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In the summer of 2019, our family vacation was to the LA area, and I managed to work in a visit to Chikugo-en nursery, owned by Gary Ishii. The elusive ‘Kiyozuru’ variant of the Itoigawa was brought to the USA by Gary’s father, Mas Ishii. Gary really didn’t have any other information about...

https://www.bonsainut.com/resources/compiled-vance-wood-on-mugo-pines.23/

We had a great show this weekend. Here are some pix of the event.

Bonsai Empire has released its new course, and it is fantastic, packed with content and is truly a masterclass taught by Bjorn Bjorholm and Michael Hagedorn. It is now available here: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses/intermediate-course-2 Oscar provided me with early access for...

The Alabama Bonsai Society’s Spring Show is May 14-15 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. https://fb.me/e/4SfnKOOCn

It was nearly 80 on New Year’s eve, and it’s 30 now. We have close to our annual snowfall total on the ground. Happy New Year, B’nuts. Kiyozuru Itoigawa: Trident maple: Stewartia: Corkbark JBP, ‘Taihei’ JBP:

I’ll preface this with a comment that I don’t believe I have found the perfect pairing yet, but here are a bunch I had to choose from. If you were choosing the pot for this ginkgo, which would you pick? Why? 1. Brown rectangle 2. Tan bag-shaped oval 3. Oribe rectangle Koyo 4. Black...

I took this photo recently and was struck with the twigginess the trees were starting to develop. It prompted me to look back at the same trees 5 years ago to see how they’ve come along. It’s good to look back a little to see progress. Let’s see your trees today and 5 years ago.

I have always wanted a Stewartia, and in December 2018, I had the opportunity to dig one from a grower’s field in Georgia: Bare-rooted and washed off the Georgia red clay when I got it home: Potted: By late May, 2019, it was pretty strong, and clearly hadn’t skipped a beat from being dug and...

Which do you prefer, feel free to add comments.

Spent the weekend at Bjorn’s nursery (perfect timing for a BNut server upgrade😜). Here are some photos from around the nursery this AM. RMJ: My JBP: Chinese quince: Chojubai: Itoigawa: RMJ: Workshop/entrance: One-seed (?) Juniper: Styrax left, JWP right: One of my favorite RMJ...

This is a Corkbark JBP cultivar that showed promising bark in the photos. I bought it from a grower, Dave DeWire, out in WA in 2009. I’ve showed pix over the years, but it hasn’t had its own thread yet. These are as offered from the grower in 2009: It’s about 24” tall.

Anyone have a verified ‘Seigen’ root cutting they’d be willing to sell or trade for some similar-sized Itoigawa or Satsuki Azalea ‘Kinsai’ cuttings? Seigen has been on my list since BT #47 arrived in my mailbox in around 1996. ?. Thanks...

Like “The Tree Thread”, this is a new thread where, if you comment, you have to post a picture of one of your Shohin trees (8” or less in height), in a Bonsai pot, and ideally in a display format. You can post the same tree multiple times, in different seasons, different arrangements, or with...

The parent tree was also from Evergreen Gardenworks, it has a thread here called Crazy Shimpaku. As purchased in 2013: Here was the air layer:

This one came from Evergreen Gardenworks in 2016. Good movement for a small crabapple. Here is a shot from it as received.

Ok, here is my best teee, in its best condition after being groomed for two years in preparation for Nationals. Here is my critique. You are all welcome to critique it too, and my response will be a simple “thank you”. 1. The pot is well matched, but slightly too big for exhibition. 2...

I got this azalea in May 2017, just at the end of blooming. Since Kinsai is a hybrid cultivar, it’s risky to buy them out of bloom. Their flowers can permanently revert from the desired bright-red, spider-like petals to the paler pink fuller petals. Once the fuller petals take over, that’s it...

40 Mikawa JBP seeds arrived today.

Here is an ume I bought from Brent in a 1-gal can in January 2010. It was planted deep, and I potted it higher when I transplanted it to that terra cotta pot (bottom of the photo) a couple months later, somewhere around a 1/2" thick trunk. The tree after 4 seasons in the ground. The tag is...

Starting a thread on this one... From Brent at Evergreen Gardenworks in February 2014. As offered: And as it arrived: Potted:

Starting a thread on this maple from @Don Blackmond. I needed something to round out a shohin display, and this was an interesting addition. I bought it in leaf, but here are some shots from before I bought it.

Here is an Arakawa variety of JBP from Telperion farms. I bought it a year ago and have spent the growing season looking at different options. It has fantastic bark, a nice base, good movement and taper...and plenty of well-placed branches to work with. Pretty sure this will be the front when...

This Hachi-Gen was one of about 8 cultivars I worked with. I bought it because it was cutting-grown. It came from Brent Walston's Evergreen Gardenworks. Here is the description from his catalog: Pinus thunbergii 'Hachi Gen' (Cork Bark Black Pine) We obtained this cultivar from Ken Sugimoto...

I couldn't find a thread on this one, so here is a new one. I bought this Chinese Quince in 2006 on eBay, from Sebastapol CA (first photo). It went in the ground in 2007, and stayed there 8 years, unattended, with the exception of several trunk chops. I wish I would have chopped the second...