Tag Archives: maple

Taikan-Ten Round up

The Taikan-Ten is Japan’s second largest bonsai show and is held annually in November. Unlike other shows in Japan, the Taikan-Ten focuses on bonsai displays and features excellent Tokonoma. While I’ve spent the last week gorging on thanksgiving left-overs, I’ve … Continue reading

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Konpakuto

“Bonsai are compact. The tree always wants to get bigger. Bigger, bigger, bigger (gestures as if the tree is inflating like a balloon). We always work to make our bonsai more compact (gesturing as if the balloon is incrementally deflating). … Continue reading

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Prudence With Pruning

Prudence Noun 1. The ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason 2. Sagacity or shrewdness in the management of affairs 3. Skill and good judgment in the use of resources 4. Caution or circumspection as to … Continue reading

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Styling: The Ground Work

At this point in the game of learning bonsai things can become tricky. You bought your plant, know how to keep it alive, and now you need to take it from an ordinary nursery plant to something extraordinary. There are … Continue reading

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Choosing a Bonsai

Choosing a bonsai is not the most important thing in bonsai. Keeping the tree alive is the most important thing in bonsai, which is why I addressed watering first. Picking a tree then, must be the second most important thing … Continue reading

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A Prelude to Bonsai

My trees are still alive. I’ve had many bonsai. Many people I know have had many bonsai. But mine are still alive. When I was young, maybe 5th grade, I was mesmerized by the miniature trees on a cart at … Continue reading

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