juniper deadwood

    Do you know what a Rose and a Juniper bonsai have in common? Why it makes sense to talk about two so different species at the same time? Why you should grow so different trees in your bonsai garden? One of the reasons I favour…

  • Noren curtain and Japanese maples

    The traditional Japanese Noren curtain is now hanging at the entrance to the bonsai workshop in the garden. The classic Japanese Noren curtain The classic Noren curtain has been used in Japan to keep curious eyes from looking in, but more important to keep the…

  • Japanese black pines heat and growth

    The Shohin bonsai summer has been hot, then wet, and then looking to be warm again. It’s the middle of summer and the second growing period pushes new growth. The Japanese Black Pine is ready for adjustments and decandling where Japanese maples now have set…

  • Satsuki Azalea flower on display

    It´s flower time for Satsuki Azalea. This season two of them are showing changing colors. Usually, all flowers are white but some branches are more or less stepping back to a stronger genetic. Pots are Japanese, and accent pots are by the hands of Elsebeth…

  • Kusamono and shitakusa for a summer play

    It´s almost summertime and out of season for most bonsai collections. Therefore it’s time for some playing around with shitakusa and kusamono. Shitakusa is the softwood plant used to accompany a bonsai or part of a Shohin bonsai display. Kusamono is composed to be the…

  • New Tokonoma in the studio

    For a few years now a garden Tokonoma has been established in the Kisetsu-en bonsai garden. I always dreamed about having an indoor Tokonoma as well to display bonsai all year around. Our house isn’t that big though so it was first when my wife…

  • Dragon Bonsai shohin workshop

    Photos: Ming Moreland Thanks to everybody who attended the sold-out shohin workshop at Dragon Bonsai this weekend. Already rescheduled for next year and sold out within minutes plus reservations. Started with a talk about seasonal growth and how to get the best growth on shohin…