Year 1

Man has it been a year already? It doesn’t feel like it!

One year ago today I sat down and decided to do what little I could to contribute to the growing online community of bonsai enthusiasts and teachers. If my posting has given at least one person a little edge on getting started with this fulfilling hobby, I’ll be very happy.

There are a whole mess of people I have to thank, I’ll try to hit on all those I can think of and I apologize if I miss anyone. Here we go!

The biggest and most prominent thank you to Bjorn Bjorholm for his persistent Bonsai art of Japan Video series, which fueled my interest, provided great lessons, and opened a little window into the world of bonsai culture in Japan. And in conjunction with that, a HUGE thank you to the rest of the crew at Fujikawa Kouka-en: Keiichi Fujikawa, Owen Reich, Naoki Maeoka, and all the others who have taken part in the Bonsai Art video series.

A huge thank you to Mr. Brussel Martin, who’s incredible bonsai nursery plays host every year to a grouping of the world’s best bonsai teachers, and allowed me specifically to take some instruction from Mr. Fujikawa and Mr. Bjorholm back in 2012. If you’ve never made it to Rendezvous, MAKE IT HAPPEN! I’m looking forward to my juniper class with Ryan Neil in 2014.

And while I’m at it, a thank you to Ryan Neil for his insightful teaching, and the people at OfBonsai Magazine for their video taping of his teachings. A huge thank you is also due to Lindsay Farr and Graham Potter for their wonderful additions to the bonsai video collection on youtube. Thank you, were it not for you, I may never have picked back up my old hobby.

I cannot forget my 3 local influences. First and foremost, The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. Thank you for my first glimpse of real bonsai, and for continually allowing me to come back anytime to see my favorite ancient trees. Second, thank you to Wolf Trap Nursery, for being a tree source, gear source, soil source, pot source…everything at the last minute source. And Finally Meehan’s Miniatures. Sure its a one and a half hour drive, but where else can I get my hands on so MANY different trees all pruned for bonsai. Thank you!

While I’m at it I want to thank all the vendors that have helped me get my hands on just the right products. Stone Lantern, New England Bonsai Gardens, Dallas Bonsai, Adam’s Bonsai and those folks over at home depot (for my makeshift pots).

My deepest thanks to all of my favorite bonsai bloggers. Information, support, and a constant flow of new posts from all over the world! The biggest thanks belongs to Ian over at Bonsai Eejit bouncing my hits from 3 or 4 a day to over a hundred just from one repost. WOW man! One of these days I’ll get to Belfast and see that famous blue-walled garage. And a big thanks to all my favorites: Jonas Dupich’s Bonsai Tonight (one of my first to follow, great work man), Peter Tea (amazing details, lengthy discussion, love it!), Matt Reel (as famously interviewed on Bonsai Prelude), Tyler Sherrod, Capital Bonsai, Bonsai Bark, Nichigo Bonsai, Tom’s Bonsai, The “Italian Stallion” of Bonsai Nicola Crivelli’s Kitora no do, Little Trees from Sweden, Tony Tickle, Bonsai Baker, The guys over at Backcountry Bonsai (excited to see all your Yamadori), Peter Warren’s Saruyama Blog, Walter Pall, Eschmidtpabonsai, Tree The People, Nebari Bonsai…. there are just too many greats!

And finally a thank you to my parents for “renting” a rather large section of their back porch to my trees as apartments are not conducive to bonsai. And a special thanks to my girlfriend for enduring my time consuming tiny trees 🙂

Thanks to all my readers, I hope you enjoy!

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