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Twin Trunk (Sōkan): The Quiet Conversation Between Two Trees
In bonsai, some styles announce themselves immediately. Cascades dramatise gravity, literati defy it, and formal uprights project an almost architectural authority. The twin trunk style—Sōkan in Japanese—does something very different. It speaks softly. Its power lies not in spectacle, but in relationship. This is also…
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Barberry – Mission Impossible
This week’s bonsai tutorial takes us into the wild territory of the unexpected. An old, neglected Barberry—forgotten and not well-grown—becomes the centre of attention. At first glance, it might seem like a mission impossible. However, in bonsai, the most challenging material can sometimes hold the…
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The Autumn Light and the Dance of Deciduous Bonsai
As summer fades and autumn arrives, the light begins to soften. The sun sits lower in the sky, casting longer shadows and bathing the bonsai garden in a golden hue. This shift in light is not just a visual delight—it plays a crucial role in…
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Caring for Your Bonsai in Early Autumn: A Gentle Transition
As the first hints of autumn settle, the bonsai garden begins its quiet transformation. The light softens, the air soon cools – although right now we have warm, pleasant summer temperatures, and the trees respond with subtle shifts in colour and energy. This is a…
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Embracing the Natural Flow – Bonsai in a Loose and Organic Style
🌿 In the world of bonsai, precision and control often dominate the conversation. We admire the crisp lines, the disciplined shapes, and the miniature grandeur of trees sculpted to perfection. But there’s another path—one that leans into nature’s rhythm, where imperfection becomes beauty and looseness becomes…
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Bonsai in Wales coming up – Q&A Live Thursday coming up
Spring is running fast forward, and it looks like the bonsai will receive some warmth and sunny weather the next week. This speed up the growth and the need of paying attention on watering. If a tree lacks water or is overwatered it can damage…
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Easter jobs to do in the bonsai garden
🌸 Spring Pinching and Pruning Strategies for Bonsai 🌸 This week’s tutorial (published Thursday as usual) about spring pinching and pruning for Japanese maples, zelkovas, and oriental hornbeam bonsai is in the video library and stays there. Whether you’re nurturing mature, developed trees or young…
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Setting Up a Bonsai in Your Tokonoma or Living Room
Embracing Winter Elegance: Setting Up a Bonsai in Your Tokonoma or Living Room Winter is a season of quiet beauty, and what better way to celebrate it than by incorporating a bonsai into your home decor? Whether you have a traditional tokonoma or a modern…
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The mystery of Japanese maples shifting leaf colours in summer
In the Kisetsu-en bonsai collection, there are several pieces of the beloved Japanese maple, Acer palmatum. They all have slightly different habits of leaf development in spring and some colours up differently in autumn. Two of the small Shohin stand out in their different behaviour…
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Pot choices for two Shohin bonsai
Hmmmm…. what pot should I choose? This may be one of the spring questions often asked among bonsai enthusiasts. In this week’s video, I look into exploring the pot choice. Repotting bonsai is also a chance to select maybe a new pot for a tree.…
