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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…
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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…
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18 years of a Japanese maple shohin bonsai
One of the most asked questions I get when presenting a mature Shohin bonsai is: “Is that always grown in a small pot”? The answer is yes. Because all small shohin bonsai need to stay in a narrow space to develop roots that do not…
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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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2 X 1-minute bonsai repotting videos
The repotting season is ending at Kisetsu-en. This week I expect to finish all necessary repottings and then only any creative ideas will add something to the list. Two old trees changes soil in the past week. An old wild cherry, Prunus avium and a…
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Repotting season at Kisetsu-en
Soils are floating. Chopsticks are dancing. Roots are moved. It´s the last week doing repotting at Kisetsu-en. Then all trees in need are repotted with fresh soil. Further down the road, a few more tiny spring projects will be executed before the growing seasons leave…
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Daan Giphart 20 year anniversary testimonial
Today’s blog post is the greeting from another friend and shohin bonsai pioneer, Daan Giphart. “I want to thank you and gratulate you for the 20 years of tireless energy for making the shohin big again! As a shohin pioneer in the Netherlands and Belgium…
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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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Spring shohin bonsai and wiring
Spring is sneaking in upon us here. There have been some frosty nights but it will soon loosen up and higher temperatures will push new growth. Just before that, it is timely to wire any leftover wiring jobs we didn’t manage in autumn. When the…
