Swordsman Bonsai

Dancing Black Pine~

Slowly developing… I made a hard turn on that lower, left branch last styling. Since then then it has grown out, allowing me to add more movement. The apex and other branches were then moved to complement the overall.

Cascade Japanese Maple Re-Wire 8/24~

I’ve often made the error of leaving the wire on too long on my Japanese Maples. This time, I might have taken it off a bit early. I noticed that the fine branches hadn’t held their shape, so I re-wired them.

Black & White & Ponderosa Pines~

Love it when something I figured it turns out to also be a method the experts are using.

During the hottest days, I water lightly in the early morning. Before I do, I touch the growing medium of several trees to feel the moisture content. They are typically still a bit moist from the previous evening’s watering.

Midday, I give all the trees a through soak, including spraying the leaves, and spraying the area around them. This includes the nearby lawn areas, gravel beneath the display tables, and stones of the garden path. Obviously, this heats to cool the pots that have baking in the sun, and the water evaporating from around the trees help keep them in a moist humid environment.

Lastly, in the early evening, I give them another slight spray, pots, tree tops and surrounding area.

I know that’s a lot for those who don’t work from home. That afternoon water will be impossible for those at work. For those away during the day, May I suggest a sprinkler with a timer. I’ve effectively employed this set up for days I have to be away.

Desert Rose Back in Bloom~

I picked up this little tree three years ago on a trip to Florida. I really didn’t know anything about Desert Rose (Adenium obesum), but the shape of the trunk caught my eye. Since bringing it home, it’s flowered for me consistently, and put out a third branch. Not what one might call a traditional bonsai, but quite an interesting tree.

Scots Pine Bonsai on Crab Basket Stand~

This display immediately caught my eye. I love the freedom of American Bonsai. This artist did things that I don’t believe would be acceptable in Japan. I mean a beer can as a pot?! He took “trash” and made something beautiful of it. Likewise for the upturned crab basket as a stand.

One’s culture is a great treasure. It can however, also be a straight jacket. Looking at the American Bonsai artists are push the boundaries of the Art, one might say even ignoring them, I might venture to say that they are leading the art in new directions in ways that the more traditional cultures of Japan and Chinese simply might not be able to.

Beer Can Shitakusa (plant thing)~

Back Yard Collected Ginkgo

2nd Season Twist~

One of my local swords students pulled this Ginkgo tree out of her garden last year. They are not native and she is working to completely rewind her garden. So it ended up with me. Last year I started twisting the trunk. This spring it was much more supple than when I received it last year, so I was able to take the twist a bit further. It’s taking a nice shape. Unfortunately, you can see where leaves are missing. I lost several young trees to animals eating the leaves. I think this Ginkgo is fine, hopefully.