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Summer drought in Mame bonsai depth
At the moment the sun is shining unstoppably from a clear sky and the heat is on. No rain in sight making it one of the driest periods in many seasons. The national weather office measures this in the top layer of the soil here…
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Bonsai soil – avoid drainage layers
There is a well-settled myth in bonsai that is one of the hardest to kill. The use of so-called “drainage layers”. Drainage layer is a no go because it has the opposite effect as it is supposed to. The idea may seem logical and clear,…
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New shohin bonsai potters – Martine Geoffroy and Nick Hopes
New pots show up now and then. There are many talented potters around, and one new to me I spotted at the recent Trophy event in Genk, Belgium. Her name is Martine Geoffroy and comes from France. Another one I have followed on Instagram for…
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Deciduous multi-trunk cascade
How do we style traditional bonsai without being traditional? Sometimes moving ahead and exploring new forms of bonsai art isn’t groundbreaking but just subtle changes that make a difference. This week’s live stream will explore a new idea I came up with some weeks ago.…
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Trophy 2023 photo gallery
Returned from one the best quality Trophy exhibitions to date. The quality was overall higher this year, and the visitor numbers must have been a record. Saturday was extremely crowded, and therefore I didn’t manage to take photos of everything. I also had a big…
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Mark Akins shohin testimonial
“On behalf of Beechfield Bonsai, I would like to congratulate Morten Albek on the 20th anniversary of Kisetsu-en and for promoting the art of shohin bonsai. Through the online learning and tuition platform you have inspired many enthusiasts with your passion for shohin bonsai, and…
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Tony Bebb Shohin anniversary greeting
Congratulations Morten. 20 years of Shohin Bonsai Europe and going stronger than ever. You are one of the dedicated who consistently puts up material for others to learn from and enjoy. So many people don’t appreciate the world of Shohin until they get older and…
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Cutting hard to start new Shohin bonsai
There are numerous ways to start a Shohin bonsai. Buying finished or pre-shaped material is a fast method. Developing from seed is the slowest way. Then there is the in-between strategy which I have used a lot on deciduous trees especially. But also possible on…
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The late winter coniferous bonsai jobs to do
February is proceeding and the last weeks of winter are ahead of us in this part of the world. Before we start the repotting season for real there are some jobs to do at our bonsai. The subject of the Saturday live streaming was Junipers…
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Surprising bonsai story from Bjorn Bjorholm
This story from Bjorn Bjorholm surprised me. Thank you for sharing this personal story. “Congratulations on your wonderful achievement of 20 years of Shohin Bonsai Europe! I remember as a kid in high school viewing your work, reading your articles and being inspired to try…
